Luxury Resort Perched On The Bluffs Overlooking The Pacific

Timber Cove Resort, Sonoma Coast, CA www.timbercoveresort.com

I am reluctant to tell you how incredibly beautiful the Sonoma Coast is, because that is where I go when I want to get away and relax… BUT… if you already know what I am talking about (or want to know) you should definitely consider the 46-room Timber Cove, a luxury resort perched (note: marketing word) on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific. It’s about 2.5 hours from San Francisco, 15 miles north of Jenner (where the Russian River meets the ocean) or about one hour from the Sonoma County airport. Zillions of outdoor activities. Check it out.

226 guest rooms, a 40,000 sq ft spa featuring natural thermal mineral water pools, a “renowned” 18-hole championship course, and 10,000 sq ft of meeting space

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa
www.fairmont.com/sonoma/

Full disclosure… I was DOS here from 1987-1999 and still have dreams about it… so I think it’s a special place… but it’s not just me… everyone who has ever stayed there thinks the same thing. The facts… 226 guest rooms (many are suites), a 40,000 square foot Spa featuring natural thermal mineral water pools, a “renowned” 18-hole championship course, located in Sonoma Valley (so close to “stuff”), and 10,000 square feet of meeting space (plus additional venue space at the Golf Club). Oh… and it’s a Fairmont.

Resort still has an authentic retro feel, offers 15,000 sq ft of meeting space AND… an 8,000 sq ft Health Club

Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa
www.flamingoresort.com

There are not many places quite like the Flamingo. The hotel opened in 1957 and quickly became a society hot spot, the place to see and be seen. In 1959, the Flamingo became renowned by Hollywood as the place to stay north of the Bay. Movie stars like Jayne Mansfield were often found sunning themselves by the pool.

Even though the town has kind of grown around the three-star 170-room Resort over the last 60 years, the Resort still has an authentic retro feel. It also offers 15,000 square feet of meeting space AND… an 8,000 square foot Health Club plus a seven-treatment room Spa. Full disclosure… I used to be a member of the Health Club and really enjoyed it. Those were the days I used to take care of myself. I moved away and now I don’t. Advice… do not follow my example.

23 customized Airstream trailers, 10 additional luxury tent-cabins… plus a big central lawn for the teambuilding thing

AutoCamp Russian River autocamp.com/guides/location/russian-river/
The moment I stepped on to this property located in a grove of Redwood Trees a short walk from the Russian River and the town of Guerneville I thought… oh, this is perfect for a Google group (or its demographic equivalent). It offers 23 customized Airstream trailers and during the season, 10 additional luxury tent-cabins… plus a big central lawn for the teambuilding thing (plus firepits)… and each airstream has a BBQ… and there is a clubhouse… and other cool stuff. If you have the right kind of group, they will love it.

If your group needs a small luxury boutique top-rated 25-room Inn with a Michelin starred restaurant

Farmhouse Inn www.farmhouseinn.com
If your group needs a small luxury boutique top-rated 25-room Inn with a Michelin starred restaurant… and quiet and discreet and service (but not rate) are your “hot buttons” and you want to stay at a multi-award-winning Inn owned by a 5th generation Sonoma winemaking family (that knows everyone) in the heart of the Russian River Valley… then this place is for you. Their boardroom comfortably holds twelve… or you can buy out the whole place. Either way… nice.

Santa Rosa convention-style hotel is in the midst of a major expansion has 10,000 sq ft of indoor space and another 10k of outdoor space

Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country https://sonomawinecountry.regency.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html Located in Santa Rosa on the edge of Railroad Square (read shops and restaurants), this convention-style hotel currently has 155 rooms… BUT… is in the midst of a major expansion and is about to have a total of 253 guest rooms and suites. They also offer 10,000 square feet of indoor space and another 10k of outdoor space (with gardens and lawns etc).

