If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (including tax) available in the next 60 days.
Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (USD765.00), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.
Ding, ding, ding – charge your glasses, because we’re toasting Sonoma vineyard retreat Montage Healdsburg, a full-bodied and biodynamic (in its eco-friendliness), Norcal-modernist stay amid horizon-skirting vines and hazelnut groves in view of the Mayacamas Mountains. With exclusive tasting experiences at the best of many many cellars, meet-the-makers sessions and a constant flow of excellent wines, that’s not all that’ll pass your lips; but you’ll also get a taste of fine Franco-Californian fare, seafood and poolside popsicles; be soothed with coastal botanicals in the huge spa, while little Smiths are kept entertained with sports and s’mores. Health, a wealth of treats lying in store, and happiness indeed – cheers.
Noon. Earliest check-in, 4pm. Both can be flexible, subject to availability on the day and on request.
Prices
Double rooms from £710.60 ($887), including tax at 16 per cent. Please note the hotel charges an additional resort fee of $64.00 per room per night prior to arrival and an additional room tax of $2.50 per room per night prior to arrival.
More details
Breakfast isn’t included, but guests get Cadillac hire for up to four hours a day (and lifts to Healdsburg) and two hours of e-bike hire (both subject to availability), a half-bottle of wine, and use of sports kit. A resort fee of $55 a stay applies.
Also
There are several ADA-compliant rooms at Montage Healdsburg, from entry categories to suites, and public areas are easily navigated.
At the hotel
Spa and fitness center, yoga garden, beauty salon, sporting hub with free-to-borrow gear; country store, concierge, charged laundry service, and free WiFi. In rooms: fully-stocked custom-made honor bar, minibar, Nespresso coffee machine and tea-making kit, free bottled water, and Gloss Moderne bath products.
Our favourite rooms
Following the hotel’s clean, cool Norcal modernism, rooms and suites are kept fairly simple in style, pepped up with green, gold and red accents, and with quietly luxurious touches: a well-stocked, custom-made honor bar trolley; minibars filled with local snacks; a fire pit on the balcony (which all rooms have); and soft snuggly linens. First, decide if you want to look at vines (even after you’ve had a few), the heritage woodland, or Mount St Helena; then decide how much space you need – we’re rather taken with the Deluxe rooms for their outdoor, open-to-the-sun showers.
Poolside
No, you can’t float in a vat of wine here, we’re afraid, but the large zero-edge pool in the spa (for adults only; open from 6am to 10pm) is about as close as you can get, with views out over the vines as you swim, and Hudson Springs’ bar close by with bottles at the ready. There are shaded loungers aplenty, but you might feel cosier in a cabana, available to hire for an extra charge from 10am to 5pm.
Spa
The California coastline gives generously in the hotel’s 11,500-square-foot spa (open 10am to 6pm); in 11 treatment rooms (two for couples) rigorously trained therapists will work out knots with sun-warmed Russian River stones; gently wrap you in lavender; add CBD oils to Hypervolt percussive therapy; take you on a ‘scent journey’; and cocoon you in ginger, coriander and honey as you’re spritzed with a neroli mist. The couples’ ‘journey of the senses’ will give you added flower power with botanical polishes, showers and poultices, combined with chimes, vibration, and chocolate and wine to finish. Or, you could call on the big-gun glamorizers, with Valmont’s cellular-regeneration techniques and Anda’s gua-sha facials; red-light wands waved magician-like over your body; Oxylight’s immune-system-boosting combos; and collagen enhancements. There’s also a sauna and steam room, beauty and hair salon for finishing touches and a peaceful yoga garden. And the extremely well-equipped fitness center (open 6am to 9pm) has Peloton bikes and Technogym gear, plus a range of classes (HIIT, spin classes at sunrise and runs along the Heritage Oak Trail).
Packing tips
Turn your suitcase into a cellar on wheels with the number of wine bottles you’ll be tempted to bring home with you. But do also spare some space for the herb salves, hand-blown Sklo decanters, jars of house honey, pickles and olives, and more sold in the country store. Or pick up lotions and potions from Valmont, Lola’s Apothecary and McEvoy Ranch in the spa boutique.
Also
Stock your pic-a-nic basket at Healdsburg Country Store where there are jars of fruit, fresh pastries, sandwiches, salads, snacks and smoothies, plus locally brewed Black Oak coffee, some ‘harder’ libations, and artisanal gifts to take home.
Pet‐friendly
Up to two dogs under 45 pounds are welcome in each room for $125 a room, each stay. They’re not allowed in food and drink outlets, the spa and fitness center, or by the pools, but they do get their own room-service menu (6am to 10pm). See more pet-friendly hotels in Sonoma County.
