The Lodge Hotel at Sonoma is a picturesque hotel located in Sonoma, California, offering a rustic yet modern atmosphere for guests. The property features a main building with a variety of amenities and several cottages for guests to stay in, as well as a range of dining options including Benicia’s Kitchen and Wit & Wisdom, a Michelin starred restaurant by Chef Michael Mina. In addition to the two restaurants, the hotel also offers daily wine tastings in the lobby, showcasing the local wineries in the region. The rooms at The Lodge Hotel at Sonoma are spacious and comfortable, with amenities such as gas fireplaces and patios or terrace seating areas, and have recently undergone renovations. However, the property has some areas for improvement, including service, and breakfast.

Property

The Lodge Hotel at Sonoma is a charming hotel with a rustic, yet modern feel. The property features a main building with a lobby, restaurant, and bar, as well as several cottages that are available for guests to stay in. The property has plenty of space for it’s free self-parking, despite it’s small dropoff area. The main building features the front desk, lobby fireplace and lounge, concierge desk, market, art gallery, fitness center, restaurant, and surrounds the pool. The Wit & Wisdom restaurant is attached to the main building, but has a separate entrance. Nearby is an event venue, and a building with standard rooms. Behind the main building are the cottages, and at the rear of the property is the spa. Parking surrounds the building on three sides, and has exits to Broadway and Leveroni Road. There are hammocks, chair swings, and fireplaces scattered around the property that add plenty of lounging space to enjoy on cool California nights.

Unfortunately, we had several issues with the service at The Lodge Hotel at Sonoma. First, when Wy reached out to the hotel before our arrival and asked about a bottle of wine for Kim, a common benefit of being a Marriott Ambassador member, we were told that we could purchase a bottle to have in the room if we wanted one, which we did. However, when we arrived we also found another complimentary bottle in the room. This was disappointing, as we had purchased a bottle at a premium because we didn’t expect one to be provided as well. In addition, our Marriott preferences specifically mentioned that we prefer white wine over red, but the bottle that was provided complimentary was red. It seemed clear that the staff didn’t take the time to check our preferences or think that we would like to know that they planned to already provide one, and just wanted to make an extra buck.

Another issue we had with the service at the hotel was miscommunication about breakfast vouchers. We had been told that we could exchange our breakfast vouchers for Marriott points, and returned some vouchers and confirmed we would get points without a problem, but when we tried to do this with the rest of our vouchers during checkout, we were told that it was not policy and they would have to make an exception. We also had one of our breakfast charges still on the bill, despite our breakfast voucher, which they had to manually remove after I caught it.

Finally, the housekeeping service at the hotel was also disappointing. Our room was not always cleaned properly, with the carpet not being cleaned despite being dirty, ripped towels, and things like dirty glasses not being replaced at times. Overall, the service at The Lodge Hotel at Sonoma was not up to par, and we were disappointed with the experience.

Dining

The Lodge Hotel at Sonoma is home to two restaurants, each offering a unique dining experience. 

Benicia’s Kitchen, located in the lobby, serves a variety of dishes, including a mix of Mexican and classic American fare. Unfortunately we felt that Benincia’s was chronically understaffed, which lead to long wait times to be seated, and long waits throughout the process. When we did eat there we were surprised by the inconsistent service, exemplified by Kim and I both asking for tea, but only one of us being offered a choice of tea bag. The food was tasty, especially the breakfast potatoes, but we felt that the breakfast credit was too small for even one person when a cup of coffee was several dollars in the restaurant but free a few steps away in the lobby, a glass of juice was $8, and an omelet was $24 without toast or fruit. Most of the time we decided to turn our breakfast in for points instead (which seemed to make sense to some but not others at the front desk). One of the things I care about most at a hotel outside of the room is breakfast, and this one was a failure.

Wit & Wisdom, located in the front of the hotel, is a Michelin starred restaurant by Chef Michael Mina with an extensive wine list and a crowd pleasing new American menu including pasta, pizza, and a variety of steaks and chops. Our meal at Wit & Wisdom was cooked to perfection, and the cocktails were an excellent change of pace from the wine-focused week.

In addition to the two restaurants, The Lodge Hotel at Sonoma also offers free daily wine tastings, held from 4-5pm in the lobby by a different local winery each day. This was a great opportunity to sample a variety of wines from the region and learn about the different techniques used by the vineyards and styles of wine. The wine tastings are hosted by knowledgeable winery staff members who are happy to answer any questions you have and provide recommendations based on your preferences. You can of course buy any bottles you like right there, and they tend to be fairly generous!

Room

There are several sets of standard rooms in the larger buildings, but these are smaller than the cottage rooms that we stayed in. The cottages are two-floor buildings with five spacious and comfortable rooms per building, each with gas fireplaces, patios or terrace seating areas, and many of the amenities you would expect from a Marriott hotel. The rooms had been renovated within the past several years, and featured TVs with Netflix built in, beside outlets and USB ports, and water conservation features. The layout of the cottage rooms had our room door outside leading to a deck shared with another room. The deck had a small table and chairs for us to enjoy the weather and have some wine. We were up a flight of potentially slick stairs (with moss growing on parts), so if you’re not comfortable with stairs after a few glasses of wine, or have a lot of heavy luggage, consider asking the front desk about what’s available. There are plenty of ground floor rooms.

The bed was comfortable, but the pillows were unfortunately lumpy. The bathroom was large, but the shower’s water pressure wasn’t excellent, which makes sense in the cottage setting. The fireplace was a nice touch, and was used often by us, even first thing in the morning to warm up the room a bit since Wy likes to sleep cold. The furniture like the sofa was unfortunately outdated, uncomfortable, and in need of cleaning and repair, and there were several small issues that could have been easily fixed.

