The 9 Best Napa Valley Hotels of 2020

Best Overall: Milliken Creek Inn & Spa

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The historic Milliken Creek Inn & Spa is an elegant and sophisticated retreat sitting on the shady banks of the Napa River. Guestrooms feature rich but tasteful décor, with graceful wooden furniture, blazing fireplaces under carved mantlepieces, plush furniture, and comfortable down duvets, all brought together by a subdued pastel color scheme. Bathrooms contain deep, two-person Jacuzzi tubs and L’Occitane bath products. While the spa is currently closed for renovations until 2020, it will reopen with exotic treatments such as chocolate body wraps, grapeseed body polishes, and aromatherapy massages.

Complimentary extras include a gourmet breakfast that is delivered to guests’ rooms or can be enjoyed alfresco-style on the scenic terrace or lawns overlooking the river. Locally-produced wines are also paired with delectable cheeses in sunset wine tasting sessions, premium ports and other beverages are offered in the evenings, and freshly baked cookies are available throughout the day.

Best Budget: El Bonita Motel

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With several wineries within walking distance — and many more just a short drive away — the El Bonita Motel makes an ideal base for exploring the surrounding region. This budget motel has a history dating back to the 1950s and is full of retro charm. Large guest rooms are simply but comfortably furnished, with touches, such as colorful murals of local scenery, adding warmth and character. Small furnished porches overlook either the pool or the gardens, and a complimentary continental breakfast is included in the room rate. A cozy living room contains plush cushioned sofas, wooden furnishings, and a marble-lined fireplace. Hotel amenities include a pool, hot tub, and sauna. Shaded gardens are a relaxing place to spend a warm afternoon, with plentiful tables, chairs, and shade umbrellas, and in the evenings, guests can gather around the elevated firepit.

Best Boutique: Calistoga Ranch

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With secluded private lodges set within 157 acres of oak forest, streams, wineries and a man-made lake, Calistoga Ranch offers discerning travelers a luxurious experience in the heart of nature. The hotel prides itself on blurring the distinction between indoors and outdoors, with guest lodges featuring natural materials in their construction, large windows providing natural lighting and views into the surrounding forests, and outdoor living areas complete with couches, hot tubs, and rainfall showers. An elegant pool terrace, set within beautifully landscaped gardens, offers views over nearby vineyards.

At the Auberge Spa, deep soaking tubs are filled with natural mineral waters, and a full range of healing and rejuvenating treatments are available. The Lakehouse Restaurant uses local produce to create wholesome organic dishes, with the rustic dining room and alfresco dining terrace offering superb views over the lake and surrounding hills. Activities such as guided hikes, cycling, and wine tastings can be undertaken on the property, and winery tours of the surrounding region are also offered.

Best for Families: Westin Verasa Napa

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Located in downtown Napa, the Westin Verasa Napa provides convenient access to the restaurants, shops, and entertainment of the regional center while still making a great base for exploring nearby wineries and other attractions. Commodious one- or two-bedrooms suites contain sofa beds to accommodate larger families, which can also include furry family members thanks to the hotel's pet-friendly policy. Suites come with kitchens, bathrooms, a living area and furnished balconies (some with views over the Napa River), and a full range of amenities, including flat-screen TVs and an Xbox game console. A large saltwater pool sits in the hotel courtyard and is surrounded by sun lounges and cabanas. There is also a fitness center and a bocce court. The La Toque Restaurant serves creative cuisine based on a fusion of French and Californian styles, while the Bank Café and Bar delivers more casual fare in the hotel courtyard overlooking the river.

Best for Romance: Meadowood Napa Valley

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A former country club estate set on 250 acres of forests, hills, and fields, the Meadowood Napa Valley offers a relaxed and tranquil destination for a romantic getaway. Guestrooms offer modern furnishing and amenities in neutral pastel shades while still retaining natural and traditional elements such as exposed ceiling beams and large stone fireplaces. During their stay, guests can join other couples in a casual game of tennis, enjoy a round of croquet on the lawn, or play the greens of the nine-hole golf course. The three-Michelin-star Restaurant at Meadowood is a sophisticated and stylish affair which serves contemporary gourmet cuisine created with ingredients grown ar the on-site, organic Culinary Farm. The elegant dining experience is complemented by premium spirits, exclusive cocktails, and an extensive wine selection available in the adjacent bar. Alternatively, meals can be delivered to guests in the privacy of their rooms or laid out as an intimate picnic amid the trees and flowers of the estate.

