Hotels in Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties have been recognized as among the best in the country by the Michelin Guide, best known for handing out coveted stars to exceptional restaurants.
On Wednesday, the French tire company announced its inaugural class of 124 Michelin Key winners in the United States, including top honors — or three keys — for SingleThread Inn in Healdsburg, Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford and Meadowood in St. Helena. Only 11 hotels received this distinction, described by the Guide’s inspectors as “extraordinary stays.”
The new awards rate hotel properties in five categories: architecture and interior design, quality and consistency of service, overall personality and character, value for the price, and significant contribution to the guest experience in a particular setting.
“It’s all about astonishment and indulgence here — this is the ultimate in comfort and service, style and elegance. It is one of the world’s most remarkable and extraordinary hotels and a destination in itself for that trip of a lifetime. All the elements of truly great hospitality are here to ensure any stay will live long in the memory and hearts,” said the Guide of three Key winners.
More than 1,000 properties were ranked, with California receiving 124 nods — the most of any state. Stays at Michelin noted hotel properties in Wine Country range from $500 per night for private rooms to more than $6,000 for villas.
Three Key winners (“Extraordinary stays”)
Topping the Three Key list, Kyle and Katina Connaughton’s five-room luxury inn is the only U.S. property with both three Michelin stars for its restaurant and three Michelin keys.
The five-room bespoke inn above the restaurant offers a rooftop breakfast, guaranteed reservations at the restaurant (usually booked months in advance) and a four-course Japanese hot pot experience for room service. The nightly rate ranges from $1,300 for a weekday stay in a guest room to $2,600 for a suite.
“Our hospitality has always been about welcoming guests to our home … This is the home of a chef and a farmer and a family that we’ve built around what we do,” said Kyle Connaughton.
The Guide described Rutherford’s Auberge du Soleil as a must-stop for well-heeled visitors.
“They come for the setting, with views over endless vineyards and olive groves; they come for the hotel, which is effortlessly, unpretentiously luxurious; and they come, most of all, for the restaurant, which stands out as something special even in Napa Valley, a region that’s arguably America’s culinary capital.”
The resort also has a one-Michelin-star restaurant. Nightly rates range from $1,500 for a single guest room to nearly $7,000 for a private two-bedroom house.
In St. Helena, the sprawling Meadowood Napa Valley got high marks for its wine program, with guides calling it “California wine country’s most rarefied — and wine-obsessed — hotels. Meadowood Napa Valley has been a local institution for half a century, but far from showing its age, today it remains an absolutely first-rate luxury resort.” The property has 36 suites and rooms, ranging from $1,500 to $2,200 for a suite
In 2020, the property’s Michelin-starred restaurant was destroyed by the Glass Fire. The restaurant remains closed.
Two Key winners (“Exceptional stays”)
The Stavrand, Guerneville: After a 2021 update, this historic hotel offers a “warm, bohemian, slightly utopian vision of California life,” according to the Michelin Guide, costing $530 to $1,020 for a king suite.
Montage, Healdsburg: This sleek, modern resort tucked into the vineyards and woodlands north of Healdsburg includes a high-end restaurant, bar, and other luxury amenities. Nightly rates range from $1,479 to $9,000 for a four-bedroom residence.
The Madrona, Healdsburg: This 1881 Victorian mansion recently underwent a complete design overhaul, mixing old charm with newer art and interiors. Studio rooms are $650, with a private Bungalow suite rate of $1,330.
Milliken Creek Inn & Spa, Napa: This popular Napa property has only 12 guest rooms and offers a romantic and relaxed atmosphere. Nightly rates are not listed online.
Bardessono, Yountville: This hotel has a distinctive, modern look backed by many sustainable features. Nightly rates range from $1,365 to $4,218.
North Block, Yountville: A villa-like experience with 20 rooms ranging from $975 to $1,325 per night.
One Key winners (“A very special stay”)
Harbor House, Elk: This small property on the rugged Mendocino Coast has six rooms and a Michelin-rated restaurant. The deluxe cottage suite is $675 to $1,650 per night.
The Sea Ranch Lodge, Sea Ranch: “The Sea Ranch has long been one of coastal California’s most unusual places — a planned community, established in the 1960s, where a number of prominent midcentury architects built a variety of low-profile, low-impact timber-frame houses,” says the Michelin Guide. $600 to $1,195 for a four-bed, three-bath home.
Stanly Ranch, Napa: Another Auberge resort set on a 712-acre ranch. Guestrooms, suites, and villas are available for $1,045 to $4,200 per night.
Rancho Caymus Inn, Rutherford: Built by salt heiress Mary Tilden Morton, the inn is a hacienda-style tribute to the Spanish countryside, says the Guide. A total of 26 rooms and suites ranging from $650 to $898 per night.
(Please note that prices are approximate based on current website searches and may be significantly higher or lower based on the time of year and specific days.)