Sonoma’s idyllic wine country escape
Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa is located in the heart of California’s wine country and goes above and beyond to offer you the ultimate break as behiye hassan discovers
Feeling restless after a longer than expected drive from Berkeley to Sonoma we were relieved to finally pull up at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn. As we did so it suddenly became clear that the journey was worth it.
The sunset was highlighting the beautiful fountain, trees, flowers and benches that adorn the entrance. The friendly staff were ready and waiting for our arrival so they could unload our bags and take us to our room.
Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn is set across 13 acres of land surrounded by eucalyptus trees and sits on a natural hot spring. Sonoma is home to the birth of the California wine industry and the hotel serve over 500 glasses of wine every day.
The area was a scared place of healing for the native Americans due to the mineral spring water from the springs and the five-star hotel is one of the only luxury spa resorts in the country with its own source of thermal mineral water.
The property has a spa, an 18-hole championship golf course and total of 226 rooms and suites. We were staying in one of the 30 Mission suites.
These secluded signature suites are the most romantic in the resort and it’s easy to see why; a four poster king size bed, free standing jacuzzi bath and comfy seating area with coffee table, TV and fireplace are waiting on the other side.
These were renovated in 2012 to offer an open floor plan and there was also a marbled bathroom area and corner shower along with a balcony with a garden view.
Outside the rooms the lobby is a great space where guests can relax and enjoy food and drink from the bar or restaurants. Every evening at 4pm a local sommelier from Soma or Napa will come to the hotel and do a wine tasting for guests.
Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn offer a range of dining options for guests. There’s their fine dining restaurant Sante, the only restaurant on Sonoma to be awarded a Michelin Star and a AAA Four Diamond Award.
For dinner we were lucky enough to enjoy a private dining experience with a set five-course menu which included a fresh lobster salad, creamy mushroom risotto and sea bass with each course paired with a different wine.
There is also the bar 38º North where you can taste more than 50 wines by the glass and the Water Tower Bar which is located just off the main pool and serves craft beers and locally-sourced specialty cocktails.
Meanwhile the Willow Steam Spa has everything you need to truly relax. Open to over 18s only, the 40,000 square foot spa is spread across two levels and includes a gym, shop, sauna, eucalyptus steam room, studio and four mineral water pools. They host a range of fitness classes and hikes as well and feature a Roman Bathing ritual. They also offer a range of treatments.
As they are located in the wine country, Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn partners with several vineyards to offer guests various experiences. We enjoyed the Gloria Ferrer VIP Tour which includes a tour of the vineyard, the tasting room and production room. The package also includes lunch with wine tasting.
Another partner is Deerfield Winery, a local vineyard run by husband and wife team Robert and PJ who started the business in their back yard. They pride themselves on producing clear wine which won’t give you a headache the next morning. The hotel can arrange dinners in their wine cave where guests can enjoy food cooked off site by the hotel and some of the vineyards wines.
Before we knew it we were back at the entrance to make our way back to San Francisco. Our brief stay was enough time to see that Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn really does live up to its reputation of the authentic Wine Country spa and golf resort.
A mission suite costs $450 (£342.43) per night