Fodor's Expert Review River Belle Inn

An 1875 Victorian with a storied past and a glorious colonnaded wraparound porch anchors this boutique property along the Russian River. Isabelle Simi, whose father and uncle started Simi Winery, which she ran for many years, lived in the home for more than three-quarters of a century. Starting with the made-to-order breakfast their chef prepares each morning, innkeepers Tom and Mitzi Bangs, who opened River Belle in 2017, aim to deliver a unique and relaxing experience. On most days, patrons' biggest challenge is figuring out where to chill out—in the decorous front parlor (complete with baby grand), on the porch, or in lounge chairs or the hammock on the riverfront lawn.

More than a dozen tasting rooms operate within a block or so of the inn, and Healdsburg Plaza and its shops and restaurants (and more tasting rooms) is less than a mile away.

room

Tom, a contractor, extended the original home—and the porch—east toward the river. Ten of the inn's dozen rooms are off a long hallway that begins at the top of the 1875 home's original staircase, with two riverfront suites on the ground floor. Antiques, reproductions, and period-style curtains recall Simi's lengthy occupancy, but with high-thread-count sheets and fancy bathrooms, the feel is au courant.

Four second-floor rooms in the back have Juliet balconies with splendid views; the two ground-floor suites have private patios.

bathroom

As with the rooms, the bathrooms glance backward but appeal to contemporary sensibilities with lavish marble or tile floors and shiny chrome fixtures. Some bathrooms have deep soaking tubs (in two cases adjacent to see-through fireplaces); others have tubs with river views.

YOU SHOULD KNOW Two bathrooms have only a shower.

lobby

Arriving guests drive toward the back of the property to a broad portico where they're greeted in a small reception area, a grandfather clock keeping time as check-in begins. A stand holds brochures for neighboring sights and restaurants, and a signboard lists suggested activities and, on some days, the name of a local winery whose representative will pour wine in the late afternoon.

Photo: "Belle's Breakfast served daily on the patio / TPB

dining

Caprese-pesto omelets, sweet-apple sausage quiche, and Belgian waffles with fresh fruit and Chantilly cream are among the items prepared each morning by the inn's chef, who also bakes a pastry daily. Each night before retiring, guests fill out "Triple Dubs" menus, indicating what among the many choices they desire for breakfast, when they'd like to dine, and where: in a river-view dining room, on its patio, on the porch, or in-room.

On warm mornings, many guests take breakfast on the river-view patio or even nearer the water.

Photo: "Belle's Breakfast served daily on the patio / TPB

drinking

Tom and Mitzi converted the original home's kitchen into a parlor where in the late afternoon they serve local wines and a few custom microbrews. The room's long redwood table came from a tree formerly on the property.