Exciting New Hotel Happenings in Sonoma County

Two new hotels to check into, plus in-room Fender guitars and a delicious poolside menu.


Sonoma County is getting ready for the holiday season and, with it, plenty of visitors.

Several new (or newly renovated) hotels have opened their doors in the past year, including The Madrona in Healdsburg and four renovated Russian River properties: The Stavrand, Dawn Ranch, The Highlands, and Mine + Farm, The Inn. Now, two new inns can be added to the list and many local hotels also offer something a little special right now, from in-room Fender guitars to updated restaurant menus.

Here’s what you need to know about Sonoma County’s hotel scene right now. Click through the above gallery for a peek at the properties.

New hotels to check into

Boho Manor

Formerly known as the Village Inn & Restaurant, this Russian River hotel has been renovated with an Art Deco flair. Two new rooms have been added to the property, which now has 14 rooms in total, and a former storage space has been turned into a speakeasy with live jazz on Saturdays. A new riverfront lounge area boasts a hot tub and fire pits.

20822 River Boulevard, Monte Rio, 707-865-2304, bohomanor.com

Hampton Inn & Suites Santa Rosa Wine Country

Located off Highway 101, about 10 minutes south of the Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport and 10 minutes north of downtown Santa Rosa, this new 100-room hotel features complimentary breakfast, parking and Wi-Fi. Pet-friendly rooms are available.

3815 Airway Drive, Santa Rosa, 707-522-6201, hilton.com

New hotel offerings and updates

Fender guitars and brunch at Dawn Ranch

There’s a new way to play during a stay along the Russian River. Guests at Guerneville’s Dawn Ranch can rock out with Fender acoustic guitars. The instruments, which include the Redondo, Malibu and Newporter from Fender’s California series, are available in select rooms or on loan for the hotel’s campfires. Complimentary access to Fender Play, Fender’s online learning platform, also is available, for beginners and experienced players alike.

Dawn Ranch’s onsite farm-to-table restaurant, Agriculture Public House, kicked off brunch services Nov. 5. Brunch favorites like avocado toast and chicken and waffles, along with dishes such as the Power Bowl and Breakfast Poutine, are served 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The cozy restaurant with a fireplace also will be offering a Thanksgiving prix fixe menu ($65) with dishes like Pumpkin Safe Arancini, Warm Butternut Squash Soup, Arugula Fig Salad, Honey Mustard Slow Braised Turkey and Grilled Portabello. Make reservations by emailing dining@dawnranch.com.

Dawn Ranch reopened its doors in April, following an extensive renovation of its guest rooms. The hotel, which dates back to 1905, features 53 cabins as well as river access, an apple orchard believed to be more than 120 years old, and two rare dawn redwood trees, which gave the property its name. The hotel organizes a variety of activities, including creative art workshops, yoga and meditation groups, bird watching excursions and kayaking on the river.

16467 California 116, Guerneville, 707-869-0656, dawnranch.com

A Fender guitar in a room at Dawn Ranch in Guerneville. (Courtesy of Dawn Ranch)
A Fender guitar in a room at Dawn Ranch in Guerneville. (Courtesy of Dawn Ranch)

A new menu at Flamingo Resort

There’s a new chef in the kitchen at Flamingo Resort’s poolside Lazeaway Club. Chef Chris Ricketts is putting his twist on the restaurant’s Cal-Pacific menu; think dishes like Loco Moco, a ground beef patty on coconut rice with an over-easy egg, and bibimbap with grilled Kalbi beef short ribs, kimchi, coconut rice, eggplant, carrots, bean sprouts, fried egg and a sweet gochujang sauce (the dish arrives at the table sizzling.) If you can, save room for the pineapple upside-down cake.

Flamingo Resort, popular for its midcentury style, emerged from a $20 million renovation in 2021. The property has retained its retro charm, but rooms and public areas have been updated with a fresh new look. Set on 10 acres, the resort features 170 rooms and suites located in five two-story buildings. Guests will find fun retro touches in their rooms, like mint green Trimline telephones and matching tea kettles. The pool and spacious inner courtyard continue to serve as the social hub of the hotel property, which recently got a new cocktail lounge and live music venue, Vintage Space.

2777 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-545-8530, flamingoresort.com

Bibimbap at Lazeaway Club at the Flamingo Resort in Santa Rosa. (Courtesy of Flamingo Resort)
Bibimbap at Lazeaway Club at the Flamingo Resort in Santa Rosa. (Courtesy of Flamingo Resort)

New Captain’s Quarters at The Lodge at Bodega Bay

The waterfront property formerly known as Bodega Bay Lodge is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and the completion of a multi-million-dollar renovation. The Lodge’s largest accommodation, known as The Captain’s Quarters, was stripped to the studs for a complete redesign. It boasts a bedroom with a king bed and private balcony, a living area with a fireplace, two queen-sized Murphy beds, a sundeck with coastal views, and more. The property’s Coastal Bodega Bay Rooms, with fireplaces and spa-like bathrooms, also got a face lift.

Nestled atop a hill overlooking Bodega Bay, this coastal hotel has 83 modern rooms — most of them overlook the bay, where you can see coastal birds, fishermen in their boats and, if you’re lucky, a whale or two. The property is minutes from downtown Bodega Bay, with seafood shacks, surf shops and cafes. The property has a heated bayside pool, a hot tub and a full spa for those looking to relax after a busy week. Watch the sunset from the fire pit, followed by dinner at Drake’s Sonoma Coast Kitchen. Don’t miss the local clam chowder.

103 CA-1, Bodega Bay, 707-875-3525, lodgeatbodegabay.com

The living area in The Captain’s Quarters at The Lodge at Bodega Bay. (Courtesy The Lodge at Bodega Bay)

‘Every Stay Gives Back’ program at The Stavrand Russian River Valley

The former Applewood Inn and Spa changed hands in early 2020 and caught the world’s attention when it opened as The Stavrand Russian River Valley early this year and, shortly thereafter, was named among the best new hotels in the world by Travel + Leisure.

The relative newcomer has now joined Kind Traveler’s “Every Stay Gives Back” program. Launching in early 2023, the program will enable guests to donate $2 per night to local nonprofit Farm to Pantry, a gleaning organization that rescues unharvested produce from farms and backyards across Sonoma County and distributes it to people in need. The Stavrand will match every donation up to $4 per night.

Located just a 10-minute walk from downtown Guerneville, the registered historic landmark features 21 renovated rooms in three buildings. Along with a garden, the Chef’s Meadow at The Stavrand also is home to fruit trees, many of which date back to the 1920s when they were planted by the property’s original owner, Ralph “Rooster” Belden.

13555 Highway 116, Guerneville, 707-869-9093, thestavrand.com