Children
You needn’t be over 21 to have fun here. With a kids’ club, Montage merits earnt through activities, dedicated menus, free s’mores and plenty of family-sized room configurations pint- (carafe-?) sized Smiths will have as much fun as you do here.
Best for
Kids aged five (from when they can attend the on-site club) and up will get the most out of this stay.
Recommended rooms
Many of the rooms have a sofa-bed and nearly all interconnect, so you’ll have lots of choice. Larger families should check into the Guest House which sleeps up to six.
Activities
The sweet Paintbox kids’ club (for five-to-12 year-olds; must be booked 24 hours in advance) has games, crafts and adventures that let little Smiths get to know the region (without needing a fake ID); held daily from 1pm to 5pm. Each activity earns them a Montage-merit badge to collect during their stay. And on Fridays and Saturdays, from 5pm to 9pm, Children’s Nights Out keep kids entertained, so parents can enjoy date night, or yet more wine-tasting. They’ll also love the sports kit for hire, and Snoopy and Peanuts fans should tour the Charles M Schulz Museum in Healdsburg.
Swimming pool
Set close to Hudson Springs Bar and Grill is a smaller, shallower pool for little ones, with games (putt-putt golf, pool pong, countdown cactus) and floats. It keeps the same hours as the adults’ pool, and it’s unsupervised, so parents, keep an eye out.
Meals
Hazel Hill has a dedicated menu for little Smiths, with reliable favourites (mac and cheese, chicken fingers, cookies and ice-cream), and healthier eats (grilled chicken and a petite salad, wild king salmon with steamed veggies). And kids get their own room-service menu too. And what’s an outdoorsy stay without s’mores? Each Friday they’re offered free to kids – and big kids – in the spa courtyard, from 5pm to 6pm.
Babysitting
The concierge should be able to help secure a local sitter.
No need to pack
If you arrive with a babe-in-arms or tot, bring any essential kit.
Also
Kids will quickly make friends with Beau Alexander, the hotel’s canine ambassador (and truffle-dog in training) who’s very amenable to photo-ops and cuddles.
Sustainability efforts
Montage Healdsburg is dedicated to caring for California’s often fragile – sometimes temperamental – landscape, and in doing so it’s been awarded the EMA (Environmental Media Association) Green Seal for Hospitality and become silver-certified by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Indeed, the building appears to hover over the landscape, constructed with minimal impact, and was designed in harmony with the greenery. It operates sustainably too, with solar panels for most of the electricity, HVAC equipment to automatically close open doors or windows, motion-detecting LED lighting, sheep to keep the grass trim to cut down on wildfire-risking fuels, and swapping single-use plastics for bamboo straws, aluminium water bottles and other eco-friendly options. The brand enthusiastically integrates into the locality, with eating and drinking celebrating local growers, farms and makers; and artisanal products from Sonoma on display.
Heritage Hill’s outdoor seating overlooks the 258-acre swoop of vines, heritage forest and hazelnut groves; and the dining experience is further elevated in Healdsburg’s private dining space, the treehouse-style, glass-encased Oak Room.
Dress Code
Clothes in the vivid greens of spring-fresh seedlings, to the earthy hues of late harvest will fit in well with Montage Healdsburg’s nature-evoking interiors.
Hotel restaurant
California becomes Californie at Hazel Hill, where the terroir-to-table menu adds a soupçon of French flair to local flavors and seasonal produce. So, caviar comes with crème fraîche and straw-potato cake (or pommes paillasson), duck breast from Liberty Farms comes with barley and bitter-orange sauce, and Westholme wagyu basks in a zinfandel jus. Desserts fuse the two cuisines too, in mini donuts in hazelnut crème-Anglaise and cabernet caramel, or apple-almond gâteau with orange shortbread and buttermilk ice-cream. Or get stuck into chef Jason Pringle’s six-course tasting menu. Naturally, the wine list is incroyable; obviously you need to try the grapes the hotel’s winemaker Jesse Katz has cultivated, but there are top Sonoma Valley picks and an impressive international selection too. Breakfast and brunch here are decadent affairs, with cinnamon-walnut French toast and bananas foster (in rum, brown sugar and banana liqueur); waffles with huckleberries and maple syrup; or spicy chorizo chilaquiles. And you can watch the chefs do their thing – and maybe take part – with the interactive expo kitchen. More-casual poolside eatery Hudson Springs Bar and Grill showcases the best of the California coast, with a seafood-heavy menu of oysters, ceviche, crab rolls, fish and chips and ahi-tuna sandwiches – and we reverted quickly to childhood on seeing fudgesicles and fruity popsicles for dessert, and quickly grew up again for the alcohol-spiked versions.
