Carneros Resort and Spa

Recently stayed here for one night, due to having a free Hilton reward night -- and the property was worth it. We stayed in the Poppy room #4. the bungalow was located in a less picturesque area of the resort, off to the side, tucked away, where we could hear the nearby road. Maybe that's where they put all the free night rewards? Not sure though. But upon saying that, we were at least pleasantly surprised when we opened the door and walked in. We had a couch with a gas fireplace, a large bed, a giant shower, and a huge outdoor space with a fire pit and heater. Everything smelled amazing and the unit was very clean and cozy. We could hear the traffic in the bathroom, but inside the bedroom area, it was quiet. The overall resort grounds of the property were incredible! We kept snapping pictures wherever we went, as we took in the views of the vineyards, the flowers, the pathways, everything was impeccable. There are two pools on the property -- the adult one located at the far end of the property really stood out. It was so relaxing sitting by the infinity pool, with the sunset views overlooking the vineyards in front of us. We ate at the Farm Pavilion during our stay -- a more relaxed area near their Farm restaurant. We had our own fire-pit, and dined on burgers and pizzas. The location of the restaurants are within an area that also had bocce ball, horseshoes, a clothing store, and a market with made to order food, and various other drinks and snacks for purchase. Our stay included the breakfast buffet, which also had plenty of options like baked goods, plenty of fruit, oatmeal, and fresh quiches. Every staff member we encountered were very friendly, and went above and behind to make our stay easy-going and relaxing. The only negatives we can think of, was that there needed to be a little more maintenance in the cottage showers. Both of the indoor shower heads in our unit, had mold -- so we opted to use the outdoor shower instead. Also, as a Gold Member we are entitled to a late check-out, but were only given an extra 30 minutes. Overall, a fantastic property and a memorable experience.

This place uses false advertising when you make a reservation, particularly relating to the “third night free.” They say the average is $1082 per night but it is actually $1600 per night. For the $1600/night room cost, we would have expected a much higher level of service and better room quality. Carneros gives the outward appearance of a “luxury resort” (and the price), but does not live up to the luxury experience at other similar resorts. The property was worn out - with a bathroom door that sticks closed, broken hair dryer, and even a frog in the bathroom. The service was very minimal, and it seemed like the hotel was short-staffed at every venue. The cleaners did a very poor job multiple times, and we needed to call for robes, towels, washcloths, coffee, waters, etc. At the pool, there were very few people attending it, and when asked for assistance to move an umbrella, the staff indicated that it was too heavy to move. The breakfast on Sunday morning was a complete chaotic mess, where no one even brought us water or coffee (even when we asked), or acknowledged that we were there. At the spa, there were very few people working there, which resulted in the locker room items not being stocked. If you have a choice of luxury resorts, I'd pick the Stanly or another one that will actually live up to the luxury resort standards.

Our experience this year was very disappointing. Last year, we had an excellent experience, which is why we decided to come back. The rooms were upgraded, the staff was welcoming and helpful, and they even arranged a car for us. We felt truly taken care of. Unfortunately, this year was completely different. The front desk staff was not friendly and did not seem willing to listen to our concerns. When my husband approached the front desk, there was no one there, and when he tried to sit down while waiting, he was told not to sit. The staff member said she was helping someone, but the way the situation was handled made us feel unwelcome. We also did not receive the rooms we requested, and there were no complimentary escalades offered. When we asked for help booking a participating tour, the staff was not very helpful or accommodating. We returned because of how wonderful our experience was last year, but this time we did not feel welcomed or valued at all. The difference between last year and this year was significant. We hope management takes this feedback seriously and works on improving the guest experience, especially at the front desk.

This was such a charming place! We had our own little cabin (with a periwinkle door!) and the most delightful yard with a fire pit to sit outside and play cards with my husband (ask me who won?!) Food was outstanding and the whole place just quaint and lovely.

A few points of negative feedback regarding our stay at a 2 bedroom courtyard residence: (in isolation maybe each issue can be overlooked, but in aggregate, not great…) 1. An in use mouse trap next to kids board games cupboard?!? (Picture attached) 2. Giant critter hiding in our accommodations, which we did not let in/bc we’re very careful about keeping doors closed (critter picture attached). 3. Housekeeping came the last day, after we requested no housekeeping for our 3 night stay, since we are traveling with young children. It’s fine if hotel policy says housekeeping must come every 2 days, but please tell us, don’t say ‘ok, no housekeeping for 3 days’, then send housekeeping the last night 4. Check in day, at 345pm, we were told 10 minutes for room to be ready, we did not get keys until 415pm (we did receive credit for the tardiness), but this was an issue with restless kids. 5. The room we stayed in needs a major refresh: carpet, furniture, bathrooms etc etc, especially given the price point The one positive, was that the residence was very large