The beautiful Four Seasons Napa Valley opened Oct 17th, and I had the opportunity to tour it before its official opening; I was impressed with what I saw. They are nearly fully booked for the rest of the year and I expect they will be one of those properties that books up months in advance, so plan ahead and book early!
Introduction
This 23-acre property is a new-build and just a 3-minute drive, an 8-minute bike ride, or a 20-minute walk to downtown Calistoga. Arguably the most luxurious property that you’re going to find in Napa today, the Four Seasons Napa Valley is more of a boutique property with only 85 room keys consisting of 67 rooms, 17 suites, and The Estate Villa (this is essentially their presidential suite). The property was beautifully designed by St. Helena-based Erin Martin, and she nails the farmhouse chic feeling and brings natural local elements into the interiors. I personally loved the handcrafted headboards in each room.
Rooms and Suites
You can choose the quieter Palisades category rooms facing the mountains and the vineyards or the Vineyard rooms facing the vineyards on the interior of the property. All room buildings are two stories so you can opt for the first or second floor. Rooms start at $1200 per room per night before taxes and go up from there depending on category, view, time of year, and availability. Their one-bedroom suites have 1½ bathrooms and start at $2200 per room per night plus taxes. There are options to connect a one-bedroom suite to either a king room or a room with two beds. They do not have regular rooms connecting to other regular rooms. Also important to note is that they cannot provide rollaway beds on second floor rooms, and while their king-bedded rooms and suites have daybeds (which can accommodate one young child), they do not have pullout sofas.
Their Estate Villa is essentially their 3-bedroom presidential suite, secluded at the edge of the property. There are two king-bedded rooms and one double-bedded room. There is no kitchen, but you can enjoy indoor – outdoor living and dining as well as a private swimming pool and lounge area. Rates run between $11,500 – $12,500 per night plus tax throughout the year.
Service
Service is as you’d expect for a good Four Seasons; that is to say, they do it right. While I was there, they had multiple staff members in all areas of the property (housekeeping, dining, front desk) from Four Seasons properties all around the country here to train the new staff. From the moment you arrive, the service is seamless and personal without being too much. You will never find yourself standing in a line for check-in or check-out as they handle this for you one-on-one.
Wine & Food
As I’m sure you can imagine, Four Seasons Napa places a focus on food and wine with two restaurants, a winery and tasting room, and a market. They are the only luxury property in the Northern California wine country that has its own winery. Elusa Winery is one of the true highlights of a stay here. This is an onsite, working winery so guests can do tastings right on the property (it will also eventually be open to non-hotel guests). The wine they produce here is not sold elsewhere; you can only have it here on location because they focus on quality over quantity. They mostly make cabernet sauvignon but they also produce cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc. They have three rooms — the main tasting room, members lounge (wine club), and wine library — in which they can host private tastings. In addition to private tastings, they can do group events and barrel tastings. The largest room can accommodate 50 people for a standing reception, but since they have three different tasting rooms, you can split a larger group among those three rooms, or have tasting tables set up outdoors or in the winery.
Shaun Acosta is the executive resort chef in charge of in-room dining, Campo Poolside restaurant, the demonstration kitchen, and banquets & events. He came out to greet me during lunch and shared with me that they make everything from scratch, from the delicious guacamole to the salsas, chips and tortillas to the churros. I could taste the love in the tacos, but maybe that was the scrumptious margarita speaking to me!
Erik Anderson was brought on as executive chef of TRUSS Restaurant and Bar, currently open only to in-house guests but eventually also open to the public. No stranger to Michelin stars, Anderson started his career at French Laundry, went on to Noma in Copenhagen, The Catbird Seat in Nashville, and earned his own two Michelin stars at Coi in San Francisco. I can’t wait to return and experience his culinary magic at TRUSS.
Spa
Their Spa Talisa has eight treatment rooms, including two couples’ rooms with vineyard views. The spa is only available to in-house guests and you may use the facilities even if you have not booked a treatment. There is a nail bar and steam rooms in the locker rooms. In the photo below, you’ll see their spa garden with vineyard view and a whirlpool. In the lower left corner of the photo, there’s a mud treatment area; when you enter the spa you are given a complimentary tube of mud and you can apply it on yourself and lounge in this mud alcove. To the left and right of the coed garden are the private men’s and women’s gardens where bathing suits are optional. The steam you see in the photo are the misting areas of the men’s/women’s gardens.
Family
Another highlight of the Four Seasons Napa Valley is that they are truly family friendly. In my book, they edge out Montage Healdsburg and Carneros Resort as the most family-friendly resort in wine country. Not only do they have both an adult pool and a family pool and all the usual kid-friendly amenities you would find at a typical Four Seasons, but they also have a Kids For All Seasons kids club for children 5-12, and it’s included in the rate. What’s more, you are welcome to leave your children there while you have spa treatments or even while you go off-property to do wine tasting or to explore Napa for a few hours! Activities for the kids change often but could include cooking lessons, walking tours, scavenger hunts, and arts and crafts. They try to keep it as interactive and immersive as possible.
Private Retreats
Starting Q1 or Q2 2022, they will also have 10 Private Retreats. These are 3- and 4-bedroom residences with full kitchens, living rooms, dining rooms, semi private patios and all the residential amenities you would expect — perfect for entertaining! Their residences are only bookable through Four Seasons and not available anywhere else, and will require at least a four-night minimum. Think of these residences as your own private luxury farmhouse villa. Each residence is assigned a dedicated Personal Host to help you take care of every need you may have during your stay, from cocktails on your patio to private chef meals to wine tasting experiences.
Environmental Awareness
I was pleased to see charging stations for electric cars, aluminum water bottles instead of plastic, refillable soap and lotion dispensers in the public spaces as well as in the rooms, and bottle filling stations next to the water fountains. However, I was disappointed to find plastic straws in the drinks.
Diversity
It’s hard to say how diverse the clientele will be since they are so new, but from what I could see of the staff, I give them high marks on diversity from the top down. The resort’s GM, Mehdi Eftekari, is originally from Iran. My fabulous tour guide for the day, Sales Manager Fabiola Sotomayor, is originally from Mexico. And I noticed black and Latinx front-of-house staff throughout the property.
Resort Amenities:
- Self-parking (complimentary)
- Underground valet parking (additional cost)
- Electric car chargers
- In-room tablet to access all resort services
- 24-hr fitness center (no Pelotons)
- Firepits for nightly lounging
- Bocce ball courts
- 2 pools, Jacuzzis and 5 fantastic Cabanas ($650 per day)
Whether a room, suite or private retreat, when you book your stay with Journeys Unparalleled, you’ll receive our preferred partner amenities:
- Daily breakfast for 2 per bedroom
- $100 one-time resort credit for room bookings ($200 for suites or residences)
- Upgrade if available at check-in
- Early check-in / late check-out if available on the day of arrival / departure
- Complimentary standard internet and premium internet in all suites and residences.
Contact us if you’d like to learn more or want to book a stay: info@journeysunparalleled.com.