Our West Coast adventure began in Northern California’s beautiful Napa Valley at the Bardessono Hotel in Yountville. Talk about a little slice of heaven! The Bardessono is cooly minimalistic yet ultra-luxurious and serves up zen like the surrounding landscape serves up an exquisite Cabernet. Add to this property’s love-at-first-site charm the fact that it is a “green” hotel, one of only two in the U.S. to be awarded LEED Platinum certification. It is partially powered by rooftop solar panels and equips each of its 62 guest suites with organic bedding, water served in recyclable glass bottles, heat and air conditioning that turns off when you leave your room and blinds that adjust themselves electronically – and these are just some of the “green” practices at work here.
Nestled amidst four landscaped courtyards, the hotel also has a beautiful rooftop pool with cabanas, an acclaimed restaurant and a spa.
And speaking of the spa, that’s exactly what our room felt like. Modern elegance at every turn, our room was appointed with a fireplace, a gorgeous spa-like bath, and an enormous outdoor terrace. Massage tables are hidden and out of sight in the dressing area for those who want to indulge (we did :) ). Other modern amenities included speakers for our iPhones and a flatscreen TV.
But perhaps the highlight of our stay is owed to the staff at Lucy, the hotel’s acclaimed restaurant. They went above and beyond to accommodate our large group, seating us in a magical garden that is not typically used for private dining.
Needless to say, on the day of our departure we didn’t want to leave. (Who would?!)
On the bright side, though, thanks to our experience at this magnificent property, we know we’ll be back…hopefully soon :)
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