Hotel bar
France has its AOCs, Italy has its DOPs, and Sonoma has its AVAs (American Viticulture Areas), the gold stamp for elite wines. And at Montage Healdsburg you’re immersed in top viticulture, with acres on acres of vines stretching out around you. Winemaker Jamie Katz has coaxed an impressive range of varietals from the terroir, with malbec, merlot, petite verdot, cabernet franc, sauvignon blanc, and cabernet sauvignon enriching the wine list; but local superstars are showcased too, with picks from appellations such as Alexander Valley, Chalk Hill, Dry Creek, Russian River, and the Sonoma Coast. And when you’re not sipping your way through a tasting or polishing off a pairing with dinner at Hazel Hill, on Fridays (from 4.30pm to 6pm), your inner oenophile can geek out at Meet the Maker sessions. Main drinkery Scout Field Bar is bright and Norcal-modern in style, with Mount St Helena views, and it branches out from the grape, with Cali craft brews (Healdsburg Beer Co, Barrel Brothers, Lagunitas) and garden-to-glass cocktails (Erik the Red with gin mare, Amaro, berries, rhubarb and dragonfruit; Agoston with Whistlepig whiskey, maraschino cherry and pinot noir). Join the Social Hour (Sunday to Thursday, 4pm to 6pm) for light bites and lively company; or Sunset Hour (6pm to 9pm on select evenings) for live music (French jazz, country folk, bossa nova); and there’s a fireplace to warm chillier evenings. Open seasonally, poolside Hudson Springs mixes up cooling pitchers and punch bowls.
Last orders
Breakfast at Hazel Hill is from 7.30am to 1030am (11am on weekends); lunch and weekend brunch 11.30am to 2.30pm; dinner 5.30pm to 9pm (from 5pm on weekends). Dine at Hudson Springs from 11am to 5pm.
Room service
Dine in-room (perhaps on your balcony) round the clock, choosing from a varied menu and drinks list. Breakfast is from 6am to 11am and a reduced menu from 10pm to 6am. (Please note, a 21 per cent sales charge and $7 tray fee applies).
Montage Healdsburg sits deep in the fertile countryside of Sonoma Valley, amid so many top wineries you’ll have to return (trust us), 10 minutes from the picturesque – and culinarily blessed – city of Healdsburg.
Planes
There are several travel hubs from which it’s easy to reach the hotel. Domestic airport Charles M Schulz – Sonoma County is a 20-minute drive away and has direct links to major cities in the US; and San Francisco or Oakland are each a 90-minute drive away. The hotel can help to arrange transfers on request.
Trains
The closest train station to Montage Healdsburg is Sonoma County Airport, but this is still around an hour’s drive away. To reach it, take the ferry from San Fran to the Larkspur terminal, then ride from there.
Automobiles
Having a car will be both a blessing and a curse here, depending on whether you’re the designated driver or not. Wheels will certainly help you to explore this spread-out rural region, but as you’ll likely be vineyard-hopping, you may prefer a private driver. The hotel can help with hire, and there’s valet parking only onsite for $42 a day.
Other
If you’re choppering in, you can land at Healdsburg Municipal Airport, a 10-minute drive from the hotel.
Worth getting out of bed for
You may possibly spend all your stay at Montage Healdsburg on a wine-based pursuit or in pursuit of wine, with vines stretching out as far as the eye can see, and hundreds of vineyards to taste at (we recommend several repeat visits); hell, even the weekly yoga sessions are held amid cabernet sauvignon vines. And there are numerous cork-popping events throughout the year too, from the barrel tasting of new wines in March to the Taste of Sonoma in June, to November’s Wine & Food Affair. (And those are just an apéritif.) But Sonoma County’s more complex than a meaty pinot noir when it comes to pastimes – there are festivals dedicated to country music and jazz, both in June; summer antique fairs to trawl; galleries covering sculpture, painting, metalwork, photography and hand fans; a museum dedicated to Snoopy creator Charles M Schulz and the Healdsburg Museum and Historical Society; plus the hot springs and healing mud baths (and the Old Faithful Geyser, which you probably shouldn’t bathe in) of wellness-focused town Calistoga, just a 20-minute drive away. More healthful pursuits can be found at the hotel’s all-action hub Compass Sports, where you can borrow e-bikes (free for two hours a day) and gear for archery sessions, bocce ball or pickleball matches for free; and hotel staff can show you the most scenic cycling routes, or send you off on a hike towards the Mayacamas Mountains.
