The Best Luxury Resorts in Napa Valley, California

Bardessono is an eco-friendly property brimming with luxurious amenities and facilities | © Stephen Saks Photography / Alamy Stock Photo

Casey Hatfield-Chiotti

1 February 2021

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With spa butlers who prepare your suite for in-room treatments and restaurants that have won Michelin stars 10 times over, these Napa resorts in the California Wine Country are a cut above.

The 30mi (48km) stretch of Route 29 between Napa in the south and Calistoga in the north is among California’s most storied corridors. It passes hundreds of wineries, dozens of restaurants – from gastronomy temples with Michelin stars to roadside pit stops – and a dizzying array of hotels and resorts, too. From luxurious but environmentally friendly properties to those putting health and wellness first, here are the best resorts in Napa Valey if you’re planning to combine starry sights with restful nights around the winelands.

Carneros Resort and Spa

The view inside a luxurious hotel room from outside.

Courtesy of Carneros Resort and Spa / Expedia

Secluded in the Carneros wine region, this luxury Napa resort and spa is a relaxing choice for travelers looking to connect with nature. The infinity-edge swimming pool has views of sun-dappled hillsides and mountains, and the cottages offer an enviable taste of California outdoor living. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors open onto an enclosed patio with a table and chairs, a parasol and a firepit. Upgrade to a Harvest Cottage to luxuriate in an outdoor soaking tub. The resort’s three restaurants showcase local ingredients such as herbs from the kitchen garden and fresh eggs from the resort’s hens.

The Meritage Resort and Spa

A luxurious hotel room with large bed and modern fireplace.

Courtesy of The Meritage Resort and Spa / Booking.com

From yoga on the terrace overlooking rolling hills to a bike ride or hike through 9 acres (4ha) of vineyards, active travelers will never be bored at Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa. Relaxation-seekers are also covered. The Meritage has two pools (including a serene adults-only oasis) and a full-service spa in an underground Estate Cave. Highlights include body treatments showcasing Sonoma-grown lavender and stone massages inspired by the setting. You can also request DIY facial kits for a little in-room pampering.

Vista Collina Resort

A hotel room with large bed and private balcony.

Courtesy of Vista Collina Resort / Booking.com

Opened in south Napa in 2018, the Tuscan-inspired Vista Collina Resort is the sister property of the Meritage Resort and Spa. Designed as an epicurean village with nine tasting rooms featuring boutique wineries and microbreweries, including Trinitas Cellars and Napa Smith Brewery, it’s a foodie’s fantasy. Fivetown Grocery showcases the flavors of the valley’s quintet of towns, including house-made pasta and sauces and freshly baked bread. And the Food & Wine Center has an exhibition kitchen with cooking classes taught by rotating guest chefs and bakers. If you book a suite with a kitchen, you can also get farm-fresh ingredients delivered to your door for prepping meals using a video-guided cooking system.

Meadowood Napa Valley

A hotel suite in California ranch style with private balcony.

Courtesy of Meadowood Napa Valley / Booking.com

Ultra-luxurious Meadowood Napa Valley is home to the beloved Restaurant at Meadowood, along with a fitness center, swimming pools and cottages. Guest rooms, including the Hill House with a stone hearth, sectional sofa and trellised terrace and the Tree Top Room with wraparound windows, vaulted ceilings and a pedestal bathtub, are some of Napa’s most luxurious. All have California king beds, and this luxury resort near Napa oozes warmth, hospitality and complimentary amenities that really set it apart, with bike rentals, Tesla charging stations for guests and on-the-house welcome wine. The Napa-inspired spa’s Treehouse Mustard Bath is both detoxifying and invigorating.

Auberge du Soleil

A hotel suite opens out to a private deck with an outdoor bathtub surrounded by plants and trees.

Courtesy of Auberge du Soleil / Booking.com

Auberge du Soleil is one of the most distinguished and top resorts in Napa Valley. With just 50 spacious and contemporary rooms and suites, you’ll never feel like a number. Lose yourself meandering around the 33-acre (13ha) property that cascades down a Rutherford hillside. It has a sculpture garden in an olive grove, a swimming pool surrounded by cabanas, a yoga studio and an eight-room spa. The hammam steam rooms and three temperate springs for soaking, before and after treatments, make it a deeply relaxing experience. The indulgent fine French restaurant has received a Michelin star 13 times and boasts one of Napa’s most in-depth wine lists.

