The Wine Country - San Francisco: Spend Less See More - page 218

standard size, and it's an excellent fallback in an expensive area, even if it totally
lacks glamour (and if the parking lot is too cramped). I'm always a little nervous
when I stay at a super-budget chain like this because repeat business isn't impor-
tant to some roadside locations, but this place is run very well.
$-$$$ An excellent value for the price, the Sonoma Creek Inn 55 (239 Boyes
Blvd., Sonoma; % 888/712-1289 or 707/939-9463; www.sonomacreekinn.com;
AE, DC, MC, V) is cutely decorated (colorful bedspreads, fun lampshades, the odd
tile mosaic in the wall), starting at $79 weeknights/$109 weekends in winter to
$129/$169 in peak season. Rooms are a tad more spacious than they are at other
converted motels that are a bit older. There's also a little cafe on the grounds,
which makes evening meals easy when you're pooped. Another $20 buys you a
balcony or a pleasant walled patio with your own fountain, a terrific touch. Its
street is a little noisy (well, for Sonoma), and its neighborhood is strictly farm
community—meaning it needs some grooming but isn't unsafe—and you'll have
to drive a minute or two to get anywhere else in town. Check the website's spe-
cial offers—in low season, I've seen 3 nights for $160.
$-$$$ Negri's Occidental Hotel (3610 Bohemian Hwy., Occidental; % 877/
867-6084 or 707/874-3623; www.occidentalhotel.com; MC, V), a two-level motel-
style facility backed up against a stretch of rich forest in western Sonoma County,
isn't flashy, although there is a swimming pool. Mostly, it's just a simple crash pad,
in need of updating but respectable, and popular with scrimping visitors. Rates
from $85, although on its website, you can find a Sunday-through-Thursday deal
for $80. Suites, which have kitchens, go from $140.
$$-$$$ I like staying in the Russian River Valley, primarily because I find the
thick redwood forests so soothing and at odds with the open farmland I experi-
ence all day. The excellent Creekside Inn and Resort 55 (16180 Neeley Rd.,
Guerneville; % 707/869-3623; www.creeksideinn.com; AE, MC, V) is a complex of
apartments of varying sizes, all built on stilts above the forest floor. There are two
options: an individually themed and designed bed-and-breakfast room (mostly
$98-$105; the waffles you'll get are marvelous), and cottages with full kitchens
($125 for 2, $165 for 4; most have gas fireplaces). The staff here is genuinely
friendly and laid-back, and there's also a pool. The pubs and coffee cafes of down-
town Guerneville are a short walk away over a pedestrian bridge.
$$-$$$ The Russian River Resort (16390 4th St., Guerneville; % 800/417-3767
or 707/869-0691; www.russianriverresort.com; AE, MC, V) is a gay-specific inn that
parties more than its neighbors. Need proof? There's an annual “Buns and Baskets”
competition that has nothing to do with baked goods. In summer, its semi-rustic
appeal is combined with a lively social scene that is patronized by people, gay and
straight, from town—its nickname in these parts is the “Triple R.” There's an on-
premises restaurant, plus a bar that sees action until the wee hours. In winter, it's quiet
and prices drop to $70; the rest of the year expect to pay between $90 and $155.
$$-$$$ A sweet little inn right on the river, with views to match, Inn at the
Willows 5 (15905 River Rd., Guerneville; % 707/869-2824; www.innatthewillows.
com; AE, MC, V) starts its prices at $99 for its “roadside rooms,” in a self-explanatory