August 2014 - by Martha King
I just returned home from a fabulous trip to the wine country! We took my mom out to celebrate her 80th birthday, and celebrate we did! In just four short days, we managed to visit seven amazing wineries in Napa, Healdsburg, Yountville, and Spring Mountain. We also enjoyed some wonderful food & wine at several local restaurants, relaxed by the pool, indulged at the spa, rode bikes, and had a picnic under a giant redwood at Oak Mountain Grocery!
Part 1 of this blog will highlight the beautiful Carneros Inn, a Virtuoso property near Napa. Stay tuned for Part 2 on the wineries & restaurants we absolutely loved!
CARNEROS INN
Location. There are some wonderful options as far as lodging in Napa and the surrounding area and Carneros Inn is one of the very best! The location is perfect- just a 10 minute drive from downtown Napa and about a 20 minute drive from downtown Yountville. It sits on 27 acres and has 86 private cottages, 3 on-site restaurants, 2 pools, a spa, a fitness center, and Carneros Inn is the best place to view a Napa Valley sunset!
Cottages at Carneros. The cottages….I cannot say enough about how much we enjoyed our cottage! We had a king bed, fireplace (yes, we lit a fire in August! how great is that?), an oversized outdoor patio space with two lounge chairs, a table & an umbrella, a huge bathroom with a soaking tub, heated slate floors and an indoor/outdoor shower (a signature feature!).
Our cottage in the “Bartolucci neighborhood”
Not too hard to relax out here with a glass of wine!
…or in here!
The indoor/ outdoor shower!
Dining. We ate at FARM the first night and it was wonderful! FARM is fine-dining at its best and Chef Andrew Budnyj has created a great menu that showcases simple, elegant food. The bar is very cool and serves imaginative, hand-crafted cocktails, as well as an extensive list of regional wines. But the alfresco lounge area was my favorite!! It offers a relaxed atmosphere in which to enjoy your wine or cocktails with outdoor fireplaces and living room-style seating. I would love to have included pictures of the delicious food we had and the lovely wine we enjoyed, but we were too busy savoring every sip & bite!
Breakfast at The Boon Fly Cafe - A Virtuoso Amenity. The Boon Fly Cafe is another favorite. King & Whitson clients, receive as part of their Virtuoso amenities daily breakfast - and Boon Fly Cafe is THE place to get breakfast! Can we talk about the donuts?? Oh my…so good! The “Boon Fly Benedict” with artisan pain levain, thick-sliced caggiano ham, poached eggs, jalapeño hollandaise, and crispy hash browns were my favorite. Another favorite was the “Poppa Joe’s Eggs in a Hole” which included griddled artisan sourdough bread with two fried eggs in the center with hash browns and bacon.
Complimentary Bikes. Carneros offers the use of complimentary bikes, so we rode to Boon Fly one morning and then rode around the property which was very fun! We also chose to have breakfast delivered to our back patio area, where we enjoyed a couple of quiet mornings, sipping coffee and reading the newspaper.
Hilltop Dining Room. The other restaurant on site is The Hilltop Dining Room and it is open to hotel guests only. We did not have chance to eat there but heard it was wonderful! It is also a lovely location for a wedding or other large group event. There is also a little market on property where you can grab sandwiches, wine, coffee, snacks, and even some Napa souvenirs.
Virtuoso Amenity - $100 Spa Credit. Another Virtuoso amenity you will receive from us is $100 spa credit. The spa at Carneros is one of the best in Napa and they offer a full menu of incredible services. We decided to spend a relaxing afternoon by the pool and at the spa. Imagine yourself relaxing here and enjoying a cocktail in the hot tub!
All in all, Carneros Inn was the epitome of rustic luxury charm! The birthday girl LOVED it and so did we- we will definitely be going back!
Happy 80th, Mom!
Virtuoso Amenities
Upgrade upon arrival, subject to availability
Breakfast daily for up to two in room guests
$100 spa credit
Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability