One-Minute Hotel / The Lodge at Sonoma, California
Wine Country? That sounds dangerous. Thank goodness we’ve found a beautiful sanctuary in the heart of it all.
So, where are we?
Sonoma, the town and the county, easily accessible from San Francisco by car in an hour to an hour and a half or by ferry across the bay (beautiful!), train (around £3!) and Uber (£20 or so), all through gorgeous, almost English countryside. The town of Sonoma is small, historic and rammed with wine tastings. Uh oh, here we go.
And where we’re staying...?
The Lodge at Sonoma, a twenty-year-old mini resort with an impressive historic-looking main building and a collection of cottages scattered between the main pool and the spa all just a 15-minute walk to the main town square, though you can avail yourself of their luxury free shuttle most of the day. It’s part of the Autograph collection, recently refurbed to within an inch of its life.
What’s the style?
Walking in, you can’t help but be impressed with that double, triple-height ceiling with the wall over the roaring fire jumbled with pictures, old and new, telling the story of the town and the region (once Spanish, obviously, as you’ll see when you get into town and check out the historic buildings). Furniture is sleek and contemporary and, it must be said, actually quite beautiful (we crave those gold-inside lamps). Long horizontal sofas in front of the fire serve as your base for free wine-tastings from local producers every afternoon.
And the rooms?
Tasteful, contemporary, classic. The cottages are two-storey with one storey per room. Inside on the lower level, if you get really lucky, you get a little outdoor space with a bath, an outdoor fire and some furniture, perfect for lazing around with a glass of wine in the dappled sunshine. Inside another open fire that you just set on a timer to go off whenever you like, a sofa in front of the massive TV and a small collection of stylish art, some of it telling local stories. Bathrooms are big and modern with showers big enough for five, though you won’t all get under the shower head. Smaller rooms are similar just scaled back.
Is there a story?
The story of Sonoma is your classic Spanish/Mexican taken over by the US (learn all about it down in the main town, where you can still check out the original hotel, Town Hall, servants quarters etc) One of the buildings of the hotel is centuries-old and gets used during July’s gay wine weekend. Which sounds like it could easily get out of hand.
And to eat?
For breakfast or a casual café-style nosh, you have Benicia’s Kitchen, just off the main lobby/lounge, a relaxed Mexican-inspired spot where you can have tamales for breakfast! But the main deal is Wit & Wisdom run by chef Michael Mina, a very fine-dining experience to set off the immense wine list. Expect Californian cuisine that goes from steaks through to whole baked cauliflower with cheeky additions like the savoury Pop Tart with braised short rib and the king crab and endive Caesar salad. Fish, burgers, oysters, the works. The room is low-lit and quite sexy with outdoor space for summer. Ask for one of the square booths towards the back.
So, to sum up...
If you’re doing San Francisco, you might as well hop up to this part of the world for a bucolic splash to your trip – why not? – and you won’t find an easier-to-use, more comfortable spot than The Lodge at Sonoma with its pool and spa and fitness room and… did we mention wine tastings?
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