As with most vacation destinations, you can choose your pick of places to stay, from grand resorts (Fairfield has one in Sonoma), to quaint Bed and Breakfasts, to rental cottages just off the square in downtown Sonoma, to sketchy inns. What was nice though, with the exception of the Fairfield resort, was a very noticeable void of corporate hotel chains. Everything felt very local, if not owned, at least in atmosphere.

The byline “Stylish, Convenient and Affordable Accommodations for the Savvy Budget Traveler” tries to hard, in my opinion. It almost sounds cliché, and cliché doesn’t build trust. But if ever that cliché applied, it applies to the Sonoma Creek Inn.

Quaint, cute, yes those adjectives work, but they are very short sited. The rooms are very comfortable, in size, and accommodations. Each room has private terraces/balconies with included fountains, lounge chairs, and foliage and is well decorated with a folksy yet non-kitschy eye. The beds are nothing special but comfortable and the bathrooms have ample space to move about in.

Sonoma Creek Inn

Fortunately, a little research allowed us to visit Somona quite affordably. This affordability afforded us the opportunity to afford a splurge for one of our nights, and splurge we did at the wonderful Vintner’s Inn in Santa Rosa, a quick drive north of Sonoma.

Santa Rosa is a bustling little metropolis, the center of commerce for the Sonoma Valley surrounded to the horizons by vineyards. Tucked into one of those vineyards is the Vintner’s Inn, a gorgeous Four Diamond Resort. We did save a little money by booking our stay on a weeknight, otherwise it cost would have been well over $300 a night and without the gift card to John Ash & Co. But knowing we were splurging, the price tag was acceptable, and as we pulled away the next morning, even seemed a bit of a bargain considering the experience.

Vinter's Inn

The resort is set up with 5 or 6 building facing into a common courtyard replete with fountain and benches. Each of the buildings housed 8 rooms (4 on each floor – giving each room a window on two walls). Our room was huge, making the California king beds look small for the space, even with the padded bench at its foot.

Opposite the bed was a real fireplace, complete with a duralog to burn in the fireplace. One wall had French doors leading out to a private balcony or patio; ours overlooked the courtyard and rooms on the opposite side overlooked the surrounding vineyards. The couch Furnished in each room are meant to be sat in, lounged on, or even slept in (even the hide-a-bed was comfortable, and no I did not have to sleep on it) and even the high-back armchairs on the opposite wall, just in front of the giant heavy drapes covering the French doors, we comfortable. The wall art was nice to look at, not your typical hotel hangings, and a very large mirror hung above the fireplace mantle completing the attention to details as if someone might stay for more than a few days.

The bathroom was no less impressive with 2 sinks in the marble counter and a huge, oval Jacuzzi tub.

The bed was the most comfortable I’ve ever slept in. Down comforter, down pillow top on a solid mattress, a dozen pillows to choose from of various sizes and density, and 350 maybe 400 count sheets made for sweet dreams. I barely moved once the sandman visited as the fire crackled its waning flames.

Breakfast the next morning was spectacular, and not just because we had the pleasure of meeting Joe Montana. Served continental, the included breakfast buffet is not your typical buffet. For starters the carafes of juice are not limited to orange, but also cranberry, grape, and apple juices. The fruit was fresh, as if it had been picked the day previous (and this trip was the beginning of January). When we asked the front desk attendant what would be available the answer was to effect of whatever the pastry chef felt like making. The pastry chef was quite good, and there was a great selection available from croissants to bear claws to cream puffs and more than a few custom creations I’m sure. By far the best free breakfast I’ve ever enjoyed.