ELITE ESCAPES

7 best places to stay in Napa Valley

Matt Villano • Updated 8th September 2017

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(CNN) — There are three parts to an epic Napa Valley getaway: Life-changing wine-tastings, scrumptious meals and sumptuous accommodations.

Reputation and word of mouth make the first two relatively easy for visitors to arrange. With so many good options, however, locking down the last one can be a little tricky.

While the Valley still boasts classic resorts such as Meadowood Napa Valley, Solage Calistoga and Bardessono, new openings and renovated properties have brought other overnight destinations to the forefront. Here are our seven favorites.

Brannan Cottage Inn, Calistoga

Built in 1860 by Calistoga founder Samuel Brannan, the Italianate Victorian at Brannan Cottage Inn was one of the first town buildings to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A painstaking renovation in 2014, coupled with Victorian-style furnishings, has enabled this six-room bed-and-breakfast to retain much of that old-school feel.

Today the most spacious of the accommodations are the Deluxe Kings, both of which are located in a separate building. These rooms are perfect for families traveling with small children. They also offer more privacy than the four rooms in the main house, which flank a pair of common rooms.

Design freaks will love the Art Deco-inspired in-room wallpaper, one-of-a-kind and new but created to look old. Also be sure to check out the giant elm tree, planted in 1878, that grows through the eaves of the roof.

Guests can play the antique (circa 1880) piano at their leisure.

Brannan Cottage Inn, 109 Wappo Ave., Calistoga, 94515; +1 (707) 942-4200

Matt Villano is a writer and editor in Healdsburg, California. He has written for Time magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Sunset, among others. Learn more about him at whalehead.com.

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