Sonoma County's One of a Kind Hotels

Sonoma County is home to a wonderful array of charming B&Bs, quaint cottages, intimate hotels, value inns, and luxury resorts. For accommodations that speak extra-eloquently of California's Wine Country, though, let us guide you to these one-of-a-kind destinations.

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Farmhouse Inn, Forestville

Tucked into a grove of towering redwoods, this circa-1870 Russian River Valley hideaway has 18 gorgeous guest rooms, a "wellness barn" housing a seasonally inspired spa, and a destination restaurant that serves nationally acclaimed farm-fresh food. The inn's owners, siblings Catherine and Joe Bartolomei, also come from fifth generation farmers, making this place a true Sonoma County-grown treasure.

Baths are gussied with large jetted tubs and saunas or steam showers, and morning starts with full breakfast and fresh flowers in your room. You can take wine tasting classes with a Master Sommelier in the afternoon, then finish the day with a bedtime snack of homemade cookies and milk. Be sure to visit the luxury spa, for such farm-to-table spa signatures as massages with oils using heirloom cider apples from the inn's home ranch plus herbs grown in Farmhouse's kitchen garden.

Bodega Bay Lodge, Bodega Bay

Romantic and serene on its seaside perch, this is the only AAA Four Diamond hotel on the Sonoma Coast. Luxurious rooms are outfitted with real fireplaces, warm and snuggly down comforters, and private balconies for stargazing.

The resort's Drakes Sonoma Coast restaurant offers spectacular ocean views and a seasonal menu highlighting local, sustainably farmed produce, seafood, and meat. Indulge in delights like Dungeness crab cakes with tomato ginger chutney and smoked paprika aioli, or Madras curry-dusted local petrale sole.

The onsite spa beckons in a stunning setting, overlooking the Sonoma coastline and anchored by an outdoor heated swimming pool and whirlpool spa. Indulge in beach-theme signatures that include a warm massage with Tiger Clam seashells.

Timber Cove Resort, Jenner

Timber Cove hugs the jagged-cliff edge of the Sonoma Coast, soaring above the crashing waves of the Pacific. This architecturally stunning mid-century modern gem offers rooms with ocean or forest views. Most have fireplaces or skylights, and they all include a record player, eco-friendly Lather bath amenities, a tea kettle with pour-over Russian River Roasters coffee, and the drama of ancient wood trim against crisp white bedding.  

The resort's Coast Kitchen restaurant features seasonal, locally sourced wine country coastal cuisine and dynamic wines from the region. The dining room is celebrated for its rustic luxury charm and extraordinary ocean views from floor-to-ceiling windows. Indeed, guests travel from all over for a spectacular cliffside meal, relaxing before a roaring fire in the huge stone fireplace in The Great Room, then taking a brisk, post-dinner stroll in the crisp Pacific air. 

The Jack London Lodge, Glen Ellen

With just 22 rooms, this intimate inn on the tree-lined Sonoma Creek captures the heart of Sonoma County.

A tribute to the legendary author and longtime Glen Ellen/Valley of the Moon resident, Jack London, the furnishings are cherished antiques, yet rooms offer all the modern conveniences like Wi-Fi and cable.

Highlights include a pool and spa located in a garden setting at the edge of the creek, and The Saloon at Jack London Lodge, which offers a rustic, warm, and unpretentious setting,  great cocktails, and a menu of wine country comfort food.  

Inn at Occidental, Occidental

Surrounded by a canopy of redwoods in the charming village of Occidental, this pet-friendly retreat is quiet enough to bring your dog for a vacation of his own, but still AAA Four-Diamond caliber. With 16 guest rooms and a two-bedroom cottage, the graceful clapboard mansion is larger than a typical B&B, but just as cozy, surrounded with English gardens and framed by towering redwoods. The feel in the spacious rooms is laidback, in whimsical themes like American folk art replete with a colorful collection of quilts, quirky rooster pillows, and draped four-posted beds. For breakfast, the daily changing menus showcase Sonoma-harvest ingredients, and as an extra amenity, guests enjoy a free wine tasting passport good for two at many area wineries. 

Flamingo Resort, Santa Rosa  

Marked by a 50-foot-tall, revolving, neon-trimmed tower capped with a spindly legged pink bird, this kitschy Mid-Century Modern landmark—designated a Historic Landmark in 1996—is a beacon of all that's fun and funky in Santa Rosa. This dramatic sweep of stone and glass spans several wings' worth of suites centered on a lavish pool and expansive gardens. Furnished with sleek fixtures in a cozy palette of gold and cream, stays in these luxury rooms include a breakfast buffet and free wine-tasting passes. 

Written by Sonoma Insider Carey Sweet.