Where to Stay in Sonoma, From Gilded Age Mansions to Ryokan-Inspired Inns

While Napa Valley may be the most famous of California’s wine countries, Sonoma County actually produces the most bottles, with over 400 wineries spread across its diverse appellations. But Sonoma is a destination that offers more than just world-class viticulture. It’s home to majestic redwood forests, the scenic Russian River and a stellar food scene. You’ll certainly need more than a day trip to really experience the area.

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The Sonoma Valley—which includes the towns of Sonoma, Healdsburg, Glen Ellen, Guerneville and Forestville, among others—is home to a number of wonderful hotels, which can make finding the right one for your trip a challenge. We asked ten experts to recommend their personally vetted stays, which include an amenity-rich luxury resort, a boutique hotel set in a Gilded Age mansion and a tranquil retreat in the forest. (And when you’re finished with Sonoma? Bop over to one of these Napa Valley hotels.)

Sonoma

The Lodge at Sonoma

The Lodge at Sonoma is a stylish, quintessential wine country resort fresh off a $17 million renovation. Its design nods to Sonoma’s history, including a tapestry at check-in that features the nearby Mission San Francisco Solano and a poolside bar ensconced in a converted horse trailer. 

According to Ram’s Gate Winery’s general manager and winemaker Joe Nielsen, The Lodge is “great for its central location when visiting while also feeling secluded and relaxing.” Just a mile away is Sonoma Plaza, a shopping and restaurant destination; guests can easily get there using the free shuttle or riding the complimentary bicycles.

Rooms here are extra spacious and some offer private patios, outdoor fire pits and even outdoor soaking tubs. The beautifully landscaped ten-acre property has an outdoor pool and jacuzzi, fitness center, yoga studio and an art gallery that exhibits California artists. 

Nielsen also praises the hotel’s multiple dining options, especially Wit & Wisdom, chef Michael Mina’s first wine country restaurant, which dishes out seafood towers, wood-fired steak and pizzas. 

“It’s fantastic and has an extensive wine list that highlights a variety of local Sonoma producers,” he says. “It’s definitely a go-to for visitors and locals alike.” 

Guerneville

Dawn Ranch

The cabins and cottages at Dawn Ranch embody Sonoma’s natural beauty far better, some think, than its typical tasting rooms and vineyard hopping experiences. Such is the belief of Sonoma native Ryan Bailey, sommelier and director of operations at the Los Angeles Michelin-starred restaurant Kato. He usually stays here when visiting friends and family.

“Dawn Ranch is just off the Russian River and surrounded by beautiful old redwoods,” he says. “Guerneville itself feels more secluded and quiet than parts of Sonoma, which for me is ideal as I’m usually looking to connect with nature versus the traditional tourist attractions of Sonoma.”

While the hotel is a low-key getaway, it doesn’t sacrifice amenities. The recently renovated cabins are cozy and rustic—think mid-century furniture, antique carpets and wainscoting—but stocked with luxury comforts like Parachute bedding and Le Labo toiletries. 

Dawn Ranch’s complimentary activities include an introduction to birding, forest bathing and guided walks of Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. S’mores kits, books and board games are freely available for guests who want to stay in and relax, and bike rentals are available to explore the area. Like many wine country hotels, Dawn Ranch also schedules complimentary wine tastings. 

The Stavrand

The Stavrand is a recently renovated boutique hotel set in a historic 1920s Spanish Revival house with a tile roof, covered porch and century-old fruit trees. The 21 Instagram-worthy rooms all have pillow-top beds, graphic wallpaper, soaking tubs and Scandinavian-inspired furniture.

Flowers Vineyards & Winery’s director of hospitality Ron Ryan recommends The Stavrand as it “[embodies] the very spirit of what makes this part of the world so special,” he says, adding that it is “surrounded by towering redwoods and lush greenery by the river.”

The six-acre property has a pool and hot tub, but since it’s just a couple of blocks away from the Russian River, we suggest borrowing one of the hotel’s kayaks for a glide down the waterway. A hot breakfast is included with each stay. 

In the evening, the restaurant offers a tasting menu that is some of the best food in Guerneville and it’s open exclusively to hotel guests.

Healdsburg

H2 Hotel

The H2 Hotel is a 36-room eco-friendly stay located a short walk from downtown Healdsburg’s shops and restaurants. David Osenbach, wine director of the Michelin-starred Los Angeles restaurant Providence, recommends this hotel and often stays here when he’s in town. 

“It's in a perfect location, right in the middle of downtown and has a fun eco-chic aesthetic that works really well with the space,” Osenbach says.

H2 will appeal to those looking for low-impact travel. Its minimalist rooms are sustainably designed with bamboo floors, Heath tile in the bathrooms, fair-trade furniture and 100% Egyptian cotton linens. Rooftop solar panels heat the pool and the landscaping is drought-tolerant. 

The hotel offers a complimentary continental breakfast, yoga class on Sunday mornings and a free bike rental for up to three hours. The hotel is also home to something unique: The only hand fan museum in the country. While there’s no spa available, guests book find massages, facials and body treatments at H2’s sister property, the Hotel Healdsburg, just around the corner. 

