Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Sonoma - Gaige House vs MacArthur Place??

This is a good question! Having stayed at both--and very much liked both of them--I guess it depends on what you're really looking for in a place! The Gaige House is much more expensive than MacArthur Place, but perhaps partially because we have always been there mid summer and went to MP off season. MP frequently has internet specials posted on their website so you might check it. We stayed in Creekside at the GH, and it is nicely private and not in the main house. We particularly liked having the pool right outside our door, but I think they only heat it through Oct. and it will be cold by November. The room wasn't terribly large, but was very comfortable and nicely decorated. There was also a nice wet bar area with a fairly generous-sized fridge for a small one, and it has a nice large patio area. I doubt that they will be doing outdoor massages that time of year which is good because, when one is in progress, there is only a wooden grape stake-type partition (with some kind of curtain) between your porch and the massage area so you feel constrained to be very quiet so as not to intrude on the person's massage! There were other accomodations in the same building, but they all had private entrances so you were unaware of them. At MP we stayed in a completely separate cottage with its own fenced-in patio, and the actual room seemed a bit larger though perhaps that was only because it had a vaulted ceiling. MP is a much larger facility, spread out in various buildings. The pool was heated even though we were there in Nov. and we quite enjoyed it. They also have a spa (GH does in-room massages) that looked very nice, but we didn't try it. MP had various garden areas spread out amongst the buildings, some of them being very old garden areas that were really lovely. It seemed more intimate than it was because of all these little nooks and crannies on the grounds. MP also had woodburning fireplaces whereas the GH has gas fireplaces, if that matters to you. Our room at MP also had a wet bar and was very nicely decorated with beautiful fabrics and comfortable furniture. Both had stunning bath areas--the one at MP was huge! They both had large, jetted tubs and separate showers as well. Don't know that all the rooms have all these amenities, however. MP had a large, "extended Continental" breakfast buffet in their restaurant (where we had an excellent dinner the night before) whereas GH had a seated, 2 course gourmet breakfast that changed daily. It was quite elaborate and served in their dining room. Both places allowed guests to sit at their own table rather than the enforced breakfast chitchat type of place. MP is located in the town of Sonoma, but it covers a number of acres. Some of the buildings were situated on (but not too near) a busy street, but I never found noise to be a problem. GH is in a very small town--Glen Ellen--but it's an old house built very close to a busy road. I have seen on other posts that traffic noise was a problem for those rooms close to the road, but the Creekside accomodation is situated at the opposite end of the property. Whichever you choose, I'm sure you'll like it as they are both lovely properties! Have a great stay!