78-room boutique hotel and Spa on 92 acres of vineyards and 4500 sq ft of meeting space

Vintners Inn/John Ash & Co.

www.vintnersinn.com
In September this 44-room boutique hotel on 92 acres of vineyards just outside Santa Rosa will become a 78-room boutique hotel and Spa (on 92 acres of vineyards). The property also features 4500 square feet of meeting space and the (fantastic) restaurant, John Ash & Co. (it was really good). (Full disclosure… I was GM here back in 1999-2000 and so I like them)

Healdsburg's downtown Plaza beautifully designed 55-room hotel offers 2800 sq ft meeting space, spa, and really excellent food

Hotel Healdsburg, Healdsburg, CA www.hotelhealdsburg.com

I like to call it “agro-urban chic”. Located on Healdsburg’s downtown Plaza, this beautifully designed 55-room hotel offers 2800 square feet of meeting space, a spa, really, really excellent food (as in Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen), plus all of the attractions associated with Wine Country’s Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys. And the staff there are all really nice too

Spa, Natural Mineral Springs, Mud Baths… And You Can Easily Walk To Downtown Calistoga

Indian Springs Resort

It’s been there since 1862 but because of what they did in 2015, we can now call it the New Indian Springs Resort. What did they do? Other than the fact they are still built over a natural Hot Springs, pretty much everything. The current stats… 115 rooms (75 are new), 3500 square feet of meeting space (new), a new restaurant, plus a lot of renovated old stuff, the old stuff being the reason why they have been there since 1862… Spa, Natural Mineral Springs, Mud Baths… and you can easily walk to downtown Calistoga (or take one of their complimentary bicycles). www.indianspringscalistoga.com    

Five-Star Auberge Resort Within Walking Distance (Or A Very Short Bike Ride) From The Town Of Calistoga

Solage Calistoga

It’s a Five-Star Auberge Resort… presumably that means it’s good. Within walking distance (or a very short bike ride) from the town of Calistoga, this 89-room resort and Spa has over 15k square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting/event space, a couple of bocce ball courts, and a giant pool. www.solage.aubergeresorts.com

This 50-Room Super-Luxury Auberge Resort Is “Tucked” Into A Private Canyon On 157 Acres - St Helena

Calistoga Ranch

As a reference point… I showed up for a site inspection a while back and the then-CEO of SONY was checking in ahead of me. It’s that kind of place.

Unlike many resorts, they are not “nestled” somewhere. Instead, this 50-room super-luxury Auberge resort is “tucked” into a private canyon on 157 acres. Makes all the difference. They even have their own lake, not to mention (but I am about to mention) private lodge accommodations, a great Spa, a private Lakehouse Restaurant (that goes with the private lake), and… their very own 1175 square foot wine cave. Consider this a great spot for Board Meetings and Incentives. www.calistogaranch.aubergeresorts.com     

Part of Starwood’s Luxury Collection, the recently opened 68-room Las Alcobas - St. Helena

Las Alcobas

I have written about them before, but to make this simple, here you go again… Part of Starwood’s Luxury Collection, the recently opened 68-room Las Alcobas is located on Main Street in St. Helena, adjoining the Beringer Estate and Winery. It features a 2200 square foot “Event Barn” (with an exhibition kitchen thrown in), outdoor event spaces, and Beringer is right there and they have “stuff’ too. www.lasalcobasnapavalley.com/

Ooh. Meadowood. It deserves both an ooh AND an aah. Napa Valley

Meadowood Napa Valley

Ooh. Meadowood. It deserves both an ooh AND an aah. 85 guest rooms and suites of all shapes and sizes (and prices that range from high to higher), including a number of four-bedroom cottages… they call them cottages but they are more like houses… that have separate entrances so they can be booked individually or as an entire “cottage” with a giant living area that can be used for meetings, hospitality or… living (?). The resort also has an actual 3-Star Michelin restaurant (impressive), a nine-hole executive golf course, a Spa, and a real regulation style croquet lawn (great for teambuilding). And of course, the whole shebang is “nestled” on 250 acres just outside St. Helena. www.meadowood.com

50-Room Super-Luxury Property – Rutherford, CA

Auberge du Soleil, Rutherford

Auberge du Soleil (Rutherford)

I have stayed in a lot of great hotels. I remember looking around my room at this 50-room super-luxury property and thinking… someone really took the time to think about what you would want to have or see in every part of the room, and then put the perfect thing there. What I am saying is, this iconic property really deserves to be called iconic.

