The Lodge at Sonoma has unveiled a property-wide transformation at the same time joining Marriott International’s Autograph Collection. The redesign covered all of the hotel's internal spaces, including all its 182 accommodation options, along with new dining concepts, signature rituals and immersive offerings that go beyond grape stomping.
The renovation honors the local craft of the region: The property’s mission-style architecture has been preserved as a tribute to the town’s Mission San Francisco Solano, while a refreshed front drive contains lush landscaping, a pergola and a fountain with fire features.
The open-concept lobby has floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the surrounding hills. Design elements include handwoven Mexican textiles and Native American-influenced artwork, along with a large custom tapestry with a historic representation of Sonoma Square’s Mission building. A live-edge wooden table—reclaimed from a 100-year-old oak tree—anchors a seating area.
Updated Accommodations
Among the accommodations, the Cottage Suites and Cottage Rooms now have private outdoor soaking tubs and fireplaces in some rooms.
New in-room artwork across all accommodation types honors the skilled basket weaving of the region’s native Patwin, Wappo and Miwok tribes. Indigenous landscaping has also been added throughout the resort grounds, along with an outdoor sculptural art program honoring the four elements that inspired the Sonoma Mission—the region’s weather, water, land and building materials.
New Culinary Concepts
The Lodge at Sonoma's culinary concepts underscore creativity and seasonality through partnerships with local farms. Chef Michael Mina’s first wine country restaurant, Wit & Wisdom, serves California cuisine using products from local Sonoma and Napa Valley artisans. A hearth oven, an outdoor bocce ball and a "world-class" wine list are some of the highlights at Wit & Wisdom, which also has a cocktail program by Camber Lay, a celebrated bartender at the San Francisco Bay Area.
Adjacent to the lobby is the brand-new Benicia’s Kitchen, serving up farm-fresh fare for breakfast and lunch. High Horse Bar is a horse trailer-turned-poolside bar that pokes fun (in good spirits) at its fellow wine country city, Napa. The renovated pool deck has new, modern fire pits, customizable cabana packages, poolside bites and beverage service.
Experiences
Among the experiences, guests may like to visit the “Dream Wall” at the Heritage Oak space beneath the property’s 400-year-old valley oak tree. Guests can write down their personal dreams and place them in a bottle. Over time, the resort will gather this paper as compost and add it to the soil that feeds the vineyard and trees on-property. In this way, "guests’ dreams will live on at The Lodge at Sonoma."
Pretty cool: There is a self-serve lobby wine experience for guests to enjoy the region’s renowned flavors on their own time. During their stay, guests are invited to unwind with a new “Sonoma Soak” ritual, which includes relaxation-inducing bath amenities delivered directly to their doorstep. Grape-harvesting, cheese-making for private groups, and bicycle route maps for the resort bikes are also offered, along with more experiences off-property.
After a day of adventures, guests can retreat to the Raindance Spa for locally inspired treatments that highlight an array of indigenous botanicals found throughout the property and region—from antioxidizing wine facials to hair masks made from locally sourced olive oil. An apothecary-style retail boutique allows guests to hand-select scents and ingredients they wish to use in their treatments or take home with them as a keepsake.
For more information, visit www.thelodgeatsonoma.com.
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