Although the town of Napa may not be as chic as Yountville, lodging in downtown Napa offers the wine country visitor many options for activities and choices of restaurants. There are enough things to do in the downtown area to keep visitors busy for several days.

We booked two nights at the Blackbird Inn, a Four Sisters B&B. The Blackbird Inn is located on First Street and Jefferson in Napa. The B&B happens to be directly across the street from the very cool Craftsman home of the Wine Spectator’s Napa office. We supposedly got a winter/Internet special rate, if you stay two nights you get one free. Our tab came to $280 with tax for our two-night stay. Read the rest of this entry »

With the gloom of the economy casting a pall on just about everything these days, a trip to the Napa Valley just might be the perfect escape. Harvest is over but fermenting tanks are going strong and there is that delicious smell in the air of wine being made. The vines are turning various shades and Fall is a wonderful time to be in the Napa wine country.

There is some economic relief in sight in the Valley because as the harvest ends, many of Napa Valley’s finest lodging establishments begin their Fall and Winter rate specials. Our guess is that because of the economy there will be more specials and packages as lodging establishments and other businesses try to lure visitors to the area. Now is the time to plan a budget trip to the Napa Valley.

Here are some tips on how to save some cash visiting the Napa Valley.
Read the rest of this entry »

On our last visit to Calistoga, we booked the Best Western Stevenson Manor Inn with a coupon special of $79, good for during the week only. What a deal! But a strange thing happened on the way to Calistoga. We got a call from the Stevenson saying their remodeling project was behind schedule and our room would not be ready. Instead, they were shifting us to their sister inn, the Eurospa & Inn at the opposite end of Calistoga. They said the rooms were better and the room rates higher, but they would honor our rate at the Stevenson. So, we ended up at the Eurospa & Inn for one night at the room rate of $79.

This is one of the older inns in Calistoga. The bungalow style rooms have all been renovated and have all the usual amenities including a potbelly gas stove and wireless Internet access. The rooms were comfortable and clean. The pool area is really nice and a great plus in the summer weather. But this is winter so the pool is not much of a factor in our stay. Who wants to swim or jump in the spa when the air temperature is 40 degrees?

We liked the fact that the Inn is within easy walking distance to town, but the Inn is situated in a very residential part of town and it seems a little out of place. We also did not like the fact that they do not have an inside area for the continental breakfast that is included. No one wants to eat outside when it is very cold, which means eating your breakfast in your room. We opted to skip the breakfast and head into town for our meal.

We have to say that the people that run the Eurospa are very honest and trustworthy. We left a very valuable and sentimental ring in our room at the Eurospa. We did not notice we were missing the ring until arriving home. We called the Eurospa about the ring and they told us they would search our room at first chance. The ring was found; it had apparently fallen off the nightstand and rolled under the bed. Thank you, Eurospa!

The Good: Easy walk to town, trustworthy staff.
The Bad: A little old and worn. The Stevenson is a better choice for us.

A few months back there was an article in the San Francisco Chronicle touting the Chardonnay Lodge as a recommended budget motel near downtown Napa. Most visitors to the Napa Valley like to bask themselves in luxury at an upscale B&B or inn. For folks like us who travel often to the Napa Valley, we look for bargain spots with comfortable accommodations. If you spend little time in your room, there may be no need for the lavish amenities.

We decided to try one night at the Chardonnay Lodge on a recent trip to the Napa Valley. We did find our room to be very clean and comfortable. The rooms have all been recently painted with warm colors and the owners are very friendly and accommodating. The cost for a midweek night in November was a mere $89. No doubt the Chardonnay is a bargain considering the lodging rates in the Napa Valley. If you are on a tight budget the Chardonnay might be a good choice. For us, it was not. There are 20 rooms at the Chardonnay spread out in a U shape and as near as we could tell, there were only two other rooms occupied that night. The motel is on a busy street and in a commercial part of town. It is possible to walk to downtown Napa from the Chardonnay Lodge. It is about a 20-minute walk, but on a cold dark night this is not a wise choice. We found ourselves a little too isolated here and prefer a spot where there is more action.

There are other budget possibilities in Napa and we have stayed at two, the El Bonita Motel in St. Helena and the Stevenson Motor Lodge in Calistoga. Both of these are better choices but you will have to pay slightly more. We also spotted a Travel Lodge in downtown Napa that looks good in terms of a budget price and central location.

The Good: Budget rates and very clean, friendly owners.
The Bad: Rooms small and two far from the mainstream of wine country.

We tried the Chablis Inn a couple of weeks ago before the summer season prices went into effect. We stayed for two nights during the week for an unbelievable $84 a night. The Chablis is clean, comfortable and well maintained. There is a small pool and hot tub, and the usual room amenities. Oh yes, they do have free Internet access, something the nearby Marriott charges at a rate of $10 per day.

The Chablis is sheltered from Highway 29 so you don’t get much traffic sounds at night. Directly across the street is a small shopping center called the Redwood Plaza. The plaza has a Starbucks and the fabulous Vallergas market. The Vallergas market has a great deli and gourmet items. You can pick up your picnic goodies there before heading out to the wineries.

