Top New Hotels in Napa Valley and Sonoma

Northern California's Sonoma County and Napa Valley have an irresistible charm that keeps drawing us back. With an abundance of natural beauty and agricultural treasures in these renowned wine regions, every visit feels uniquely different. Whether you choose the vibrant atmosphere of downtown Calistoga or Guerneville for a lively summer getaway, or seek tranquility in the hills of Healdsburg, where you can disconnect completely, there's something for everyone. Classic wine towns like Carneros or St. Helena offer a stunning backdrop of vineyards to immerse yourself in.

The scenery features endless vineyards, towering redwoods, and lush oak groves, with summers that can be sweltering and coastal areas that often remain cool and foggy. Accommodation options range from cozy 10-room inns to expansive resort getaways. The wine, beer, and culinary scenes are always evolving, with a continuous influx of new wineries, breweries, and restaurants complementing the region's beloved classic dining spots.

With a recent surge in hotel openings, there are even more enticing reasons to rediscover Northern California's legendary wine country.

Here are the new and recently reopened properties set to grace the region by the end of 2021 that have us eagerly anticipating our next visit.

The newly opened and revitalized hotels

Montage Healdsburg

This summer's visit to Northern California's wine country was particularly thrilling—it was a post-vaccination reunion with my two best friends, three moms of very young children enjoying our first girls’ getaway since before the pandemic. What better setting than the eagerly awaited Montage Healdsburg, the first major resort to open in the charming northern town of Healdsburg?

After a challenging 15 months (thanks, COVID), we turned off the main road toward the resort, and the troubles of the outside world quickly vanished. As we ventured deeper into the 258-acre property, we were embraced by the stunning beauty and tranquil serenity of the endless oak-covered hills.

Montage Healdsburg is equally inviting for families and couples, offering amenities like a children's program (for kids aged 5–12), spacious suites, and a family pool. However, for us, it was the ideal adult getaway with refined yet approachable cuisine, elevated cocktails, an adults-only pool, a top-tier spa, and activities like biking and archery to keep us active enough to enjoy our relaxation and indulgence.

The accommodations—sleek, modern rooms and suites that extend over 22,000 meticulously preserved oaks—are a sanctuary in their own right, each featuring a large outdoor deck. Enjoying at least one meal outdoors while taking in the views and listening to the chirping birds is essential.

Dining at the property's signature Hazel Hill restaurant is a delightful blend of relaxed and refined, offering seasonal dishes like Alaskan halibut, wild king salmon, roast duck, and wagyu strip loin, all paired with an extensive selection of local wines and indulgent desserts (hello, blackberry lavender pavlova). Begin or conclude your evening at the lobby's Scout Field Bar, overlooking the vineyard, while savoring inventive cocktails (how about a “fresca flaca” with strawberry-infused dahlia tequila?). Other dining options include the convenient Healdsburg Country Store and Hudson Springs Bar and Grill for poolside eats and drinks during warmer days.

For families and larger groups, the 4,600-square-foot Guest House serves as a three-bedroom retreat featuring a private Jacuzzi, kitchen, dining area, and outdoor firepit for the ultimate gathering spot. The recently introduced extravagant “Sky’s the Limit” private jet package offers roundtrip private flights with Jet Edge, a two-night stay in the Guest House with a private dinner, and a night sky photo session with an astro-photographer—all for a mere $95,000.

Never want to leave? Montage Residences Healdsburg is offering fully furnished, four-bedroom Harvest Homes spanning 4,500 square feet, located adjacent to the resort, with full access to all the property’s services and amenities.

Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort & Mineral Springs

Anyone who has spent time in Calistoga is likely acquainted with the iconic Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort & Mineral Springs—the neon sign itself is a landmark. Given its historic significance in one of our favorite Napa towns, we were thrilled to learn that the property has undergone a significant renovation and expansion.

During a visit in early August, my family and I experienced a completely revamped Dr. Wilkinson’s, featuring stylish, midcentury modern-inspired renovated rooms; an exciting new counter-service eatery, House of Better, offering Southwestern-style brunch on weekends and dinner daily (the fish and chicken tacos vanished from our plates); and several new guestroom options—a standalone one-bedroom bungalow, spa “cottages” with clawfoot tubs, and a beautifully restored five-room Victorian house that can be booked room by room or in its entirety for groups of up to 15.

The pool area, a standout feature of the property, boasts two geothermal mineral pools fed by Calistoga’s natural springs—one at around 90 degrees and the other at 70 degrees—surrounded by inviting plush lounge seating and vibrant oversized murals. Guests can enjoy wine, beer, and food from House of Better poolside or in the restaurant’s patio and lawn area.

Founded in 1952 by wellness expert John Wilkinson and his wife Edy (hence the signature turquoise 1952 Buick Special parked out front), the property stays true to its spa heritage, with the 2021 update including renovated spa treatment rooms, a new outdoor spa area, and several indoor mineral baths in the fully modernized spa.

Dr. Wilkinson’s attracts a diverse crowd of couples, families, and groups who appreciate its central location, making it easy to walk to nearby restaurants and bars—the weekend scene can get quite lively.

Calistoga Motor Lodge

Just a short walk from Dr. Wilkinson’s lies another reimagined classic—Calistoga Motor Lodge and Spa. This thoughtfully designed and affordable revamped midcentury motel has been a personal favorite since its opening a few years ago. However, the addition of the new onsite restaurant Fleetwood has truly elevated the property.

