No matter which highway you’re coming from, sun-kissed vineyards and wooded creeks welcome you on the drive to Napa, Calif.’s Silverado Resort and Spa. And it’s just a hint of what’s to come: a sense of unwinding, a hefty dose of natural beauty, and plenty of space to play.
Most travelers have a singular association with Napa Valley — namely, wine — but this summer, I set out to explore what else the area offers. And I really put it to the test by bringing kids with me.
My daughters and I stayed at Silverado Resort and Spa, replacing wine tastings with pastry crawls, tennis lessons, pizza nights, pool parties and meandering walks in beautiful California scenery. If clients are interested in exploring Napa as a family, Silverado Resort makes an excellent home base. There’s so much to do on-site, and plenty more to do within a 20-minute drive.
The central structure of the resort, known as “The Mansion,” holds the hotel’s check-in and a great bar, lounge and terrace.
Credit: Silverado Resort and Spa
What to Expect at Silverado Resort and Spa
Once on property, a guest’s first stop is “The Mansion,” an 1869 structure built for Union Civil War general John Franklin Miller. Once the general’s living room, the grand structure is now the hotel’s check-in area, complete with an airy bar and lounge that overlooks Milliken Creek and one of the resort’s two stunning championship golf courses.
Golf is a big deal here — as it should be, given the incredible mountain backdrop and some rather formidable trees that adorn the greens. (Both PGA courses were redesigned by PGA Hall-of-Famer Johnny Miller.) Tennis ranks high, too, with 10 on-site courts and a tennis program that has been recognized among the world’s 14 best by Tennis Resorts Online. An even bigger draw for families: The property offers lessons in both tennis and golf for all ages.
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If clients would rather slow down instead of practicing their swing, The Spa at Silverado is the place to do it. The sprawling 16,000-square-foot venue feels like a world unto itself: There’s a pool just for spa guests, a daytime cafe with smoothies and salads, a boutique shop and a spa treatment menu so lengthy that it’s set in a multipage brochure. I booked the spa’s 24-karat body wrap and facial, which involved being moisturized with actual gold flakes (known for brightening and firming skin) and exfoliated with “sea sugar,” a special salt scrub by French beauty company Phytomer. It was exactly the luxury and indulgence I needed at the end of a long summer.
What to Do With Kids
My kids and I arrived ready to spend multiple afternoons simply relaxing. We swam for hours each afternoon at the kids’ pool, then sat in the hot tub sipping blended lemonades from the pool bar to keep us cool in the summer sun. We also enjoyed strolling the grounds; the girls practiced cartwheels and somersaults on the massive lawn in front of the mansion, and we loved walking through the lobby bar and across the bridge to bird-watch and see the setting sun dance on the mountain behind the resort.
We missed the resort’s tennis and golf kids' summer camps, but this is an incredible offering for visiting families — they run during traditional school holidays throughout the year. Designed for guests between ages 6 and 12 (though younger kids can be accommodated in clinics and lessons), the camps focus on fundamentals of either golf or tennis and are led by the resort’s incredible instructors.
Two large resort pools are perfect for keeping cool in summer.
Credit: 2022 Silverado Resort and SpaI had the chance to take a lesson myself with the resort’s head tennis pro, Quinn Saine, who gave me some great backhand and cross-court tips. He had just the right amount of levity in his coaching to keep the hour stress-free and fun — perfect for kids or adult players who, like me, are newer to the sport.
When we weren’t doing all of the above, my daughters and I were at Silverado Market & Bakery, the best-stocked shop of its kind. There are snacks galore, bottles of wine to enjoy on the deck or back in your suite, and lots of hot food items. The biggest hit for us was the market’s pizza night, when our made-to-order margherita and sausage pies came fresh out of a wood-fired oven.
For a delicious sit-down dinner, we headed to The Grill. This on-site restaurant overlooks the property’s other golf course and has a great evening menu. We loved the grilled pork chop — which could have easily fed all three of us — and the service was outstanding despite a very whiny toddler at the table. This is an excellent place to try a glass of local wine while the setting sun makes the greenway glow below you.
Resort Accommodations
Because the property spans more than 1,000 acres, walking to and from our suite felt a lot like walking in a well-manicured neighborhood. Our suite was set in the Mansion Estates — adorable cottage-style buildings surrounded by gardens and close to the pools and market. Our one-room configuration was perfect for our family; we left blocks out on the living room floor, ate snacks and made popcorn in our kitchen, and watched early morning cartoons in the bedroom. Had our group been larger, we could have easily connected to the suite next door, making it ideal for a multigenerational family trip. Other collections of suites allow guests to be closer to the golf courses, if they prefer.
Suites can be combined to accommodate larger families.
Credit: 2022 Silverado Resort and SpaWhat’s Near Silverado Resort
I had always wanted to dine in Yountville — a 15-minute drive from the resort — so we did it in a kid-friendly way on this trip. Families can easily enjoy a meal at Ad Hoc, Thomas Keller’s more casual restaurant, where the buttermilk fried chicken draws a happy crowd. The girls and I took bread and pastries back to our suite from Keller’s nearby Bouchon Bakery. And there are incredible bonbons to be tasted at Kollar Chocolates, just across the street from Bouchon.
Another day, the kids and I toured downtown Napa. The indoor Oxbow Public Market is a great stop for local produce, as well as coffee, oysters and ice cream. After we had breakfast here, we walked along the Napa River, then observed birds and bugs and climbed rock walls in the beautiful gardens of The Culinary Institute of America at Copia.
And while I didn’t feel up to bringing a toddler to a wine-tasting room, there are plenty nearby that accommodate children, such as Hoopes Vineyard, just 8 miles from Silverado.
Group Reservations and Venues
Large families will love gathering at Silverado, but even bigger groups — such as wedding parties and conference attendees — will be taken care of here, too. Venues include a grand ballroom overlooking the golf course’s 18th hole; two boardrooms in the historic mansion; eight conference rooms; and multiple outdoor spaces for alfresco meetings and group dining. In-house event coordinators are happy to help advisors utilize these spaces.
