Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
last count, it had listings for about 35 places combined. One reliable place to find
a rental is our old friend
craigslist
(http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby), which as I've
noted before in this topic, is heavily used in the Bay Area, probably because it's
free. You'll have to research and do your own background checks on your own,
because no one's minding the store there.
As for hotel and B&B rooms, given that even the simplest establishment
charges well into three digits for the night, you should prepare yourself to take the
smallest room they have. Sometimes, a place charging $350 a night to capture the
honeymooners and venture capitalists will have a $169 room stashed up the stairs
in a renovated attic—or some similar civilized arrangement.
Napa Valley Reservations Unlimited
(
%
800/251-6272 or 707/252-1985;
www.napavalleyreservations.com)
is a local outfit that arranges reservations in
everything, from motels to B&Bs to hotels, and may be able to find you some of
these smaller rooms in the cushier properties. Its home page has a link for “Xtra
Value Rates,” which is a gimmicky way of saying “deals.”
Make sure to ask if there's a minimum stay; lots of places impose minimums
of at least 2 nights, particularly on weekends. Also, Sonoma County has a 9%
nightly tax; Napa, 12%. For the scale of what the dollar signs preceding listings
mean, go to p. 21.
SONOMA COUNTY
Because the area has several midsized towns that are large enough to host a num-
ber of well-known budget brands (Extended Stay America, Motel 6, Quality Inn,
Ramada, Travelodge), the lowest-priced end of the accommodations market in
Sonoma tends to be dominated by the corporations. Check those companies'
websites for lodging in Santa Rosa and Petaluma, where most of the cheapest
rooms are. Make sure you visit their websites to make sure you're not passing up
a stellar value. You won't have a bucolic experience, but the rates, almost always
under $100, could make a Wine Country jaunt possible.
$-$$
One of those established national chains is
Extended Stay America Santa
Rosa South
(2600 Colby Ave., Santa Rosa;
%
800/804-3724; www.extended
stayamerica.com; AE, DC, MC, V).
You know the drill: fully equipped kitchens,
unlimited local calls, Wi-Fi, and no personality. But if you can stomach staying in
a busy town rather than nearer the countryside, you'll often have to pay only $79
to $99 a night to stay here, even in summer. There's a second property in north
Santa Rosa (100 Fountain Grove Parkway;
%
707/541-0959; www.extended
stayamerica.com)
that goes for another $20 per night, or around $99; it's probably
the noise of the 101 and the unappealing surroundings nearby that account for the
lower rates. The northern location is also near a big strip mall where supplies are
readily available. Both properties are in a city setting, so don't expect to rise and see
the mist over the vineyards through your window. Just expect to save money.
$-$$
I make no promises of beauty for
Travelodge Healdsburg
55
(178 Dry
Creek Rd., Healdsburg;
%
800/499-0103 or 707/433-0101; www.travelodge.com;
AE, DC, MC, V)
—it's in a blah industrial part of town with no bucolic appeal. (Of
course, in these parts, bucolic appeal is always just a 2-minute drive away.) But I
can vouch for the rates of $89 a night, and what's more, I can say that they've
done an excellent job in renovating and in running this place. It's clean, it's of
