The Best Boutique Hotels in Napa Valley

Archer Hotel Napa is right on First Street in the centre of town, surrounded by the lively shopping, dining and wine tasting establishments of downtown. Many of the guest rooms and suites at this boutique hotel in Napa have private balconies and you can drink and dine on the rooftop terrace at the Sky & Vine Rooftop Terrace bar, amid potted olive trees, topiary sculptures and stone fire pits. Charlie Palmer Steak and Sky is the hotel’s other dining venue, serving artisanal American beef alongside excellent seafood, chops, chicken and vegetarian options.

In the hamlet of Rutherford about 20 minutes north of downtown Napa by car, Rancho Caymus Inn was opened by vintner Mary Tilden Morton in 1984. It was built using materials procured from a dismantled 19th-century Yorkshire Ohio barn, featuring exposed wooden beams and walnut countertops. The 26 rooms have a Spanish hacienda-style feel, with textured walls, wrought iron features and artisanal knick-knacks. You can walk to Rutherford Grill and BV Vineyards’ tasting room, or drive in minutes to dozens of other wineries and restaurants.

Calistoga Motor Lodge is inspired by the great American road trip. The Camper Rooms offer a retro interpretation of life on the road, while the New Vista rooms are spacious, some with balconies boasting mountain views. You can unwind with a dip in the three geothermal mineral pools then head over to the Moonacre Spa & Baths for a mud bath at the mud bar or try one of their special treatments – the grape seed body scrub and hemp-derived CBD massage are recommended.

This understated hotel is one of the best places to stay in Napa. It’s set amid two acres (0.8ha) of the Napa Valley, with luxurious rooms and suites featuring top-end bedding, organic bath products and ample patios with garden and vineyard views. You can relax with a spa treatment then emerge renewed in time for a nightly wine and cheese hour and cap the day off with one last glass around the fire pit.

The upscale Meritage Resort & Spa is inspired by a Tuscan villa and boasts the gourmet Olive & Hay restaurant — try the Pan-seared New York strip steak with hasselback potato and bordelaise. This luxury Napa resort’s setting amid its own vineyard allows you to enjoy views of the vines on the hills above the hotel from your balcony or the large outdoor pool and terrace. Spa Terra is located in an underground cave.

Milliken Inn Creek & Spa overlooks the Napa River and is close to the Napa Valley Wine Train, which stops at different wineries throughout the valley, and the Uptown Theatre, a popular art deco venue opened in 1937. In your room, you’ve fireplaces, canopy beds with fine linen and rain showers. A gourmet breakfast will be delivered to you each morning – the Belgian waffles with berry compote and maple syrup are special. After your obligatory wine tasting, book a couple’s massage under the outdoor canopy in the garden.

On the outskirts of the small town of Calistoga at the northern end of Napa Valley, Solage offers five-star Napa luxury and privacy plus access to hiking trails and geothermal waters. Chic studio rooms and suites, set in wooden cottages, come with vaulted ceilings and minibars. The highly-rated Solbar restaurant serves an organic farm-to-table menu, while Spa Solage offers its own upscale versions of the mud and mineral water treatments for which Calistoga is known.

Auberge de Soleil is a French-inspired, adults-only luxury hotel in the hills of Rutherford. The fine-dining restaurant boasts some of the best views in Napa Valley, with an adjoining bistro and bar if you’re looking for a more casual evening. You can select your wine from this Napa boutique hotel’s award-winning cellar, home to more than 15,000 bottles. Auberge du Soleil also offers a spa, outdoor pool, gym, yoga pavilion and sculpture garden.

Bardessono is an eco-conscious luxury hotel and spa in Yountville, heated using geothermal energy and powered by solar panels. Inside, you’ll find 62 luxurious guest rooms, each designed for private in-room spa services. You can enjoy local, farm-fresh ingredients at the Lucy restaurant, plus there is a rooftop pool next to which you can dine. Also on offer are carbon fiber bicycles, the hotel’s own gardens and artisan coffee.

North Block Hotel is an unpretentious wine country escape, close to the small-production wine tasting rooms of Yountville. Citrus trees line the entrance and the stone facade is complemented by hand-painted tiles and lanterns. Each of the 20 rooms is simple yet sophisticated, with pillow-top mattresses, feather duvets and large soaking tubs, while some come with a fireplace.

Hotel Yountville is set amid the many world-class restaurants, shops and tasting rooms in downtown Yountville. The resort has the intimate feel of a European village, with fountains and manicured gardens. You can swim in the heated cypress-lined pool or enjoy a treatment at the spa. At the Heritage Oak restaurant you can sample fresh seafood on the pool terrace in the summer or cozy up with a glass of red by the fireplace in the winter.

This 23-acre (9ha) estate has flowing water pathways, fountains and Mediterranean-style gardens surrounding a two-level Tuscan-inspired villa with 113 guest rooms and 22 suites. You can start your day with a complimentary breakfast before heading off on a wine tour, or spending your day by the heated outdoor pool. A real highlight at this luxury Yountville hotel is the spa, complete with Swiss experience showers, saunas and outdoor soaking tubs. Yoga classes are held every Saturday and Sunday morning for early birds.