By Kathy Chin Leong
Sandwiched between the Pacific Gas and Electric utility substation and Highway 101 lies an unlikely oasis. Italian fountains and ivy-clad villas make up Vinarosa Resort & Spa in the quiet town of Santa Rosa, Calif., in Sonoma County. Vinarosa proves that, with the right ambiance and amenities, you can experience Italy right here, right now.
Today, the 78-room boutique hotel is on a mission to tell its story after a $15 million-plus renovation. Under new ownership, where the Jackson family of Kendall-Jackson Wines is a partner, the 92-acre property is a serene hideaway amid postcard-worthy vineyards. Wrought iron balconies, spiral topiaries, plus winding brick pathways unfold as you step onto the grounds. Plantings are a botanist’s dream with periwinkle beds, Japanese maples, agapanthus, seasonal tulips, and more. Water songs from gurgling fountains drown out freeway rumble. A major perk is free access and tastings at three wineries
The desk manager welcomes every guest with a glass of sparkling wine. As you sip, you can appreciate this re-invented lobby that was labored over relentlessly in terms of features and design. A boxed olive tree soars up to the skylight. Walls of windows usher sunshine into a living room with a roaring stone fireplace. The muralled space is open 24 x 7, so you can enter to relax at any time. Fun fact: a secret door in one of the murals opens to a gym. Another fun fact: one of the living room bookcases doubles as a secret door leading to a game room with billiards.
For more Italian flair, the hotel has outfitted each space with Frette robes, Frette slippers, and Frette linens. For the uninitiated, the 160-year-old Frette brand is known for fine Italian craftsmanship and a luxurious textile product line.
Coffee table books about vineyards and trees, plus resort hues in plum, olive, and lavender, underscore the wine country theme. Each guest room building, by the way, is named after a wine grape, and mine is Pinot Noir.
Of the five buildings, three have been revamped, resulting in a modern, upscale apartment-like feel. Furnishings such as the armoire, closets, platform bed with wood and leather headboard, and matching side tables are custom.
Designer bathrooms will spoil you. Gold and white marble showers and fluffy towels set the stage for Byredo, vegan Scandinavian toiletries. That brand’s subtle pine needle scent in the lotions and soaps is called Gypsy Water, which is so intoxicating you’ll probably purchase it at the gift shop. If you are a lover of the spa life, request a room with a soaking tub. You can bet I took advantage of a dreamy soak in Room 126. The bath tray with a wine book and Byredo salts was the crowning touch.
Note that guestrooms range from 312 to suites at over 900 square feet. Even the smallest ones are spacious enough for side chairs and tables. All rooms offer a stocked refrigerator with complimentary beverages. Your furnished outdoor balcony or patio is the perfect spot to enjoy your in-room Nespresso maker coffee daily.
Get exercise on the one-mile loop around the property’s vineyard. It’s flat, it’s easy, it’s beautiful.
Next, check out the revamped spa pavilion with a palette of cream, grays, and tans. The Pamper Palace nails tranquility to a tee. Tall peaked ceilings are the focal point of the solarium, where a whirlpool and lounge chairs beckon.
A co-ed relaxation room with a glass fireplace lets spa goers enjoy tea and nibbles from the sideboard. Guests can access this space even without a treatment, just so you know. (Pro tip: ask for Jasmine as your massage therapist, and you won’t go wrong.)
The spa is linked to the outdoor pool, another area that has been refreshed with cabanas, new plantings, furniture, and a fire pit
This vacation charmer shines with additional amenities such as bocce ball. While professional bocce ball locations charge by the hour, the opportunity to play on these new official courts shouldn’t be missed.
Meanwhile, book a table at the resort’s John Ash & Co. restaurant, named after the celebrity chef who brought farm-to-table dining to Sonoma County. The upscale California cuisine hot spot is revered in the region with a consistent reputation for excellent fare. Highly recommended? The mushroom flatbread with arugula, seared halibut, and tender roasted chicken breast atop a celery root puree. The wine menu of over 200 domestic and international labels is so robust that you browse it on an iPad, which can be updated at any time.
For dessert, hands down, it’s the tiramisu served deconstructed. The bowl arrives with a hat of cappuccino foam, followed by a scoop of espresso ice cream, and coffee-dipped cookies.
This spring, come for Frette bedding, come for bocce, stay for tiramisu. Vinarosa, folks, is truly a little Italy, and the prettiest hidden gem in Sonoma County.
- Visit https://vinarosaresort.com/ to book your stay.