Fleetwood strikes a perfect balance between casual and refined, featuring outdoor seating that exudes European charm alongside a lovely indoor space. Diners can savor a seasonal, wood-fired menu with highlights like charred peppers, pickled vegetables, and staples such as spinach and ricotta agnolotti, buffalo mozzarella pizza, and oak-grilled salmon—all of which are anything but ordinary.

The menu caters to families while still offering an elevated experience. My husband and I enjoyed dinner at Fleetwood in August with our two-year-old daughter and five-year-old son. The relaxed outdoor setting (Parisian-style garden tables and chairs nestled among the trees, adorned with market lights and firepits) allowed us to move around and engage in the property’s lawn games as we awaited our meal. Everything was delicious, including the cocktails and wine.

Located in the same main building as Fleetwood, there’s a brand-new reception area and 12 modern Vista rooms available, featuring either one king or two queen beds.

With its fun road-tripper theme (guest rooms equipped with camper van-style dining tables and board games), Calistoga Motor Lodge offers 50 guest rooms and suites; the visually striking MoonAcre Spa and Baths; three geothermal mineral pools; and plenty of activities such as wine tastings, bocce ball, yoga classes, and bike rentals. This truly is a wine country getaway suitable for guests of all ages.

Solage, Auberge Resorts Collection

Indeed, this is the third Calistoga property featured on this list, with another mentioned in the “coming soon” section below. Clearly, Calistoga is the place to be right now, and Solage, Auberge Resorts Collection, exemplifies that. This stylish resort has long been a hotspot in this part of Napa Valley, and following a $30 million redesign revealed this year, there are numerous new reasons to stay at Solage. Highlights include newly renovated guest rooms and brand-new one- and two-bedroom cottage-style suites with private patios, plus an enhanced pool area complete with a new deck, lounge seating, private cabanas, and a children’s pool.

The property now boasts a new Mexican eatery, Picobar, which joins the renowned signature restaurant Solbar, located in a charming wooden barn and offering tacos, queso, and cocktails.

The Lodge at Sonoma, an Autograph Collection hotel

This year, The Lodge at Sonoma relaunched as part of Marriott International’s Autograph Collection, which emphasizes craftsmanship and design. A glance at the property reveals it has undergone the full Autograph transformation, with landscaping and interior elements that elegantly honor the original mission-style architecture. There are 182 rooms, suites, and cottages, some featuring outdoor tubs and fireplaces. Chef Michael Mina brings his culinary expertise to the property’s Wit & Wisdom restaurant and bar, while the more casual Benicia’s Kitchen serves breakfast and lunch, and the High Horse Bar—set in a horse trailer—offers playful cocktails poolside.

Guests can unwind at the Raindance Spa, rent bikes to explore wine country, or arrange off-property experiences like grape harvesting and cheese-making.

Alila Napa Valley

On March 1, the former Las Alcobas Napa Valley transitioned to Alila Napa Valley as it joined the Hyatt brand family. Despite the name change, Alila Napa Valley continues to be a sleek and elegant property featuring 68 ultra-modern guest rooms and 9 suites, each equipped with outdoor balconies and terraces, many offering vineyard views. A newly constructed bridge links the hotel to the nearby Beringer Vineyards. The onsite Acacia House restaurant, situated in a 1905 Georgian-style residence, stands as a destination in its own right. The newly branded Spa Alila provides a genuinely tranquil retreat, complemented by an outdoor pool that overlooks the picturesque vineyards.

Exciting new hotels are on the horizon

Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley

As with many large-scale projects, there have been numerous delays (and the pandemic hasn't helped), but the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley is now accepting reservations and is set to officially open in November 2021. Located on an operational winery, the property will feature 85 guest rooms, one-bedroom suites, and villas, each with a private terrace, in addition to a lavish 3,400-square-foot Estate Villa boasting its own garden and pool.

In keeping with Calistoga’s rich heritage of spas, mineral waters, and wellness, the onsite Spa Talisa will serve as a central feature of the property. Two outdoor swimming pools will be nestled among the vineyards, complemented by a kids program and multiple dining options, including the signature Truss Restaurant and Bar.

Guests can look forward to booking guided bike tours, trips to SDinogoi West for wildlife viewing, and engaging in winetasting experiences.

Stanly Ranch, part of the Auberge Collection Resort

With the abundance of stunning wineries in Napa Valley, it’s only fitting that one would host a luxurious winery resort experience. Spanning 96 acres of the 712-acre Stanly Ranch, this upcoming Auberge Resorts Collection property, set to open in late 2021, will offer 135 cottages, 40 villas, and 70 residences designed to blend indoor and outdoor living with expansive floor-to-ceiling windows and doors. The property celebrates the region’s agricultural heritage with its gardens, orchards, lavender fields, and grapevines. Its architecture modernly reflects the early farmstead structures of the valley. A spacious lawn area will serve as the resort’s centerpiece, with amenities including a main resort pool (complete with bar and grill), a farm-to-table restaurant, a family pool, an espresso bar, a bakery, a spa, and a fitness studio.

The Stavrand Russian River Valley

Previously known as the Applewood Inn, the newly opened 21-room Stavrand Russian River Valley infuses boutique luxury into one of our favorite spots in Sonoma County—Russian River. Slated for its grand opening in September 2021, the property is nestled among six acres of redwoods, orchards, and gardens. Guests can unwind by the pool or at the spa, engage in outdoor lawn games, borrow bikes, or kayak and float down the serene Russian River. The quaint town of Guerneville is just a short stroll or drive away. Stavrand consists of three guest room buildings, including the historic Belden House, established in 1922. The culinary offerings feature daily breakfast, convenient lunch options like paninis and charcuterie, and private chef dinners.