For our annual girls' weekend, we (3 of us) have decided on Napa/Sonoma for 3 nights in March. One great thing about these weekends for us: we have always stayed in a fantastic hotel b/c we split it three ways. This time, we are thinking something luxurious, with a sitting area and fireplace in the room (to hang out drinking wine), and a great spa. Any suggestions for places with particularly spacious accommodations (enough to accommodate an extra bed and space to hang out in the room) and good spa facilities? We don't really have a Napa v. Sonoma preference. Of course, we would like the hotel to be convenient to wineries and with good restaurants nearby. Thanks for any info!

Sorry- I meant to select the "California" forum!

Sonoma Mission Inn comes to mind first - excellent spa and within shouting distance of several good wineries. Depends on how far north you want to go I guess.

The Sonoma Mission Inn is wonderful. They have recently remodeled so I'm sure all of the rooms are really nice. We like the Wine Country rooms. Have fun! ***kim***

Hi europhile!
Was just at the SMI for a birthday
and although the Spa is pretty nice
the rooms we had were surprisingly small-the b'day
girl was dissapointed that the rooms (for the price) did not lend themselves for exactly the kind of hanging-out- drinking- wine- having- girl- talk she was hoping for. It also is not in the
greatest area of town. But you would most likely enjoy the Spa.

I think you might like MacArthur Place
Inn and Spa- I sure did! Go for a cottage or larger suite, just great rooms with fireplaces, wet-bars and big, fluffy chairs to hang out in.
We went for an anniversary,but I could easily enjoy it for a gal's weekend.
And the spa..I had a marvelous lavender
bath and massage in their beautiful
spa, the grounds are very pretty as well.
March will be a nice time to be here
you'll probably get good use of the fireplace. Oh two of my favorite restaurants are Cafe La Haye and Meritage.

What fun-you've got me thinking about
a girl's weekend myself!
R5

Cafe La Haye is good, they are only open for dinner tho, and I believe a brunch on Sun.

One of my favorites for lunch is the girl and the fig, on the plaza. Yummy salads, crabcakes and a they serve a very good lavender infused creme brulee. They also have an excellent Imagery Viognier that is one of my favorites. Let us know what you decide and have a wonderful time.

The Apricots N' Cream Lotion at the SMI is divine, it's on my list for Santa! ***kim***

The new issue of SAN FRANCISCO MAGAZINE that I received in the mail today had a cover articles on the new high end resorts in that area. Find the magazine and check them out.

A wile back, my husband and I stayed at a great place, I think Sonoma, and I think it was called the Harvest Inn. They had an inn, with beautiful gardens etc, and cottages you could rent (we did) complete with fireplaced living room etc. See if you can figure out where it is. It was one of the nicest lodging experiences I've had. Good luck, if you find it, you'll have so much fun you wont remember much either!

What about somewhere in Healdsburg (Sonoma) or St Helena (Napa) ...cute towns with enough to keep you busy wandering around for awhile in the afternoon.

Shannon44, The Harvest Inn is actually in St. Helena. We stayed there a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. The fact that we got 50% off of our room rate with the E-Book was even better.

We loved the breakfast room with the french doors that opened out to the vineyards. Very nice place.

As far as Healdsburg, we loved our recent stay at the Hotel Healdsburg and our dinner at Dry Creek Kitchen was very enjoyable, indeed! www.hotelhealdaburg.com ***kim***

ohhhh Bob1, did they mention
Duchamp????
One of our best kept Healdsburg secrets!

R5

Thanks for all the replies. I do like the idea of Healdsburg or some really cute town we could walk around. Any suggestions in one of those places? I did check the Healdsburg Hotel, but there are no rooms with fireplaces there. What do you all think of Meadowood or Milliken Inn?

Sonoma has a cute town sqaure with shops
and that is where MacArthur Place is.
Healdsburg has a similar square-did you look at hotel DuChamp?
Milliken Creek is near Napa downtown
which has been renovated. From Napa
you could wander around Yountville,
St. Helena or Calistoga. Calistoga
is a spa destination in itself.
Consider looking at Indian Springs
for spa and Cottage Crove Inn for
your own cottage for all of you.
R5

Meadowood has beautiful rooms, and some are huge, especially one on the ground floor by the croquet lawn. It's very heavy tree cover so is a little dark and cold though for this time of year - suppose fireplaces would remedy that Cannot speak to spa. Milliken Creek also has wonderful rooms, with space for hanging out drinking wine, and the creek is beautiful, but you are really close to the road and there is some psychic infringement. Again, cannot speak to spa. If it were me, I like the Hotel Healdsburg - beautiful and sophisticated and extra benefit of being to walk right out and stroll, which Milliken and Meadowood don't have. You'd just have to make sure the room was large, as some of them are quite small but the bathrooms are totally to die for. Also has great couches in lobby lounge. Also has spa, which is pretty good. Sonoma Mission Inn, haven't been there, hear it is less boutique, more chain-like.

Have a wonderful time.

I'm certainly no expert, having just been to wine country once, but have some thoughts...

I think you would really enjoy Sonoma, and McArthur Place looked really nice. If I'm not mistaken, you could walk to the town square where all the shops and restaurants are. From Sonoma, you could easily head out to other towns in the Sonoma Valley - Glen Ellen and Kenwood, or to Napa Valley for a change of pace.

I agree with whoever it was said Sonoma Mission Inn is not in the greatest location. It's on a road with a bunch of strip malls, close to the road. It might have nice grounds inside and nice rooms - we did not look, but we were kind of shocked seeing it after seeing the web site.

My husband and I loved Healdsburg, but felt that it was isolated. It's got a great square and again, lots of shops and restaurants. If you just want to sit tight in one town, it would be nice.

You'll have fun wherever you go. Such glorious country.