Luxe hotel properties are popping up in Wine Country like wildflowers in spring. Some are old and beloved properties that have recently received face lifts, while others, like Napa Valley’s much-anticipated Stanly Ranch, are brand new.
Located south of downtown Napa on 712 acres of vineyards and farmland, Stanly Ranch offers easy access to popular locales in both Napa and Sonoma counties. It is the third Auberge Resorts Collection property in Napa Valley, joining Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford and Solage in Calistoga. (A fourth Auberge property, Calistoga Ranch, was destroyed by the Glass fire in September 2020.)
“We couldn’t be more excited to open this exciting new resort that has been brought to life with years of thoughtful planning,” said Ed Gannon, General Manager at Stanly Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection.
Connected by winding pathways and stretches of newly planted grapevines, Stanly Ranch features 135 rooms in 78 cottage-like, single-story buildings. All accommodations have a modern farmhouse appeal and, regardless of room category, all boast a patio with fire pit. Most cottages also have outdoor showers.
The idea of bringing the outside in, a popular design concept these days, is a theme that is repeated throughout the newly opened resort. The Ranch House, where check in takes place, is flooded with natural light thanks in part to a hinged glass wall that opens at the touch of a button. Signature restaurant Bear is flanked on two sides with sliding glass walls that blur the line between where the inside ends and the outside begins.
Led by Executive Chef Garrison Price, former head chef at José Andres’ China Poblano, Bear’s menu features a strong showing of plant-inspired, plant-forward selections ranging from salads with Chioggia beets and farm eggs to raw and preserved vegetables with a cashew-miso dip.
“I’d say that’s kind of the single thread throughout. Really focusing on local ingredients and trying to manipulate them as little as possible to allow its original form to shine,” said Melissa Douma, Area Marketing Manager at Auberge Resorts Collection. “We call it elemental cuisine.”
Steps away from Bear restaurant, Gavel coffee bar serves fresh-baked pastries and grab-and-go selections, including sandwiches and salads. With plentiful alfresco seating, lawn games, fire pits and even bike parking, the space known as the Village, is designed to act as social hub for both resort guests and the surrounding community.
The only dining option exclusively for resort guests is Basin Bar. The casual eatery, described as “farm-driven,” is located alongside the Lavender Pool, the resort’s main swimming pool. Surrounded by a newly planted grove of lavender, the pool area will be encircled by a fragrant sea of purple once the plantings mature.
The most talked about piece of the property though is the Halehouse spa. An oasis of wellness, the focus here isn’t merely on pampering; catering to all levels of athletes and improving peak performance is top of mind, too. In addition to classic treatments like massage and facials, therapeutic bodywork includes myofascial therapy, compression therapy and pressure point massage.
Perched on a hilltop, the spa is spread throughout more than a half-dozen buildings, with an adults-only infinity pool at its center. Along with the usual fitness center, there’s a movement studio and a line-up of high-tech equipment focused on restoration and recovery, including a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, tepidarium or warm relaxation room, cold plunge bath, salt room and cedar sauna.
If you’re not staying at the hotel, you can purchase a Halehouse day use pass for $350. It includes use of wellness offerings, the locker rooms and a pool deck chair.
Rates start at $1259 per night, plus a $65 daily resort fee. Click through the above gallery for a peek at the newly opened resort.
Stanly Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection, 200 Stanly Crossroad, Napa, 866-618-5382, aubergeresorts.com/stanlyranch
