There are considered accent materials and lovely organic shapes throughout a woven leather bench, sandstone bricks in the bathroom (that opens out onto a huge outdoor shower) dried branches artfully hung on the wall.įood and drink: The main restaurant, Hazel Hill, the Scout Field Bar, and the lobby form a sort of complex with an enormous patio creating an indoor/outdoor flow that takes advantage of the pleasant year-round weather. Rooms have an almost NorCal modern meets ryokan vibe-clean-lined with lots of light wood, sliding doors, and expansive cantilevered patios with private fire pits. Acknowledging that the surrounding landscape is fragile (as recent wildfires that ripped through nearby parts of Sonoma and Napa have shown), the earth-hued structures are raised to disrupt the land as little as possible and were built in a way that preserved 22,000 of the property’s pre-existing oak trees. “Built to blend into the landscape” is a bit of a buzz phrase these days and can mean little more than paint color choice, but in Montage’s case, the term has some teeth. The structures, sort of modern bungalows, are freestanding with one or two units per building, delivering plenty of privacy and space. The rooms: There are 130 guest rooms and suites set on 258 acres of vineyards and oak groves. With its most recent resorts, the property in Los Cabos and this new spot in Healdsburg, the brand has made a real commitment to understanding and championing location rather than just opening up another fancy resort that could be anywhere in the world. Montage has long-loved properties in tony places like Laguna Beach, Deer Valley, and Palmetto Bluff. The backstory: This is the first property in Northern California for the Orange County-based hotel and resort brand Montage International. While Napa has a handful of large-scale, high end resorts, and Sonoma has a number of great places to stay, Montage Healdsburg is a first for Sonoma in terms of luxury and size. Every last element speaks to this: The architecture is NorCal modern, the landscaping goes heavy on oak and eucalyptus trees, rosemary and native shrubs the color palette pulls from the surrounding sunbaked hills and vineyards (ochre, moss, wheat), and at the restaurant, nearly every single item, from the Russian River wines to the baby gem lettuces, are sourced from within a few miles. Instead, there is a refreshing “owning” of place and there is no doubt that you are in Sonoma. For starters, there’s no fronting or pretending to be in Tuscany or Bordeaux: there are no grand villa vibes, expansive lawns or European gardens.

Set the scene: After getting off Highway 1 at the Dry Creek exit and wending along the loping Montage Way that leads to the property, it’s clear that this is not your typical California wine country resort. Why book? Set on 258 acres peppered with moss-covered California oak trees and surrounded by rolling vineyards, it’s the rare Sonoma wine country resort that perfectly channels its surroundings while offering all of the luxury resort trappings.

Montage hotels