Perfect for high-end meetings or incentives where the price is not really the point, it’s the experience (and the perceived ROI from that experience). What do I mean by that? I mean it’s expensive but only if you care about that. And, of course, their restaurant has a Michelin Star.

One small thing about Auberge du Soleil on weekends. There will be weddings. Just saying. https://aubergedusoleil.aubergeresorts.com/

Hotel Is So Good For A Small Meeting Or Incentive - Napa Valley, CA

Napa Valley Lodge

Napa Valley Lodge

Part of the well-respected Woodside Hotel Collection, this 55-room hotel on the north end of town also offers 2540 square feet of meeting space (so good for a small meeting or incentive). They do not have their own restaurant but in Yountville, which has more Michelin stars per capita than any other city in the world, you can walk to at least 10 superb restaurants within minutes. www.napavalleylodge.com

140-year Old Winery Turned into Tuscan-styled Villagio Inn and Spa and French Country Manor - Napa Valley, CA

Villagio & Vintage Inn

Villagio & Vintage Inn

This gets complicated so bear with me. First, take a 140-year old winery, turn it into a Napa Valley marketplace in the middle of the food Mecca known as Yountville. Then build two hotels on either side… The Tuscan-styled Villagio Inn and Spa with 122 guest rooms and suites, and the French country manor-styled Vintage Inn with 80 guest rooms, suites and villas. Together they share 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting/event space and a Spa. It’s all good.

Oh… they are even adding a new 1062 sq. ft. Vintage House, complete with a glass elevator, marble boardroom table, built-in audio visual, separate private lounge area, and an adjacent outdoor patio with gorgeous views of the Mayacama Mountain range. So even more good (and yes I know that is bad grammar). www.villagio.com and www.vintageinn.com

This Napa Valley Hotel has a 62-room property and a Zen feel to it - Napa, CA

Bardessono, Napa Valley

Bardessono

This 62-room property has a Zen feel to it, assuming that Zen monks like to hang out by the roof-top pool and prefer luxury accommodations, great food and wine, a Spa (what is the sound of one hand massaging), and a high (and award-winning) level of service. I guess what I am saying is… it’s a nice place in the middle of Yountville and so walking distance to some of the best restaurants in Napa Valley (and therefore in the USA).

The resort offers 1664 square feet of meeting space, so it’s better for either a small high-end meeting or an incentive that does not require much indoor space. But… they do have some great outdoor space too for receptions/dinners and such. www.bardessono.com

Every Major Company In The World Has Had At Least One Event Here - Napa, CA

Silverado Resort
Every major company in the world has had at least one event at Silverado, so they must be doing something right. The first thing they are known for… two PGA championship golf courses (and so if you want great golf on property in Napa… they are “it”). But that’s not all… 439 one bedroom condominium suites on 1200 acres, 15,000 square feet of meeting space, 10 swimming pools, 17 tennis courts, a great 16k square foot Spa… and Napa Valley. www.silveradoresort.com

50,000 Sq Ft Of Indoor And Outdoor Event Space - Napa, CA

Around (but close to) Napa

Meritage Resort

With 50,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, The 322-room Meritage Resort and Spa can do big stuff.  Their Estate Cave is perfect for a dinner or group wine tasting experience for up to 200 guests, their Spa is one of the best in Wine Country, and they even have a six-lane bowling alley (Note – not in the Spa :)).

Located across the street from the resort, an expansion opening in Summer 2018 will feature an additional 145 guest rooms and suites, an outdoor pool area (their second on property), a food and wine village. and an expansive event lawn for social gatherings and concerts. It keeps getting better. www.meritageresort.com

I Have A Lot Of “Favorite Places” Around - 86 cottages, suites & homes - Napa, CA

Around (but close to) Napa. 

Carneros Resort

I have a lot of “favorite places” around the world. This is one of them. Like all of my favorite places it is not just one thing, but a combination of many things. To just say that the resort has 86 cottages, 10 two-bedroom suites and a number of 2-3 bedroom homes does not do it justice. Instead, think of it as a small village… cottages (each with a small backyard), orchards, gardens, great views (with horses), pools, spas, restaurants… plus really nice people who make you feel part of it all. I want to go back. 
www.carnerosresort.com