Where to stay

Food coma? Wine nap? Where should you put your head down when the sun sets?

Deciding where to stay

The Towns

There are several towns within Napa Valley and deciding which one to stay in is semi-crucial to your Napa Valley experience. Each has their own distinctive vibe with St. Helena being more of the “locals town,” Yountville geared towards tourists (but in a good way), and Downtown Napa as the younger, hipper spot you’ll find bars and what small semblance of nightlife the valley has to offer. Click here to get a general lay of the land and see how the towns and AVA’s are arranged.

Pricing

A few notes on the hotels in Napa Valley. Unless you’re traveling in the VERY off-season, you can expect to pay about $500-$700 per night for something nice, and upwards of $2k a night for something luxury. Yes, things have gotten quite expensive in Napa Valley and while you’ll find options below $500 for sure, generally they’re in slightly less desirable areas, are B&B’s, and/or are below mid-tier.

Airbnb/VRBO

Thanks to strict county and city ordinances, Airbnb’s and VRBO’s are not a huge thing here and options are VERY limited. The city of St. Helena has a total of about 20 permits for short-term rentals so they book up quickly. You’ll find a few more in Calistoga and Napa, but don’t expect to find much.

Vallejo/American Canyon

A bit of a buyer beware for listings in Vallejo or American Canyon as you’ll see several hotels and rentals in these parts. While they are part of Napa County technically, you should note that it’s a far cry from the sprawling lovely vineyards you might be expecting. My advice, stay north of there and don’t venture below the Napa Airport.

The Best of the Best

Meadowood (St. Helena)
The Four Seasons (Calistoga)
Stanly Ranch (Carneros)
Alila (St. Helena)
Solage (Calistoga)
Auberge du Soleil (Rutherford)

St. Helena

This cute and charming town located up-valley, known for being a place many Napa Valley residents call home, is perfect for that true slow-paced “wine country” feel. Don’t be deceived though, St. Helena is home to some of the best dining and hotel options in the Bay Area. A little sleepier than Yountville and Napa, St. Helena still has that “locals vibe” and it’s central location makes it perfect for getting to most wineries within 10-20 minutes.

The main Napa artery Highway 29 cuts directly through to morph into Main Street where you’ll find shopping, restaurants, a single-screen old-school movie theatre, and the world-famous original location of Model Bakery; an english muffin from there is a MUST.

Hotel options include everything from the super up-scale Meadowood and Alila to the mid-tier staples like Harvest Inn and the Wydown. In-the-know visitors also swear by the more budget friendly, albeit no frills, El Bonita motel located just before you get to town.

St Helena itinerary

RUTHERFORD

Mid-Valley with less of a locals vibe than St. Helena, but not quite to the Yountville level. Hotel and dining options are limited, but it is home to the 5-star Auberge du Soleil hotel. The property sits slightly perched above the valley which makes for incredible views and their restaurant boasts a 1-Michelin star restaurant. Pro-tip, I love heading the terrace for a more casual menu perfect for afternoon lunch or pre-dinner drinks. You won’t catch a full sunset here as it’s slightly obstructed, but it’s definitely worth the 5 min drive up-hill and $10 valet tip. Other restaurants in Rutherford include locals-favorite Rutherford Grill and the ever-popular La Luna Market & Taqueria which is less of a “restaurant” and more of a “grab tacos from the counter in back and eat at the picnic tables out back.”

As far as wineries go, many of Napa’s “classics” are situated here including Beaulieu Vineyards, Inglenook, Caymus, and Frog’s Leap. You’re also at a perfect central location to be within 15-20 min of most other wineries north and south.

There’s no main street or town to walk, and definitely no shopping, but I love this if you want the most efficient location that’s near to all.

oakville

Despite being one of the most famous AVA’s in Napa Valley, there’s really no option to stay or dine this tiny postal code unless you’re tight with one of the mega-mansions owners here. Literally, the post office is a trailer.

Oakville Grocery is about it when it comes to food, which is a pretty great choice when you consider all they’ve got. Stop in for breakfast or lunch, grab picnic provisions, shop for artisanal Napa goods, and head next door to the Oakville Wine Merchant for 50 of Napa’s greatest wines by the glass.

As the crown jewel in Napa Valley’s crown, Oakville is home to cult classics like Opus One, Robert Mondavi, Silver Oak, Harlan, Bond, Rudd, Dalla Valle, Screaming Eagle, and the famed To Kalon Vineyard. Wines like these aren’t just expensive, they’re nearly impossible to come by.

