Napa Travel Guide
Hotel Cars / Wine Tasting Hotels / Napa Valley Hotels / Audi / Hotel Restaurants / → All Tags
The Carneros Inn's Audi Partnership: Cars and Carafes in Wine Country
We don’t usually mix wine-country getaways with fancy cars—after all, we’d never advocate drinking and driving—but a recent experience at the tony Carneros Inn in Napa has us thinking that cars and carafes (with a driver!) might just be our new favorite mash-up. That’s because this luxury resort is one of only four in the country that has partnered with Audi to have a couple of primo vehicles that will shuttle guests around the property.
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In Napa, Even Embassy Suites Goes Gourmet
Travelers to Napa Valley are used to the finest wines and freshest foods around, so in order to keep up with the gourmet competition and cater to its demanding guests, even the Embassy Suites (which in the town of Napa itself) is taking its food and beverage operation upscale.
Starting now, the 205-room all-suite hotel, which is managed by Hilton, has brought in a new food and beverage management team headed up by Napa native Christy Gianelli, who has worked with a who’s who of Napa hospitality including Wine Adventures, the ultra-luxe Silverado Resort, and the Napa Valley Conference and Visitors Bureau.
Napa Valley Hotels / Hotel Deals / Expedia / Shell Hospitality / → All Tags
La Vita e Bella at Vino Bello Resort in Napa
Want to do wine country on the cheap? Expedia.com is offering a special package at the Vino Bello Resort in Napa with air and three nights’ accommodation starting at $674 per person, or just book the hotel room for $236 per night. The deal is advertised for a stay from May 25-29, but you can get room rates as low as $167 for a mid-week stay throughout May.
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Hone Your Truffle Skills at The Westin Verasa's Truffle Camps
Truffles, no matter what kind, can usually send foodies into a sort of spasm at first whiff. Truffles have also become status symbols as the rarest kinds can fetch up to $200,000 like one white truffle did last month at an auction.
Thus the cost of truffles means there are no room for mistakes when cooking with them. If you are considering purchasing a truffle, then you might want to also consider Truffle Camp at the Westin Verasa in Napa, Calif.
Executive Chef Ken Frank of the hotel's La Toque restaurant is holding his Ken Frank's Truffle Camps from January 11-14 and from January 18-21.
Truffle Camp will include three days of dinners, wine tastings, luncheons, lodging in Napa’s newest upscale resort and hands on experience preparing truffle dishes.
Napa Hotels / Ritz-Carlton Hotels / Hotel Hype / → All Tags
The City of Napa To Get a Ritz-Carlton
The city of Napa, gateway to the famous Napa Valley has long been the angry stepchild to the illustrious Napa Valley destinations of Yountville, Rutherford and St Helena.
However, the city of 75,000 has been making a dedicated effort to gussy-up their river front downtown area. With the recent opening of foodie-heaven Oxbow Market and mainstay food and arts center Copia already in place, it was only a matter of time before a major hotel player came into the cards and that prayer was answered this spring by Ritz-Carlton.
Napa Valley Hotels / Hotel Construction / Condo Hotels / Westin Hotels / → All Tags
Westin To Open Napa Valley Condo-Hotel in September
A lobby rendering of the Westin Verasa.
The city of Napa has been pushing hard for a major face lift the last few years and so far so good.
The food and arts institution Copia, was recently coupled with Oxbow market, turning it into a foodie's paradise. Obviously this is having a positive effect if Starwood is opening a condo-hotel just down the street on September 18th called Westin Verasa.
Luxury Hotels / Napa Hotels / California Travel / Design / Architecture / → All Tags
Napa Valley's Poetry Inn: From The Inside Out
A couple weeks ago we told you about the Ultimate Birthday Bash package offered by Poetry Inn located in Yountville, CA, about an hour fifteen minutes north of San Francisco.
Having Chef Thomas Keller cook you and 9 of your most intimate friends dinner sounds grand beyond all expectation, however, the 5 rooms and suites that make up Poetry Inn embody a classic simple elegance that speaks to quality and homeyness above all else.