Indian Springs Calistoga

Spa Hotel, Lodge, Cottages

A double twin room in contemporary Californian style with a private deck.

Courtesy of Indian Springs Calistoga / Expedia

With rare natural resources, including mineral water from four geothermal geysers and mud made from pure volcanic ash, Indian Springs Calistoga is one of Napa’s most therapeutic properties. A Shangri-La of sorts, the historic resort and spa has 17 acres (7ha) of rolling hills dotted with olive and palm trees, lavender and rose bushes. The View Rooms, in three Mission Revival-style buildings, include local furniture and art, while the original 1940s cottages have indoor and outdoor living spaces, including porches where you can drink piping-hot coffee in the morning or cocktails infused with local citrus as the sun sets.

Bardessono

A simple hotel room with large bed and tiled floor.

Courtesy of Bardessono / Booking.com

Committed to health, wellness and sustainability, this Napa Valley resort in the hamlet of Yountville was ahead of its time when it opened in 2009. The owners, members of the Bardessono family who once had a homestead on the property, opted for a luxurious but environmentally friendly resort. Buildings are made of salvaged wood and repurposed tufa stone, and solar panels provide a significant portion of the hotel’s energy. The 62 rooms are designed as sanctuaries with in-room spas, including discreet massage tables, steam showers, soaking tubs and organic bath amenities. There are also spa butlers who will arrive 15 minutes before any treatment to set everything up and light candles. Bardessono has a field-to-fork restaurant, bar and rooftop pool, too.

Hotel Villagio at the Estate Yountville

A large suite with king size bed and fireplace opening out to a private balcony with resort views.

Courtesy of Hotel Villagio at the Estate Yountville / Booking.com

Perfect for a girls’ retreat or a romantic getaway, Hotel Villagio at the Estate Yountville is both secluded and central, set within 22 acres (9ha). You can warm yourself by the glowy firepits, take a dip in the pool or lounge in guest rooms with streamlined fireplaces. However, the estate also has dozens of shops and restaurants in ivy-covered brick buildings, including the barbecue spot Perry Lang’s or world-famous Italian restaurant Bottega. The residential-style Spa at the Estate has seven state-of-the-art treatment rooms and five private spa suites with jetted infinity tubs, steam showers, wet bars and patios.

Solage

A contemporary hotel suite with chic bedroom area and a private outdoor deck.

Courtesy of Solage / Booking.com

The upscale Solage resort in Napa Valley is on Calistoga’s outskirts has a style that pairs rustic wine country with urban luxury. The 89 loft-inspired rooms have vaulted ceilings, warm wood accents and natural stone flourishes; some quarters have fireplaces, patios and outdoor hot tubs. The 20,000sqft (1,858sqm) spa has new twists on Calistoga mud and mineral therapies and a hot-springs-fed mineral pool. The resort has bicycles to explore the property and the town of Calistoga, too; it’s just 4mi (6km) to Castello di Amorosa winery and about 8mi (13km) to Robert Louis Stevenson State Park.

Silverado Resort and Spa

A simple hotel suite with modern vanity area.

Courtesy of Silverado Resort and Spa / Booking.com

The Silverado Resort and Spa sits on two golf courses designed by PGA Hall-of-Famer Johnny Miller, and its oak-lined fairways are one of this wine-country resort’s biggest draws. That doesn’t mean it’s only for the country-club set. It has a holistic spa and fitness center, and instructors lead group classes on the Mansion Lawn, such as vinyasa yoga and POP pilates. Silverado’s tennis program is also top-notch, with 10 Plexipave courts hosting everything from tournaments for pros to camps for casual fans. In various buildings sprinkled throughout the property, guest rooms feature contemporary furniture and equestrian-themed art.

If you’re looking for more resorts, check into one of the best resorts in Santa Cruz. For more sunshine, why not head south of the border? These top resorts in Baja California are all bookable on Culture Trip.

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