kimamom

Has anyone stayed at this hotel and is it nice? I have not seen this area yet and was thinking of skipping Sonoma and staying here. Has anyone dined at the Dry Creek Kitchen and was it good? Is Healdsburg better than Sonoma? I have yet to explore the wineries in this area. Any good ones to recommend? Thanks for all advice!! ***kim*** The trip would be in March of this year.

winerycat

Kim,
There are others on this board who probably know the area much better than I, but, since you've not had any responses yet ...

Haven't stayed at Hotel Healdsburg or eaten at the Dry Creek Kitchen, but both look good--you could try them out and let us know.

Husband and I had a memorable few days stay at the wonderful Madrona Manor, on a hill in Healdsburg, and referred to by the local newspaper as the "crown jewel of Healdsburg inns" -- I'd have to agree. The mansion is incredibly beautiful, we had several delicious meals in their award-winning restaurant and the huge grounds contain beautiful gardens for strolling, plus a pool. If you look on the website's picture, our room was upstairs upper right at the front of the mansion with a balcony--large with a grand antique bed & fireplace.

There are many wineries nearby to visit. We went all over, including Sonoma, but I remember a Dry Creek Road, near the Manor which had many small ones. We stopped at Dry Creek, and Ferrari-Carrano is the most beautiful one. Their fantastic gardens would be a treat in Spring, as well as their nice wines. Good luck in your search. www.madronamanor.com

Marci_77

We didn't stay at the hotel but did dine there. The food was great! But I felt like I was sharing a table with another couple because the tables were so close.
I thought the hotel looked really nice, but did read negative reviews elsewhere. Healdsburg is a nice area to stay in--very central.
We stayed just north of Santa Rosa at the Vinters Inn. Although it was a bit south (10-15 min) of some of the things we wanted to do it was by no means out of the way like you might think by looking at a map. I highly reccomend the inn. It was fabulous!
Also, you should know that the drive over to Napa takes about an hour because of the curvy roads.

MsGhost

We stayed at Hotel Healdsburg in May and really enjoyed it! We had a corner room which was nice as it had windows on two sides as well as a French door that sort of overlooked the pool. Because of the interior colors and not so many windows, I think some of the rooms could be a tad on the dark side. The bath had a large soaking tub as well as a very large, separate shower. You might check to see if the pool is heated year round as it was a very nice area. They have a spa where I had a so-so hot stone massage (the masseuse had a VERY light touch in spite of my request for more pressure, but she was very sweet). We loved the location as it is right on the central plaza in Healdsburg, and it's a lovely little town with very much a "community feeling". A previous poster is right with the advice to wander out Dry Creek Road as it's lovely--you can actually go out I believe Eastside Rd. (can't remember for sure, but look on a map) and join up with Dry Creek Rd. out towards the dam by Lake Sonoma and make a whole loop of a drive. There are also numerous wineries going through Knight's Valley on Hwy. 128 heading down towards Calistoga (hwy 128 is accessed just north of Healdsburg). There are numerous excellent restaurants in Healdsburg within walking distance of Hotel Healdsburg such as Bistro Ralph, Zin, Ravenous and Tastings, if they haven't moved yet. Dry Creek Kitchen is excellent--we've eaten there at least four times and never been disappointed. Usually we just eat at the bar as you can get anything on the menu served there, and they have very comfortable "bar stools". Plus, J.J. is a great bartender as well as server! Healdsburg to me has a much more small-town feel than Sonoma, though in Sonoma we've stayed a couple of times at MacArthur Place which we enjoyed very much. Had an excellent massage at their spa, plus we've even been swimming in the lovely pool area in December as they heat it all year long. They have a very good restaurant there as well as numerous restaurants within a few blocks such as La Poste and Cafe de la Haye.

Grasshopper

I love Healdsburg. It's my favorite wine country destination. I don't know Hotel Healdsburg but am wondering if it's the same as the Inn on the Plaza since it's the only one I'm aware of on the square. I've stayed there a few times and really liked it. Each room is different and charming. The breakfast is very good.

Check out www.wineroad.com to give you a good picture of the area. I agree that dinner at Madrona Manor is a must. I also like having lunch at the cafe at Chateau Souveraign.

MsGhost

The Inn on the Plaza has been in Healdsburg for quite some time whereas the Hotel Healdsburg is all new construction which was finished just over a year ago.