Best for Luxury: Carneros Resort & Spa

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Surrounded by numerous vineyards but easily accessible from both Napa and Sonoma, Caneros Resort and Spa offers country-style accommodation in a luxurious setting. Private cottages and spacious suites are built in traditional farmhouse style while being full of lavish modern conveniences such as heated floors, Nespresso machines, fireplaces, and large walk-in showers. Outdoor patios are similarly furnished, with alfresco showers and soaking tubs, cushioned couches and sun lounges, and an outdoor firepit.

The recently renovated spa makes for an indulgent space in which to experience soothing and professional treatments in the steam rooms, alfresco bathing tubs, and infrared saunas. Services include exclusive LED light therapies, Himalayan salt stone massages, and antioxidant body scrubs. The Farm Restaurant offers a gourmet country dining experience in an airy and modern dining room, lit with bold lighting elements and warmed by two roaring log fires. The Boon Fly Café is a distinctly more casual venue, with classic American cuisine, such as hamburgers and fried chicken, given a contemporary gourmet twist.

Best Ambiance: Farmhouse Inn

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With wooden farmhouse-style cottages and stone-lined courtyards set among rose gardens and leafy oak and pine forests, the Farmhouse Inn celebrates the natural setting and rural history of the region in an elegant yet rustic setting. The experience and personal touch of the fifth-generation owners are evident throughout the property, from the home-grown organic produce used in the Michelin-starred restaurant to the lovingly-tended gardens and meticulous hotel décor. In the guestrooms, hand-crafted wooden furniture, stone-lined fireplaces, and soft feather beds complement painted wooden walls and ceiling timbers. The country theme continues in the full-service Spa at Farmhouse, with half-doors and detailed horse murals lending the air of a beautifully restored stable complex. A stone-lined pool patio contains chairs and tables drawn up to a massive stone firepit, the perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine from the property’s own Lost and Found winery.

Best Eco-Friendly: Bardessono

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As one of only two U.S. hotels to be awarded LEED Platinum status for eco-friendly design and practices, Bardessono complements and enhances its environment without compromising on the quality of its facilities and amenities. The hotel is an impressive modern edifice of contemporary architecture and sustainable design that is softened by natural wood highlights, rough cut stone sculptures, and a green, organic setting. Guest suites all contain gas fireplaces, sleek modern furnishings, and spa features such as champagne bathtubs, walk-in showers, and massage tables. In addition, the B Spa offers a full service of seasonal therapies. A rooftop terrace contains a lap pool, sun lounges, and shade umbrellas with views over the town and surrounding vineyards. At Lucy Restaurant, seasonal farm-to-table dishes are bolstered by artisanal cocktails and regional wines. The hotel grounds feature stunning landscaping elements, with artistic waterfalls, ponds lined with smooth river stones, and native shrubs and rushes filling pebbled garden beds. 

Best View: Auberge du Soleil

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Set on oak-covered hillside with sweeping views over vineyards and olive groves, Auberge du Soleil offers some of the most bucolic vistas to be found in the region. On the terrace, guests can swim in the pool or laze on padded sun lounges or cushioned cabanas while taking in the serene landscape. The spa also takes advantage of the surrounding natural beauty, with infinity pools and a beautiful fountained courtyard overlooking the wooded valley.

Guest accommodations are outfitted with modern yet creative décor, with touches such as colorful abstract artworks and polished metal mirror frames adding personality and character to the natural color palette of the furnishings. Room amenities include fireplaces, separate showers and bathing tubs, and a private terrace facing over the gardens or hillsides. The Michelin-starred restaurant serves Mediterranean-inspired dishes made with local seasonal produce, with both the dining room and the alfresco veranda offering gorgeous scenes as the sun sets behind the hills lining the horizon.