Fodor's Expert Review Inn St. Helena

A large room at this spiffed-up downtown St. Helena inn is named for author Ambrose Bierce (The Devil's Dictionary), who lived in the main Victorian structure in the early 1900s, but sensitive hospitality and modern amenities are what make a stay worth writing home about. The main home, built in 1872, contains four rooms, a cottage house nearby holds three, and there's a large loft studio with a kitchen. Some rooms are painted in soft gray tones, others in rich yellow pastels. The decor acknowledges the period but with contemporary flair, and the owner and staff aim to please.