California’s Napa Valley is known as a place to live the good life. People come from around the world to enjoy the valley’s gourmet food and world-famous wine among the vineyards and rolling hills, and hotels here cater to visitors looking for luxury (with a price point to match).
Given the area’s popularity, it can be hard to find a place that offers a good value at any budget, but these hotels do just that. Though the prices vary, they each provide an excellent bang for your buck, with amenities and extras that go above and beyond those of other local hotels.
The pool among the vineyards at Wine Country Inn
The first bed and breakfast in Napa, the Wine Country Inn is set in a vineyard on a side road off Highway 29 a few minutes north of St. Helena. Included in the price of the rooms, which range from $235 to $550 for tastefully-themed rooms with fireplaces and Jacuzzis and go up to $385 to $695 for spacious and secluded cottages with wet bars and large private patios, are a bevy of amenities that make this one of the best values for those looking for romance in Napa Valley.
Guests have access to the pool and Jacuzzi, common room with TV and games, and are free to roam the grounds and explore quiet nooks and crannies in the vineyards. Guests also receive free breakfast each morning (a large spread of cheese, eggs, make-your-own waffles, and more), afternoon wine and snacks, free wifi, a free evening shuttle to area restaurants (a huge perk for Napa, and one you don’t see very often), and passes for free tastings at several area wineries.
But one of the best perks is the property’s upgrade policy. Upon check-in, just ask if a better room is available and staff will show you your options. If you like what you see, you can choose to upgrade at no additional cost.
Villagio Inn and Spa
Set in the town of Yountville, Napa Valley’s premier culinary destination and home to the famed French Laundry restaurant, the Villagio Inn and Spa is a AAA-Four Diamond hotel that makes an ideal base for those who want to explore the town without worrying about a designated driver.
The rooms, which start at $280, are a great value for Yountville, especially when you consider the extras, which include a complimentary bottle of wine at check-in, afternoon tea service, free wine and snacks on select evenings, and the main attraction – a lavish brunch buffet with made-to-order omelettes and all the mimosas (or Bloody Mary’s) you can drink.
The grounds also contain tennis courts, a swimming pool that’s open 24 hours, meeting rooms, and a spa with 16 treatment rooms and five private spa suites that feature outdoor fireplaces. Check prices online at Hotels.com
Rooms at Harvest Inn have fireplaces and private patios
Off-season rates at the Harvest Inn start at around $200 (and go up to $600 for the best rooms during peak season), which is an excellent deal for the level of luxury guests experience at the resort. Tucked off Highway 29 just a half mile or so south of downtown St. Helena, it’s an easy walk from several restaurants. Rooms are spacious with flat screen TVs, mini-fridges, private patios, and large stone fireplaces supplied with firewood each night.
Among the perks on offer are free breakfast buffet, free wine and afternoon snacks on weekends, free wifi, and a complimentary bottle of wine upon check-in. On the grounds, which cover several acres dotted with two-story buildings, guests can enjoy the spa or relax in one of the two pool areas (one of which is adults only) which are open 24 hours a day.
Book online here.
Meritage Resort and Spa
The Meritage Resort and Spa is a great value for those who want a resort-style hotel that offers plenty of amenities onsite. The recently expanded and renovated resort and spa is the type of place you’d never have to leave if you don’t want to – everything you could want is located just a few steps from your room. There’s a spa, tasting room, vineyard trails, pool, Jacuzzi, coffee bar, putting green, restaurant, bar, chapel and even a sports bar with a bowling alley. If you do want to venture away from the hotel, a free shuttle will take you to downtown Napa. Rooms start at $200 per night.
Compare prices at Hotels.com
Hotel Yountville
Stylish rooms at Hotel Yountville have spa tubs and four-poster beds
The Hotel Yountville isn’t cheap (but few accommodation options in Napa Valley are), but on the luxury end of the spectrum it’s a great value. Located at the edge of downtown Yountville, it’s close to the action but the setting feels private and secluded, hidden from the main road by a large wall and bordered on the other side by Hopper Creek.
Rooms are spread out in two-story buildings and feature private patios, fireplaces, spa tubs, minibars, and free wifi, and many have four-poster beds. Guests can also enjoy the spa, 24-hour pool and Jacuzzi, onsite restaurant and room service, and weekend wine tastings from local vintners, or take advantage of free bicycles for riding around town and to local tasting rooms. But what makes the hotel (where rooms start at more than $300 per night) such a great value is the wine tasting coupons offered to every guest. For serious wine connoisseurs, this is one of main perks of a stay at the Hotel Yountville. The hotel has deals with a dozen area wineries which offer two-for-one and free wine tastings, many of which are of the wineries’ reserve wines (for example, the free tasting for four people at Pine Ridge is worth $160 alone).
Compare prices at Hotels.com.
Best Western Premier Ivy and Best Western Stevenson Manor
Located on opposite ends of the Valley (the Best Western Premier Ivy is in Napa a few miles from downtown and the Best Western Stevenson Manor is in Calistoga just a block or two from the town’s main street), these two hotels are each independently owned under the Best Western name. Each offers surprisingly stylish and spacious rooms with flat screen TVs and mini bars, as well as free breakfast and free wifi. Both properties also have pools.
For travelers with a smaller budget, these two hotels are some of the best affordable hotels in Napa. Though high season weekend rates can creep towards $200, on weekdays during off season you can snag a room for less than $100 per night.
