North America Chevron. United States Chevron. California Chevron. Napa Chevron. If you purchase something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Northern California's bucolic valley, dotted with sprawling manicured vineyards and more than wineries evocative of Old World European castles and ultra-modern boxy, glass-and-steel estates, can be likened to a fairytale, or a real-life Hallmark movie.
Thanks to farmer and fur trapper George C. Yount who first planted grapes in the area in Yountville was named after him , the Valley—just an hour north of San Francisco —is a premier destination for world-renowned vintners and celeb chefs including Thomas Keller and Masaharu Morimoto. Comprised of 15 towns from bustling downtown Napa to down-to-earth Sonoma, it's no wonder Wine Country has become a top travel destination for honeymooners , girls' getaways, and even families.
And it is having an even larger moment of late—especially downtown Napa, with a slew of new tasting rooms there are approximately 50 and counting in the city of Napa alone , specialty shops, restaurants, and retail giants coming on scene or doubling in size within the last year or two. Longtime San Franciscans and Bay Area techies have also migrated north, trading frenetic schedules, parking woes, and sky-high rents for solace and country life myself included.
For visitors planning a trip, there truly are the best hotels in Napa Valley for every type of traveler, whether it's a former stagecoach stop-gone-boutique hotel that hugs the Napa River near downtown, or an eco-luxury property in Yountville paying homage to its original Italian-born owners.
Here, we present the top 15 resorts and hotels in Napa Valley. Purchased in by brother-sister duo and fifth-generation Sonomans Joe and Catherine Bartolomei—who spent weekends at the former homestead established by their great-grandfather—the acre inn teems with storybook-like charm. Comprised of 25 country chic rooms enveloped by abundant country-style gardens, the retreat features a Wellness Barn for facials and bathing rituals using locally sourced botanicals and herbs; an eponymous Michelin-starred restaurant; an outdoor swimming pool; and a house car for jaunts to nearby wineries and art galleries.