These bargain prices begin to disappear as the travel season hits its peak months. During the peak season, weekday prices start at $100 and twice that for weekends. At that point, you might consider the El Bonita Motel in St. Helena, or the Chateau Hotel just a few blocks away from the Chablis Inn. Each of these hotels has an online reservation system. Use the greatness of the Internet to compare and find the best rate.

The Good: Winter rates during the week, comfortable and clean, convenient location.
The Bad: No luxuries here.

We found a terrific winter special at the Marriott Napa Valley. We just got under the wire booking two nights for the last week in March. The special ran through the end of March. For $99 a night, mid-week, we had a very nice room that included a very generous buffet breakfast and an evening hour of wine and cheese.

Our room was recently remodeled and everything was very clean and comfortable. The buffet breakfast had just about anything you wanted for a regular breakfast from granola and yogurt to pancakes, eggs, and sausage. A cook was on hand to prepare omelets to order. We noticed guests taking full advantage of the buffet breakfast stacking their plates with food pyramids, not the kind recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The wine hour was nice, a Chardonnay and Cabernet were served along with cheese and some fruit. The wine was just average and it was a label we did not recognized. We found out later it was from a bulk wine producer.

The Marriott is located about midway between downtown Napa and Yountville on Solano Avenue. For dining, we decided to hire a taxi. Our party was celebrating birthdays, and no one was too excited about being the designated driver. The first night we dined in Yountville and the round trip taxi drive amounted to $40, tip included. The second night we ventured off to downtown Napa and the cab ride was a little less.

There were two things that we didn’t like about our stay. When
you lodge at a hotel like the Marriott, you don’t get that cozy intimate feeling that you do in a small inn or B&B. It feels more like you are attending a convention. The other thing that always bugs us about any Marriott we have stayed in, Internet access in your room is not free. We had to pay $10 a day to browse the Web. Almost all lodging establishments these days offer free wireless access. Why not the Marriott?

The Good: The special room rate and buffet breakfast
The Bad: A convention type feeling, $10 a day for Internet service in your room.

We travel so often to the wine country that our travel budget only allows us to stay at a fancy hotel or B&B a few times a year for special occasions. The rest of the time, we look for something reasonable in price but it must be clean and comfortable. The Stevenson Manor in Calistoga fits perfectly into this category. It is a Best Western motel, well maintained and immaculate throughout.

Like most lodging establishments in the Napa Valley, the Stevenson Manor has some specials for the off-season. We lodged at the Stevenson Manor in November and that entitled us to a special promotion for returning guests. We received two coupons, each good for a one-night stay during mid-week to the end of March for a measly $77 per night. The regular rates vary from $100 to $125 midweek and $140 to $150 on weekends during the off-season. Prices jump up the beginning of April to $180 and more.

One thing we like about the location of the Stevenson Manor is the proximity to the restaurants and downtown area of Calistoga. It is only a half-mile walk into town. We would rather not have to drive to a restaurant. This way we can enjoy a full bottle of wine with our dinner.

The Stevenson Manor has a hot tub and heated pool, which we took advantage of on both days in the early evening. The continental breakfast is more than adequate and not just your usual pastry and bagel choices. The motel also provides free high-speed Internet access to all rooms.

The Good: Reasonable price, very clean and comfortable rooms, Internet access, walking distance to restaurants. Some rooms have a gas fireplace.
The Bad: Continental breakfast area is small and crowded.

We travel to the wine country often so we try to find something moderate in price for our lodging. B&B’s are not our thing unless we are with a group or it’s a special occasion. We don’t need something luxurious because we spend very little time in our rooms. What we really are looking for is something clean and comfortable, a place where we can get a good night’s sleep. The El Bonita Motel in St. Helena is one such accommodation. We recently spent two nights there and found it to be very a relaxed and affordable place to stay. Besides the price, we like the idea that we could walk into St. Helena. The main shopping area is just a half-mile away. We walked into town for breakfast, and for dinner to Tra Vigne the first day, and the second night to Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen. Cindy’s is at the opposite end of St. Helena so the round trip is about two miles.

El Bonita provides a continental breakfast that we tried on the second morning. They had a good assortment of fruit and cereal along with the usual fare of bagels and such. Our room was in the older section close to Highway 29. The traffic on this highway is busy from early morning to the late evening and the noise can be bothersome. Further back behind the old section is a two-story newer area where it is much more quiet. Some of the rooms in this area are suites with two bedrooms. The pool is perfect for a quick dip to cool off during the summer. Prices vary but for the peak season on weekends the rooms start at $189. A two-bedroom suite is $289. Those are pretty good prices for the Napa Valley.

The Good: Budget prices if there is such a thing in the Napa Valley. Rooms are comfortable and clean. The downtown area of St. Helena is about a half-mile.
The Bad: Rooms near the highway are noisy. You won’t find any elegant amenities at this hotel.