It’s no secret that Napa Valley is home to some of the best hotels and resorts in the country, but The Carneros Inn is a hidden gem that even some locals don’t know about.
Located on 27 acres at the south end of the valley, The Carneros Inn consists of private residential-style units, including 86 cottages and 12 larger houses with two or three bedrooms. All rooms have a complimentary nonalcoholic beverage bar, a fireplace, heated slate bathroom floors and an indoor-outdoor shower. Outside, you’ll also find a soaking tub in the private backyard.
The resorts’ 10 suites are each made up of two adjacent cottages — one configured as living quarters and the other for sleeping — connected by an outdoor deck and a 900-square-foot backyard.
The Carneros Inn’s cottages are clustered into “neighborhoods,” with anywhere from four to 12 cottages grouped around a central garden area. According to Leandra Lopez, group sales manager for the property, the reason for this is to make guests feel like they are at a home away from home.
Over the last year-and-a-half, the cottages have been undergoing renovations to enhance the resort’s modern farmhouse feel. All are expected to be complete by the first quarter of 2017.
Anything located behind The Carneros Inn’s gates is exclusively for resort guests. This includes two pools (one for families and the adults-only Hilltop pool), the state-of-the-art fitness center, a full-service spa and the Hilltop restaurant, which is open on weekends for breakfast and lunch and boasts the best view on property of the surrounding spectacular vineyards and hillsides.
Town Square — the resort’s hub — is open to the public, but even that seems to be a well-kept secret. In the center of Town Square is Market, an upscale general store with local products and gifts as well as fresh gourmet snacks, sandwiches and salads. Town Square is also the location of Farm, the resort’s fine-dining restaurant that features elevated farm-to-table dishes, including five- or seven-course tasting menus in addition to seasonal a-la-carte items. Boon Fly Cafe, the resort’s roadside diner, is also open to the public and serves country-style comfort food with a Napa twist. With menu items such as the B.E.L.T. (a BLT with eggs), Green Eggs & Ham and the famous Boon Fly Donuts, it’s no wonder that Boon Fly was named the No. 2 breakfast spot in Napa.
Executive chef, Aaron Meneghelli, takes full advantage of the bounty the Napa Valley has to offer. To maintain the chef’s “farm to pass” philosophy, fresh ingredients for many of the menu items at all three on-site restaurants are harvested from the two kitchen gardens on property, as well as from a variety of fruit trees planted along the resort’s central Ward’s Walk (from which guests are also welcome to pick a snack). The Farm Garden in Town Square is also the location of the summertime “Gather and Garnish” program beginning on June 1, where guests can pick items to create their own handcrafted cocktails with the help of the resort’s lead bartender.
Providing guests with an intimate environment that is luxurious while still being comfortable and welcoming, The Carneros Inn has combined the rural charm of its location with sophisticated design and amenities. As a result, the resort is equally suited for an adults-only Napa Valley getaway or a family vacation.
The Details
Boon Fly Cafe
www.boonflycafe.com
The Carneros Inn
www.thecarnerosinn.com
Farm at The Carneros Inn
www.farmatthecarnerosinn.com
