Anna W.
Yelp
We stayed here one night for a child-free getaway to celebrate our anniversary. Overall, we were pleased with our experience and would definitely consider returning. The hotel has a great location on Main Street (just a short 5 minute drive from Meadowood!). It offered a spacious room, comfortable bed made up with Frette linens and a cozy down comforter, and nice amenities (e.g., mini-fridge stocked with complimentary bottles of water and sparkling Izze juices, Nespresso espresso maker, L'Occitane toiletries, and free strong wi-fi). We also received a complimentary half bottle of wine to celebrate our anniversary.
Note that we did not get any coupons for wine tasting or coffee, which some other Yelpers mentioned. The front desk did mention complimentary access to a spa/gym nearby (with extra charges for spa services) but we were in town to eat and nap, not do wine tastings or work out. We stumbled upon the parking lot by accident, as we accidentally drove by the place coming down Main Street (I never saw it despite GPS saying we were here!) and then we went around the block. The phone call from the front desk confirming our stay never mentioned the hotel parking lot is accessible only from Railroad Ave. That would have been a helpful tip. She did offer to help with restaurant recommendations but we had already booked Meadowood and Auberge du Soleil, so we didn't need help with dining options.
We had room 7, which was on the "quiet" side of the building, away from Main Street. It is the first room when you exit the elevator/walk up the stairwell. I liked that there was no one above us (heavy stompers or running kids have kept us awake in other hotels), but we did hear every single person walking by the room because of the uncarpeted hardwood floor in the hallway. My husband griped that it sounded like a herd of cows whenever women with high heels clomped by our room. Guests pulling roller suitcases also made a huge racket. Thank goodness "sleeping in" means 7 am for us, as I would have been very annoyed to have been woken up by foot traffic outside our door. I mentioned this issue to the front desk when we checked out when asked how our stay was. The staffer apologized, acknowledging that the owner really loves the floors but that a runner would help dampen the noise. Yet I see another Yelper mentioned this in 2014 and nothing has changed. This was my biggest complaint and kept me from rating this 5 stars. It's also the reason why I might hesitate before staying here again.
But for that noise, we did enjoy our experience. I liked the layout of the room, which included some lovely high end furniture options (which the hotel website mentions is from the owner's friend's furniture gallery in Seattle). The mirrored armoire had bathrobes and slippers and plenty of room to hang up some outfits, the large table to the right of the TV was great as I like to unpack my purse/luggage and spread stuff out, and the flat screen TV sat on a chest of drawers for additional storage. There was also an upholstered armchair and lovely leather nightstands. It's a peaceful yet interesting aesthetic.
The other minor complaint is that our room had a random skylight above the bed, closer to the left side of the bed (when you're lying in it), which is my side of the bed. My husband joked about duct taping a towel to cover it up, as he prefers a pitch black room for sleeping. I still managed to sleep until 7 am, as I made sure to face the right side of the room and block some of the sunlight with a pillow.
The bathroom was renovated beautifully, with subway tile and Restoration Hardware fixtures, as well as a showerhead with strong water pressure. I wish it had a tub, but this bathroom was still far nicer than the B&B we stayed in last year.
We did not spend any time in the lobby, though I did stop for some water from the water dispenser placed on a console table in the lobby by the stairwell.
All in all, this price point is higher than I usually pay for a hotel room ($395 plus tax, so we paid $450 out the door for a Friday night in June). However, it's St. Helena so it's unlikely one can find accommodations for under $300 on a summer weekend. I'm still glad we stayed here as it's a more luxurious and more pleasant experience than the St. Helena B&B we stayed at last summer.