3 Best Hotels in Sonoma, Napa and Sonoma

With just six rooms, the Ledson feels intimate, and the furnishings and amenities—down beds, mood lighting, gas fireplaces, whirlpool tubs, and balconies for enjoying breakfast or a glass of wine—stack up well against Wine Country rooms costing more, especially in high season. Toss in a caring staff and the ground-floor tasting lounge, and this really is one of downtown Sonoma’s best lodging options.

Delivering romance and relaxation is the raison d'être of this courtyard complex 1½ blocks north of Sonoma Plaza. Near restaurants, shops, and tasting rooms but quiet and seemingly off the beaten path, the Cottage Inn pleases sensitive travelers with serene style and graceful touches. Mexican-tile floors, leather furniture, and, in some rooms, brown wooden doors recall Sonoma’s 19th-century origins, but with the white walls and mostly pastel shades a mildly New Age sensibility prevails. Room types range from a spacious suite with a full kitchen to a small but not cramped courtyard room that's a bargain in high season.

Little luxuries delight at this well-run inn ¼ mile south of Sonoma Plaza whose guest rooms, softly lit and done in pastels, have comfortable beds topped with feather comforters and plenty of pillows. The rooms aren’t huge, but you'd be hard-pressed to find this much charm for the price elsewhere in town. Part of the Four Sisters Inns chain of small hotels in popular vacation destinations, this property has an exceptionally gracious staff. The inn isn’t the Sonoma Plaza area’s most intimate lodging, but it feels cozy, and a full breakfast is laid out every morning.