I decided to surprise Leigh for her birthday with a trip to Napa Valley. From our house in San Francisco, it’s about 2 hours on a normal day. On the Friday afternoon we went, it ended up being 3+ to get to St Helena, which is on the northern end of the valley.
We ended up arriving around 5 on the first Friday in November. Despite all of the news about the fires in Sonoma and Napa counties, the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. Having lived in the Bay Area during other devastating fires, I wavered on whether we should go through with the trip. Ultimately I decided that we should still go, especially since the Las Alcobas hotel is notoriously hard to book on points. Marriott has given hotels too much leeway – in my opinion – to deem what is and isn’t a standard room. At the Las Alcobas, it appears that they only make one or two available for the entire property.
Booking
I booked this weekend approximately 8 months in advance; prior to the March 9 addition of Category 8 hotels. My preplanning paid off: the Las Alcobas would be moving up to a Category 8, so locking it down at the Category 7 level of 60k points per night ended up being a steal, especially at a hotel the usually goes for around upwards of $1000/night.
The Stay
Driving north on Highway 128, you’d be forgiven if you missed the entrance. Upon turning into the property, the driveway winds up and around the (main) Acacia House and into a cul-de-sac, where the valet resides. We were warmly greeted by the valet attendant, followed by Angie, the front desk attendant that would show us to our room. Since I’d already checked in on the mobile app, there was no paperwork other than a signature.
She gave us a brief history on the property, showed us the spa, and then walked us to our room. We went up to the third floor, to room 332. Though I was annoyed at how late we arrived, it turned it to make for an incredible entrance to the room. The Golden Hour was upon us, and the view was made that much more spectacular.
Grape harvest had just happened in the weeks prior, so the many of the vines had already turned a fire orange to crimson red color. This is absolutely the best time of year to visit wine country.
The room itself was spacious and was tastefully – but minimally – decorated. Considering the view, I see no reason to inundate the room with bright colors or other unnecessary things.
One thing that made this room unique is that it had a Japanese toilets. If you’ve ever been to Japan, or even heard about Japanese toilets, you know that it’s a night and day experience from typical western toilets. Complete with automatic seat lifting and shutting, a heated seat, and remote to control all of the “other options”, this bathroom is exactly what I want in my house. If only I wasn’t renting…
The bathrooms also provided Momo toiletries, which incidentally is what W Hotels are switching to. After using the products I can say I’m a big fan. Though I do love Bliss toiletries, I think the aroma is outdated.
The room also had a French press with freshly ground coffee, which was nice, however the directions were confusing AF. We use a French press everyday and the instructions made little sense. I can imagine for those not familiar with how much coffee or time a french press takes, this sheet might be confusing. I loved the kettle too, since it had several temperature settings, which was perfect for the Napa Valley Tea Company tea that was provided in the room.
The hotel also offered daily fitness classes, which we never made it to.
The most impressive aspect of the room was the lanai. It had a daybed, two padded rocking chairs, and a fire pit. One of the reasons Napa Valley is so renowned for its wine is because of the temperature swings. It was between 75-80 degrees during the day, and high 40s at night. I can’t think of a better in-room design aspect at any hotel, and we absolutely put it to good use. There’s no better way to end a day than watching the sun go down over the vineyards.
The Property
Although it was 50 degrees, we decided to check out the pool the first morning. We wore our robes and slippers, all the while sipping our coffee to stay warm. The pool was heated, but Leigh and I both couldn’t help but think how nice a hot tub would’ve been.
We also decided to check out the spa before breakfast. Still in our robes, we entered the spa and were greeted by Lisa and Manuel. Atrio Spa‘s concept is global, in that they’re taking the best types of massages from around the world and combining them into one or multiple sessions. They make all of their own oils in house as well. If I could describe Atrio in one word: zen.
We wanted to take advantage of the steam room, which is free of charge for guests. When we told Lisa that we just wanted to relax, she helped us pick out our own essential oil to add to the steam. Our choice: eucalyptus and orange.
After about 30 minutes, we’d decided that we’d effectively rid ourselves from the previous night’s wine. We rinsed off in the locker room areas, then made our way to the spa lounge / relaxation room.
The lounge included tea service, some nuts, dried fruits, and flavored water. The feel was serene. We had some local tea that was fantastic. Leigh and I were both so relaxed I thought we might melt into the seats.
After our relaxing hour or so at the spa, we wanted to have a quick look at the fitness center in the event we gained some motivation to workout. We did not.
Walking to the fitness center, you walk past the bridge that takes you to Beringer Winery. Guests of the hotel can get BOGO tastings. At $40 each, that’s a nice savings at one of Napa Valley’s most historic wineries.
Food and Beverage
The night prior, we began our evening with a drink at the Acacia House. The vibe really felt like a living room that happened to have a bar. With seating for only about 15 people inside, it was inviting. I ordered the a mezcal negroni which was actually a nice combo. The smokiness of the mezcal played off nicely with the sweet but bitterness of the Campari. Leigh had a glass of wine. Drinks were average for the area: $14-$16 for mixed drinks and $12-$50 for wine.
Fast forward back to our spa morning, we made our way to breakfast (we changed out of our robes finally). As an Ambassador Elite, we received $39 each for breakfast; alcohol was excluded. We put the money to good use, though we still had plenty leftover.
The first day I order the fried chicken sandwich was massive. It was a solid west coast effort, however being from the south, I’ve had better. 😉 Leigh’s food was good, but not standout like either one of my meals. To be fair, she had a “boring” omelette one morning and huevos rancheros the next (which was a miss).
The next day I got the burger, which was a highlight. It was done diner style, with two thin patties, and was far juicer than it looks in the photo.
Service
Before arrival, I was in frequent contact with Mary, the concierge. She couldn’t have been more helpful with setting up a tasting at Alpha Omega winery, where guests get free tastings! Normally they’re $50 per person, so this is a great perk. She also helped with dinner reservations. Keith, the other concierge, was also a pleasure to deal with once we were onsite.
Overall the entire staff was wonderful: from the bartenders, to housekeeping, to the front desk, to the valets…everyone was smiling and looking for ways to improve your stay. I will say breakfast was incredibly slow both mornings despite not being crowded.
Summary
We’ve stayed at some great properties in North America, but I think Las Alcobas just might be my favorite hotel in North America. Everything about the stay was top notch and to make it better, I never felt nickel and dimed. Many high-end properties have a way of not including much in their exorbitant rates, however Las Alcobas included everything. Valet parking, free wine tastings, and a welcome half bottle of champagne: all included in the room rate. Noticeably absent from the property: resort fees.
The only fault I can find is the lack of award availability. At less than 70 rooms, I get that they can’t have everyone there on points, but it’s laughably hard to get in on points. With that said, I can’t recommend this property enough. We will be back, even if the hotel’s scarce award space doesn’t make an appearance.