Local restaurants
You don’t need to live wholly off a liquid diet in Healdsburg. This extremely fertile, farm-scattered region has hyper-local ingredients which have lured in enthusiastic chefs. Downtown is where you’ll find some of the best eats; try Single Thread Farm, a multifaceted experience run by a couple with a string of accomplishments behind them. Chef co-owner Kyle was deeply inspired by kitchen stints in Japan, evident in the dining room’s every-detail-counts style and the strong sense of omotenashi service (there's even a lighting system that changes throughout the evening and keeps track of sunset). Many ingredients are grown on the owners’ farm and meals are to ruminate over, with 10 courses, including treats such as yellowtail with charred-citrus jelly, daikon radish and Japanese mustard spinach; Dungeness crab with miso, lime and fermented turnip; or black-cod in a broth of ember-grilled cod bones. Cyrus is also something of a journey – literally, as you start with champagne and to pause by the martini cart in the lounge, wander into the gardens, hit the kitchen table for chef-spying, then move to the Alexander Valley-view dining room, before finishing in the chocolate room. Your efforts will be rewarded with blue crab with gochujang, abalone with ginger-shiso dashi, sakura-and-umeshu sorbet and more. And if you just want to good-old-fashioned sit down and eat, Valette brings delicate rustic plates such as burrata and pickled strawberries, and pork loin with apple-cider gelée to you. Baci Café & Wine Bar is locally loved for its fine straightforward Italian fare: grilled shrimp with lime, mint and feta; bolognese made with kobe beef, and a lemon-zested osso buco to share.
Local cafés
Montage Healdsburg’s country store sells Black Oak Coffee from one of the finer roasteries in town, but Flying Goat Coffee Express is a strong contender, with equally punch-packing brews. And Oakville Grocery is heaving with gourmet goodies and makes a top lunching spot for pizzas and pastries.
Local bars
Even Bacchus himself might baulk at the sheer number of vineyards to visit in Sonoma; but never fear, Montage Healdsburg has sniffed out the must-trys for you. They can arrange tastings at sought-after cellars, put on a private driver, pack a gourmet picnic (with 24 hours’ notice), and arrange exclusive guests-only experiences at Aperture Cellars (who bottle the hotel’s wine). Let them point your palate to the elegant estates of Alexander Wineries (including Sutro, Stuhlmuller, Soda Rock and Hoot Owl Creek); Dry Creek Valley’s embarrassment of oeno-teric interests (from Amista to Zichichi vineyards); and the rich vein of wines in the Russian River Valley. And, if it’s cocktails you want, Lo & Behold Bar and Kitchen has a stonking selection. We like the HIgh Five with Japanese whisky, pear cider, yuzu, sake vermouth and umami; or the Afternoon Delight with mandarin-tea-infused bourbon, sherry and saffron bitters. And allegedly the bar’s vodka-tonic is the World’s best… Or slake your thirst at Prohibition-inspired Duke’s Spirited Cocktails. Still parched? Montage knows the best breweries and cider houses too.
Every hotel featured is visited personally by members of our team, given the Smith seal of approval, and then anonymously reviewed. As soon as our reviewers have returned from this drinking and thinking man’s (woman’s, anyone’s…) vineyard retreat in Sonoma wine country and tried to explain at customs that yes, this wine is all for personal use, a full account of their tip-top sipping will be with you. In the meantime, to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick peek inside Montage Healdsburg in California…
Before you get stuck into the great grape spoils of Montage Healdsburg’s master winemaker Jamie Katz (cab savs, sav blancs, a cheeky little merlot…), and things get a little blurry around the edges, take a long lingering look at the spectacular sprawl of estate: Sonoma Valley at its most seductive, with rows on rows of vines, hazelnut groves rising and falling over soft grass-fuzzed inclines, and the Mayacamas Mountains presiding over it all in the distance. Perched on top (or very nearly hovering above, built to protect the fragile leafy landscape) is a stay that looks like a version of the Hollywood Hills’ Stahl House, plonked down in California Wine Country, and given some earthier, more organic Norcal tweaks: hints of merlot reds, harvest golds, and spring greens; plus stone, leather and wood accents. Drinking is at a premium here, with some of America’s finest AVAs (American Viticulture Areas) and cellars infused into the surroundings; plenty to sniff, swirl and sip onsite; vintner meet and greets; and more exclusive experiences (and private-driver hire on request). But all other aspects sit at a high sybaritic level too, with an enormous spa, multiple dining options – from finessed Franco-Cali cuisine to cocktail-flavored popsicles by the pools – happy hours and live-music nights; sporting kit to borrow for free; a cosseting kids’ club; and even a dedicated room service menu for dogs. This is a true five-star retreat that’ll give you the glow-y post-two-glasses buzz before you’ve even popped a cork.