Insane Hotel Packages / Luxury Hotels / Napa Hotels / Thomas Keller / Hotel Restaurants / → All Tags
To Die For Foodie Package: The Poetry Inn's Ultimate Birthday Bash with Thomas Keller
Picture this, you and 9 others, be it 5 couples or 10 close friends, (it's a big modern world, we know, we're with you,) arrive at the drippingly luxurious and refined Poetry Inn located on a vineyard hillside just outside downtown Yountville in Napa Valley.
Everyone checks in to their rooms and you all meet on a balcony overlooking the sprawling valley floor and Mayacamus Mountains to the west. It's cooling down to 65 degrees as the amber sun sets and a light breeze blows through your hair.
You: "It's lovely having you all here on this important day."
Friend 1: "I just want you to know that 40 is totally the new HOLY BALONEY IS THAT THOMAS KELLER!?!?"
You: "Oh yeah, he's cooking dinner for us tonight, cool huh?"
Friend 2: "We're going to one of his restaurants!? You little sneak."
You: "Not quite, he and his French Laundry staff are cooking for us here at the Inn, a private dinner."
Friends 1 and 2:OMFG. For realz?
Avia Hotels / Hotel Hype / Hotel Renderings / Napa Valley Hotels / → All Tags
First Look at The Avia Napa Renderings
Last week we informed you that Avia Hotels was getting in on the boutique hotel chain game. While the new boutique property Avia Savannah is scheduled to be the first of the chain to open--in December 2008--it's the Avia Napa property we're seeing the most of. Normally we don't like to run renderings instead of photos, but these are the first look at what could turn into a big brand.
The Napa location will be at the Town Center, and plans call for 141 rooms and suites. Some rooms will have soaking tubs and all will have working fireplaces and olive wood floors. We're also eager to see more of the swiveling flat-screen entertainment center.
After the jump, a look inside Avia.
Related Stories:
· Avia Hotels Jumping on Boutique Bandwagon [HotelChatter]
· Napa Hotels [HotelChatter]
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Haunted Hotels :: Napa River Inn
We've written about Haunted Hotels before but this week we're looking for some good ghost stories. We know, Halloween is not for another month, but if you plan on taking a trip around the end of October, you should know which hotels might have some unpleasant and unwanted guests. Unless, you're into that sorta thing.
Tons of people head to Napa for some wine tasting and apparently, ghosts like to do so too.
The Napa River Inn is located within the historic Napa Mill, built in 1884 in downtown. Naturally, being so old the hotel was bound to get some ghost stories, like this one:
A recent guest in room 201 at the Napa River Inn in Napa, Calif., called the front desk to complain that strange noises and "white blobs in the mirror" were preventing her from getting to sleep. Seeking some relaxation, she opened a bottle of wine and poured a glass. When she turned to lift the glass, the wine had been drained from it. Passing it off to absentmindedness, she poured a second glass and carried it into the bathroom. She set it aside and stepped into the shower. Upon emerging, the glass had once again been emptied, although the guest insisted she had not taken a sip.
Unlike the Windsor Hotel, there's no spooky backstory about who this wino ghost could be. (Our thoughts? Someone's not quite ready to admit they have a drinking problem.)
And although the hotel is plenty old, sleeping in it shouldn't feel like staying in an attic. The hotel's 66 rooms have been updated with modern decor and modern amenities such as WiFi accesss and in-room breakfast from the nearby Sweetie Pies bakery.
Related Stories:
· Napa River Inn reviews [TripAdvisor]
· Napa River Inn [Historic Hotels]
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Warm up in wine country
Yet another winter getaway option: A trip to California's wine country. Expect sunny but crisp jacket-and-sweater weather, cosy wood-paneled lodges, excellent cuisine, and of course, wine.
Winter can be the best time to visit the area, with chiller crowds, quieter lodging, and special events like the Fourth Annual Sonoma Valley Olive Festival and the Napa Valley Mustard Festival. Known for its, ahem, intoxicating beauty, California's wine country is also an excellent choice for Valentine's Day, and many hotels offer special packages for the holiday. Visit WineCountry.com for hotel info, photos and vineyard recommendations.
To further sweeten the deal, Expedia is offering low rates on Sonoma and Napa valley hotels January 12 through March 13, 2005 -- as low as $89 a night.
It may be unseasonably cold in California at the moment, but at 58 degrees, we'll take it.
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