Five Frivolities: August 13
California Wine Country hotels, Labor Day weekend escape inspiration, a Savannah hotel opening next year, my screenshots of the week, and A-lister hotel spottings
1. Quaint & charming boutique hotels in California Wine Country
Northern California Wine Country is beautiful, but so very expensive. Many hotels are $1000/night+, and aren’t even all that compelling. Here are some that won’t break the bank (as much - prices vary), and I find to be highly charming. Most lean on the inn side of the inn-to-resort spectrum, which I often prefer.
Beltane Ranch (Glen Ellen), Hotel Les Mars (Healdsburg), Ledson Hotel (Sonoma), Dawn Ranch (Guerneville), White House Inn (Napa), Farmhouse Inn (Forestville), Harvest Inn (St Helena), The McClelland House (Napa), Gaige House (Glen Ellen)
In case you were wondering where I’d splurge: Meadowood, Auberge du Soleil, The Madrona, Stanly Ranch, Kenwood Inn, MacArthur Place
2. Labor Day weekend hotel getaways
The last long weekend of the Summer is nearly upon us, and if you’re anything like me, you want to go out of town but haven’t booked anything out of town. Because most of us need to be back at the desk on Tuesday September 5, these hotels are all in the US. And, as of time of publishing, there’s availability. I’m so sorry, Midwest friends, all the hotels on my list in your part of the country are booked for Labor Day weekend.
East Coast: Bedford Post Inn (Bedford, New York - owned by Richard Gere), Greydon House (Nantucket, Massachusetts), Shou Sugi Ban House (Water Mill, New York), The Pridwin (Shelter Island, New York)
West Coast: The Inn at Newport Ranch* (Fort Bragg, CA), White Water (Cambria, CA), Belmond El Encanto* (Santa Barbara, CA), The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern* (Los Olivos, CA), Rosewood Miramar Beach* (Santa Barbara, CA)
South: Montage Palmetto Bluff* (Bluffton, South Carolina), *The Pinch (Charleston, South Carolina), Sanderling Resort (Duck, North Carolina), Blind Tiger (Asheville, North Carolina)
*Hotels with asterisks are preferred partners of my agency, Fora, and are properties where I’m able to get complimentary amenities for my clients.
3. A Savannah, Georgia hotel opening early ‘24
Since I was little, I’ve wanted to go to Savannah, Georgia. I’ve never been. Come February, I’ll have no excuse not to go, as there’s an exciting new hotel opening: The Bardo. Hotel, private club, event space and restaurant - from the renderings and the very good website copy, I’m highly optimistic.
4. Screenshots of the week
I screenshot everything like abstaining would be a sin. And I always wonder, do other people do this, too? What do they warrants a capture? Do they have 65,866 of them on their phone (actual number as of time of writing) as well? So, I thought it might be fun to share. Here’s a handful of things I took a screenshot of this week that might interest one or some of you.
5. Hotel spottings
Harry Styles at Il Pellicano (!!!) on the coast of Tuscany, and Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker at their usual Rosewood Miramar Beach in Santa Barbara, California. Ps. You can book Il Pellicano for next summer, now!
What you may have missed in Wednesday’s paid edition: Future hotel openings I’m excited about, my favorite hotels in Manhattan, hotels under $500/night, my list of bucket list hotels in Mexico, the cheapest day to stay at expensive hotels, the perfect weekend in Marin County (my home turf), the criteria of what I look for in hotels, 4 hotels with great branding, rules I travel by (and swear by), hotel spottings (some very good ones, too), and an ode to tchotchkes. s
Any feedback? Any favorites or suggestions for next week? Do you want mostly hotels, or less hotels? Tell me, tell me, good people with good taste.
x Your Penpal,
Marissa