Unfortunately the door was missing weather stripping, which was big enough to let any insects or small rodents that were interested into our room. The layout and orientation of the room meant that we looked into the property, which avoided the view of the parking lot and power substation next door. However, we then heard anyone who was in the common area of the hotel, and we had to keep our blinds closed much of the time to avoid allowing people in the cottages around us from seeing right into our room or bathroom. The room’s patios and terraces are also not as private as one might like, but are still nice to have.

Location & Things to Do Nearby

The location of The Lodge Hotel at Sonoma was one of the highlights of our stay. The hotel is located right in the center of Sonoma, within walking distance of many restaurants, shops, and wineries. It’s also a short drive to some of the region’s best wineries in the Napa and Sonoma valleys, making it a convenient base to explore the surrounding area in your rental car. Here are a few things you can do during your stay:

• Visit Thomas Keller’s multiple restaurants in Yountville, including the iconic French Laundry, which are world-renowned for their innovative cuisine and impeccable service. We really enjoyed the fried chicken and steak lunch at Ad Hoc + Addendum, had a wonderful new years eve dinner at Bouchon Bistro, and got pastries and tea for breakfast at Bouchon Bakery. 
• While you’re in Yountville, check out the V Marketplace located in a former winery, and grab a “jewelry” box of beautiful and delicious chocolates to snack on from Kollar Chocolates while you’re there!
• Check out Animo in Sonoma, a great new restaurant from a favorite chef of ours who moved from NYC to Sonoma during COVID, and opened this new open hearth cooking concept restaurant with amazing food. Get the Lobster XO for an amazing and unique dish!
• Head to the Sweet Pea Bakery for a delicious breakfast when you’re tired of the slow and understaffed service at the hotel restaurant. The egg sandwiches are top notch, one of the best things we had there.
• Run across the street from the hotel to the Broadway Market for a solid sandwich for breakfast or lunch.
• Check out the original Williams Sonoma store in Chuck Williams’ former home on Broadway in Sonoma! Today it’s a beautifully restored home that’s both part museum and part Williams Sonoma store, with a teaching kitchen. It’s a must-stop if you like kitchen gadgets and a bit of local history.
• Drive up to the Armstrong Redwoods State Park and take in a beautiful and easy walk through a grove of redwoods that are taller than a football field is long, and hundreds of years older than the United States itself.
• Get some In n Out in Napa, or on the way from the airport like we did! Or both!

Wineries

Of course if you’re in Napa you’re likely there to enjoy a few wine tastings at some of the country and the world’s best wineries. The Napa and Sonoma valleys offer beautiful views and a wide selection of wines, so you’re in luck. We were lucky enough to try a number of wineries during our stay, both some of the more well-known names (even Hollywood-star level), and some of the more unique ones.

Before we get into where we suggest, let’s talk about how to do tastings. These days tastings can cost anywhere from $25 to $150. If you have friends or family who go to Napa often, ask around to see if anyone is a member of a Wine club at a local winery, and if they have any tastings that they can share. Wine club members often get a few complimentary tastings for themselves or guests per year, and can get you a free tasting (with the hope that you’ll buy some wine)! We tried three wineries in a day that one friend organized for us, which was a great treat.

Otherwise, look into the Priority Wine Pass, or other local or seasonal wine passes which may get you access to a dozen or more wineries for tastings at a reduced price. We got our Priority Wine Pass for $38 (down from $120) from Groupon, and it paid for itself quickly with Two-for-One tastings. Note that one pass covers two people, so don’t buy two passes if you don’t need to! Finally, if you plan to buy wine at the locations you’re tasting at, ask how many bottles you would need to purchase to have the tasting fee waved. At some locations we knew we wanted to buy some wine, but wanted to be able to taste them to decide which ones to choose, and the wineries were happy to let us sample prior to purchase for no cost. We often got the tasting notes and background you would normally get at a tasting as well.

One thing to also note is that Kim prefers white wine, and we were a bit concerned about finding tastings that would let us focus on white wines. In the end many places were happy to offer white-only tastings or more whites than they would normally provide. Some even poured reserve or more expensive bottles for her to try!

Most wineries prefer reservations in advance, but there are many locations which accept walk-ins as well. We recommend making reservations for later in the day as that’s when most people are trying to walk in to do tastings. We were visiting during the low season, so we didn’t have trouble making reservations at any wineries. However, during the summer and high seasons you may need to have reservations booked weeks or months in advance for certain popular wineries.

We recommend Landmark Vineyards, Bouchaine Vineyards, Chateau Montelena (be sure to watch the movie Bottle Shock before visiting!), and Palmaz Vineyards. If it’s your thing, there are also vineyards which are owned by famous families, like Landmark Vineyards which is owned by the great-granddaughter of John Deere, the Francis Ford Copolla Winery, the Lasseter Family Winery, and the Clif Family Winery (owned by the founder of the Clif Bar).

Conclusion

Overall, our experience at The Lodge Hotel at Sonoma was a bit of a mixed bag. The property and location were great, but the quality of the room and the service at the front desk left something to be desired. If you’re looking for a comfortable and convenient place to stay in Sonoma, The Lodge Hotel may be worth considering, but be prepared for some potential disappointments. We’ll be trying the Westin Napa next, or the Four Seasons.

Overall, we would recommend planning to spend 3-4 days in the area. Whether you’re interested in wine tasting, exploring the local restaurants, or just soaking up the beautiful scenery, you’ll find plenty to keep you busy during a long weekend. After more than 5 days you would likely start running out of things to do, but that would be a great time to move over to San Francisco and enjoy the sights there as well!