Raheem A.
Yelp
With our demanding schedules and desire to connect with our small community of friends, my wife and I often feel like we have little time to slow down, disconnect, and connect with each other. In order to achieve this goal, my wife decided that she wanted to celebrate her birthday in Sonoma. Sonoma would provide us with the opportunity to travel away from our many "distractions" at home, relax, and engage in an activity that we mutually enjoy...wine tasting!
To add an extra layer to our goal of relaxation, we chose to book a Bed & Breakfast....Inn at Sonoma. My wife and I have stayed at Bed & Breakfast establishments in the past and absolutely love them! However, this experience would be slightly different. Our previous stays were at independently owned, family Bed & Breakfast establishments. We were checked in & out by either the owner or a host, the owner or host would prepare breakfast in the morning, if you had any questions you had easy access to the owner or host, and if you decided to eat your breakfast outside of your room-you would do so in an intimate communal environment (typically at a family-style dinner table).
Unfortunately, because Inn at Sonoma is part of a chain, it does not possess the aforementioned qualities of an independently owned establishment. The evening wine hour is held in the huge main lobby (which doesn't feel intimate) where you can treat yourself to free wine, cheese, crackers, and cookies (the cookies are delicious). Our room was clean, bed was comfortable, and there was a two person in-room jacuzzi (perfect for sharing a bottle of wine in). The establishment is located in close proximity (walking distance) to a plethora of wineries and historical Sonoma monuments.
We enjoyed our time so much in the streets of Sonoma that we rarely stayed in our room. Although we initially planned on having breakfast in the lobby every morning, our late nights in the streets of Sonoma influenced our decision to opt for the breakfast in bed option ($10 charge for this option). In addition to the $10 charge, you must submit your request for breakfast in bed the prior afternoon/evening. Because we never planned on having our breakfast delivered to our room, we ended up calling the lobby in the morning to request last minute delivery of breakfast to our room. Unfortunately, on multiple occasions, my wife's request was met with an unprofessional, off-putting response. We understood that this may have posed as an inconvenience to the cook(s); however, good customer service is not conditional.
Although we enjoyed the evening wine hour and the establishment's close proximity to some pretty awesome wineries, we were disappointed about the overall experience at the Inn at Sonoma. In comparison to the smaller, independently owned Bed & Breakfast establishments, Inn at Sonoma feels like a commercial hotel with room service (breakfast) and a wine hour. In the future, we will stick with the independently owned Bed & Breakfast businesses.