Montage Healdsburg

Montage Healdsburg only opened in 2020, but it has quickly become one of the most well-known luxury resorts in Sonoma. 

“It ranks among my top hotel picks in Sonoma County,” says John Jordan, Chief Executive Officer at Jordan Vineyard & Winery who loves the hotel’s “food and beverage offerings, attentive hospitality and sweeping views.”

The retreat is set on a sprawling 258-acre property and has 130 guest rooms and suites with stunning views of the surrounding oak groves and vineyards. The rooms are spread out and each feels private and secluded, the latter thanks to the abundance of mature trees, which the hotel’s developers took pains to leave undisturbed.

The rooms are decorated in soft earth tones that echo the surrounding landscape. In addition to a pool and fitness center, the property also features an archery range, bocce ball and pickleball courts, a tranquil yoga garden, spa and salon. 

The Madrona

The Madrona is located in one of Healdsburg’s historic late-19th century mansions, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Appropriately, the space has hints of Gilded Age grandeur mixed with contemporary touches thanks to a 2022 renovation by the San Francisco–based interior designer Jay Jeffers.

The refreshed interior features individually decorated rooms that are elegant yet whimsical and incorporate much of the original furniture and art, which dates to the 1890s. “The redesigned, yet still elegant, Madrona preserves an earlier time in Healdsburg while creating a luxurious and memorable experience,” says Healdsburg-based travel and wine writer Barbara Barielle.

There are only 24 rooms at The Madrona, but the hotel boasts a saltwater pool and fitness center. Guests can expect tony amenities like Italian linens, soft bathrobes and daily breakfast. But what makes The Madrona truly extraordinary is that locals like Barielle love it, too.

 “We enjoy the bar, restaurant and quiet privacy of The Madrona as much as visitors do—and that is always tricky to pull off,” she says. The Madrona screens movies on its lawn in the summer and has fun weekly events, like fried chicken Wednesdays.

Geyserville

Geyserville Inn

Geyserville Inn is located right between two of Sonoma’s most well-known AVAs, Alexander Valley and Dry Creek. Andrea Card, senior winemaker at Francis Ford Coppola Winery, frequently recommends the inn to her friends because not only is the location convenient, “it’s surrounded by Alexander Valley vineyards and has idyllic views of the Mayacamas Mountains, so you’re immersed in the tranquil side of wine country.”

The 41-room hotel is locally owned and operated and its picturesque surroundings make it popular for small weddings. 

“It’s quaint and all the rooms are all recently renovated, so the setting is magical,” Card says. The property also has a pool and hot tub and bocce ball court available to guests. 

Glen Ellen

Olea Hotel

Located in the quaint village of Glen Ellen, Olea is a small hotel that pays attention to the little details one expects from a high-end stay: Comphy bed sheets, heated bathroom floors and a complimentary two-course plated breakfast for guests each morning. 

Opened by husband-and-wife team Ashish and Sia Patel, Olea Hotel may be one of the only South Asian–owned boutique hotels in the area. Heena Patel, chef of Besharam in San Francisco, enjoys staying here because “it is clean and comfortable, but also has an amazing restaurant attached to the property,” she says. The rooms are modern and elegant and many include heated floors, fireplaces and private patios. 

The hotel takes peace and quiet seriously: It only allows guests over 13 years old, so visitors can expect a calm atmosphere in the pool and hot tub area. 

Gaige House

Inspired by Japanese ryokans, Gaige House offers a wellness-oriented stay in Glen Ellen. Amenities include a meditation and yoga studio, a heated outdoor pool and rooms with granite soaking tubs, large showers and rock gardens. Just like a traditional ryokan, the hotel provides robes and indoor and outdoor slippers for guests to use during their stay.

“Gaige House is located in an area known for its scenic beauty, which complement the warm hospitality,” says Henry Belmonte, owner of VJB Cellars. 

Every stay at Glen Ellen comes with complimentary breakfast, wine hour, fresh cookies and a nightcap of cordials. Relaxation is the operative word here. 

“Over the years, our guests have showered praise on the hotel and their experiences at the inn,” Belmonte says.

Forestville

Farmhouse Inn

The Farmhouse Inn is the definition of country-chic. It has a decades-long history as a scrappy bed and breakfast and lodge, but in 2001, siblings Joe and Catherine Bartolomei, fifth-generation Sonoma residents who grew up farming their family land, transformed the Farmhouse Inn into an elevated boutique hotel.

The 25 spacious guest rooms—spread between barn suites, cottages and farmhouse rooms—include amenities like heated floors, steam showers and gas fireplaces. They’re furnished with four-poster beds, industrial antiques and reclaimed wood furniture. It reads like a spread from Magnolia journal.

“Staying at Farmhouse Inn feels like being a guest at the home of a benevolent—and luxury-oriented—local farmer,” says travel writer Caitlin White. “The plush rooms are all massive by normal hotel standards, and tucked back into nature in a way that makes the whole experience feel very zen.”

The two restaurants on-site, the fine-dining Farmhouse Restaurant and the casual Farmstand, are both excellent. There’s a pool, hot tub and spa on property for a pampered weekend. After dinner, grab a s’mores kit and head to the fire pits—but save some space for the cookies and milk that come with the turndown service.

Published: June 5, 2024