YOUNTVILLE

Arguably the best place to stay as a first time visitor, Yountville is a small, centrally located town in Napa Valley with several great restaurants including the world-famous, Michelin 3-star The French Laundry.

The pedestrian-friendly Washington Street runs north to south through the town and is lined with plenty of shopping, tasting rooms, cafe’s, and hotels. For some, especially repeat visitors, Yountville will feel a little touristy. Sure there will be a line around the corner at Bouchon Bakery in the morning and yes you’ll see plenty of tourists stopping to take pictures in front of The French Laundry.

But the walkability is unparalleled and for me, it’s the heart and soul of the valley when you want to be immediately transported into wine country.

For hotels, Bardessono has chic, modern, eco-friendly vibes while Hotel Yountville is a little more warm and inviting. Napa Valley Lodge is one of the better “budget” friendly options with a complimentary Champagne breakfast you can enjoy poolside by their fire pits. I also love the North Block for something a little that feels a bit more “Pied a Terre” and private. Most of the hotels in Yountville have been updated and renovated in the last 5 years so it’s really just a function of personal preference and price.

Yountville Itinerary

DOWNTOWN NAPA

What was once a no-go zone for tourists is now officially a vibe. Downtown Napa has been undergoing a slow but strong revitalization for the past decade and has really turned a corner in the last few years. For travelers looking for more of a “scene,” Downtown Napa provides a little more nightlife beyond the 9pm lights out in the rest of the valley with several bars and restaurants open a little later. You’ll find everything from mainstream stores like Lululemon and Anthropologie, to boutique offerings only found in Napa. Big name wineries including Mayacamas, Alpha Omega, and Vineyard 29 have outposts here so you could feasibly spend several days wine tasting without ever having to leave downtown.

Restaurant wise there are tons of options with far more global variety than anywhere else in the valley. Osha (Thai), Zuzu (Tapas and Paella), Torc (Italian), Eikos (Japanese), and La Taberna (Spanish Pinxtos) are all within walking distance in the relatively small downtown area. Locals and tourists alike love Oxbow Public Market - a modern food hall with some seriously delicious offerings.

A few new hotels have also emerged in the last few years with the Hyatt Boutique concept Andaz as well as The Archer as the two lining first street and the most centrally located.

Staying downtown is definitely a choice that won’t give you that “in the vineyard” experience like some of the other towns, but it’s great if you do want to feel a little energy beyond the slow-paced wine country life up valley. Location wise, because you’re at the most southern point in Napa you’re a bit further from many of the more centrally located vineyards in Oakville and Rutherford. As a result you might find yourself driving a bit and even fighting a bit of traffic depending on what time you leave. But there’s plenty to do within a 15 minute drive - just plan accordingly

Calistoga

Located at the very far north end of the valley, Calistoga is both a throwback to the OG days of Napa Valley and also the home to two of Napa Valley’s most luxurious hotels. And while its famed mineral pools and natural hot springs have made this town a go-to for more holistic spa experiences and retreats, the gap between bougie hotels and crunchy yogi’s is rapidly closing with the opening of Napa’s first Four Seasons hotel as well as a recent remodel of celebrity-favorite Solage. The “old west meets hippie” vibe can still very much be felt here, but things are very much changing in Calistoga - heck, even the old classic, Dr. Wilkinsons got a makeover.

It’s far north location means you’ll be about 45 minutes drive from downtown Napa, further from the airports, and just generally far from a lot of the more centrally located wineries in Oakville and Rutherford. But it’s also a fantastic place to find tranquility and relaxation and there are plenty of wineries within just a few minutes drive.

Food wise, it’s still very much a mashup of Michelin-starred restaurants and locals haunts that no one would write home about - heavy vetting is advised. Check out my list here.

The AVA's of Napa Valley

The term Napa Valley is one constructed to indicated the large grape-growing and wine producing region within Napa County by the American Viticultural Association. It is broken down further into AVA's (American Viticultural Area's) and while some of the town names may double as AVA names, they are not geographically the same and do NOT have their own zip code/post office. You’ll hear these a lot when traveling here so it’s helpful to know what and where they are for planning purposes.

The 16 AVA's can be found both on the valley floor and on the Mountain. North to South they are: