Napa Valley Hotel Spotlight: Andaz Napa

What’s a girl to do with a week off from work, a full tank of gas (filled up by her husband of course), and an awesome British friend to tag along with? Head on over to Napa that is, and of course stay at one of the swankiest hotels in town.

It’s been a while since I went to Napa last. 1,522 days too long. And yes, I just calculated that- with an app I might add. I don’t have that much extra free time on my hands. 😉 We were greeted with blue skies and warm 70 degree weather, absolutely perfect for picnics at the wineries and sunbathing on the perfectly manicured lawns.

To say the Andaz embraces it’s rustic roots of the Napa Valley really is an understatement. The lobby and bar have a rustic and shabby feel to them, and it’s a pleasant surprise to find no stuffy check-in area (they use their iPads instead, how smart). The hotel really won me over after they handed me a complimentary glass of chardonnay and took my bags. Yes, please!

The Rooms at Andaz Napa

It’s hard to imagine a more serene environment. A fireplace, deep soaking tub, cozy armchairs, and a King-size pillow top bed. We literally had to peel ourselves out of bed each morning (but don’t feel too sorry for us – we were off to the wineries). Oh, and the complimentary mini bar? That was the icing on the cake, and you better believe we were hungry at the end of each day. The living area had a definitive agro-chic feel to it, with it’s simplistic design, hardwood floors, stylish lighting fixtures, and soothing colored curtains.

And the bathroom?! WOW!

The deep soaking tub was absolutely perfect after a long day at the wineries, and we generously sipped wine alongside the bubbles. We may or may not have taken a bubble bath together – in our bathing suits – and let me tell you, that invigorating-smelling body wash was definitely put to good use!

The white marble bathroom was full of fluffy towels, double sinks, and complimentary bath products, along with my favorite toothpaste (it’s the little things guys)! The rain-shower was huge, and I appreciated the bench conveniently located in the corner- a girl’s gotta shave her legs!

Restaurants and Bars

The Andaz believes strongly in the power of local products, which are used throughout their menus of small bites, breakfast, and desserts. Andaz Farmers Table serves a la carte breakfast each morning until 11am (noon on weekends!) so sleeping in is definitely a possibility. The menu is full of organic fruit and yogurt parfaits, bacon and banana pancakes, and chicken chorizo hash (um, yum)!

The drinks we ordered at Mercantile Social were phenomenal, and the bartender seemed to read our minds by carefully creating cocktails just for us. One look at the cocktail menu and I promise you’ll be done for the night (you can never drink too much- you’re in Napa Valley after all)!

The cookies on the counter kept staring at me right in the face!

Outdoor Space

The lounge area on the 2nd floor is nice, complete with firepits, porch swings, and enough chairs and tables for a small party. I really wished the terrace stayed open later at night! By the time we were ready to enjoy it, the fireplaces and string lights were off. Guess we stayed in the tub too long!

Location

The hotel is a short walk to everything downtown, including dozens of restaurants, bars, galleries, and fun boutique stores. Oxbow Public Market is just minutes away as well, and we enjoyed perusing the shops full of cheese and bitters.

Nearby Wineries

Along with the amazing food options nearby, the Andaz is also about 15 minutes away from some of the most beautiful wineries in the Napa area. Domaine Carneros Winery and Artesa Vineyards were our favorites. By mid-morning, the sun was shining on us, and we were surrounded by some of the most breathtaking landscapes. Cherry blossoms in February, anyone?!

The manicured gardens were the perfect spot for a picnic lunch, and the architecture of each winery blew us away.

It definitely felt like spring in Napa!

Don’t mind our workout outfits- we had planned on going for a hike later in the day, but that obviously didn’t happen after we saw the look of these vineyards.

Favorite Features

The free mini bar and complimentary welcome wine really did it for me. I’m sure we can all agree that any hotel that offers its guests wine upon check-in AND free snacks in the room is a thing to be celebrated.

I really appreciated the close proximity to both world-class restaurants (Gott’s Roadside anyone?) and beautiful, breathtaking wineries. FREE parking at a nearby garage (literally a 3 minute walk away) made exploring easy and effortless.

There were seating areas throughout the hotel, where you could sip your lemon-infused water or just curl up with a good book by the fire, since we all know a day at the vineyards can be exhausting (to say the least). Wine-tastings at seven vineyards exhausts me just thinking about it (and no, that was not on our agenda). If it was, however, I would have enjoyed those group fitness classes the Andaz was offering.

The deep soaking tub and fireplace in the room were the stand-outs in our King Loft, and the free quality wi-fi was a definite plus! And thank goodness for the corkscrew we found in our room – our bottle of wine we purchased earlier in the day was put to good use!

Final Word

Would I recommend this hotel to someone looking to stay in the Napa area? A big fat yes. The amenities, freebies (snacks, anyone?!), and free wifi, along with the close proximity to Oxbow Market and world-class wineries, is not found everywhere you look. I’ll have to bring my husband here next time- that soaking tub is calling our names! :p And maybe I’ll finally buy a cookie or two.

Although there were no grapes on the vines, our time in Napa was well spent, and we came home already planning our next trip back up.