Jeangail

I just booked a stay at the Kenwood Inn and Spa. I stayed in Napa this past fall for a few days and wanted to try a different spot although I loved my visit to Napa. I will be spending just a day or two in SF and then heading over to Kenwood where I will spend 3 days and then drive to Carmel/Big Sur for a few days.

I am wondering if anyone is familiar with the Kenwood Inn and Spa and can comment on its location and convenience to nice restaurants and towns. We will visit a few wineries but have no particular desires and the top priority is rest and relaxation in a beautiful setting with nice restaurants, shops and great accommodations. We figure wherever we stay will have access to wineries. We're not serious wine people. Kenwood Inn is already a splurge for us so higher priced hotels are not an option.

My concern is that Kenwood might be too isolated and too much of a trek to get to places we'd want to visit. How difficult of a ride is it over to the Napa area? I see it's about 20 miles but wondering if it's a windy, dark 20 miles or not so bad.

I'd love any feedback on Kenwood Inn and Spa including its location and facilites. Open to other lodging suggestions as well. Going the end of August.

TrvlMaven

Don't know anything about Kenwood Inn & Spa other than it's a beautiful property. Our favorite lunch spot is just up the road--Cafe Citti. You'll be in the center of lots of great wineries. There are actually three roads over the hills to get to Napa. Trinity Rd/Dry Creek/Oakville Grade will drop you into Oakville (between Yountville and St. Helena). Further up Hwy 12 toward Santa Rosa, take Calistoga Road. It will split, Saint Helena Road (right) goes to (duh) St. Helena; the left road runs into Petrified Forest Rd and drops into Calistoga. You could take the Calistoga Road over to the Napa Valley and return on the Oakville/Trinity Rd.

MichelleY

Dear Jeangail:

Concentrate on the Sonoma Valley, Valley of the Moon and Sonoma. Lots of great places to check out. You can even head down to Carneros. Plenty to see w/o going to Napa.

Have fun,

MY

LLindaC

I agree with Michelle! Sonoma is so beautiful and the wineries are friendlier, IMO. Napa with the traffic, high tasting fees, etc is not as much fun. I love the Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys. We also spent one day trying the wineries in Alexander Valley...lots of fun.

kimamom

I have heard really nice things about the Kenwood Inn & Spa. We were considering a stay here last Spring, but chose the Sonoma Mission Inn which is amazing. We enjoyed Doce Lunas in Kenwood for lunch one time, a very nice wok-seared Calamari salad here. Don't miss the Kenwood winery while in the area, some of the nicest white wines can be found here, I love their Vintage White which is the signature wine at the Sonoma Mission Inn, a bottle is in your room upon arrival.

Please report back with us here if you do decide on the Kenwood Inn, happy travels! ***kim***