It’s nearly impossible to find a place to stay in Healdsburg in the summer. Everywhere is crazy expensive and almost everywhere has a 2 night minimum. I paid close to $300 a night to stay at a Hampton inn in Windsor last summer…a cool ten miles away from Healdsburg. So, one of the reasons I actually love wine country in the winter, is that you can stay overnight without the craziness the summer tourists bring.
When I was going to the Wilson Artisan Chili Competition, I thought: “you know, it would be super fun to stay up here.” My boyfriend and I love the restaurants, the shops along the square and well, the proximity to wine. I found a great deal on HotelTonight for one night at the Calderwood Inn, a property coincidentally owned by the Wilson Artisan Wineries. Knowing this was a steal, I booked it immediately for us.
The Calderwood Inn is a historic bed & breakfast, located about a 10 minute walk from the center of Healdsburg. Each of the rooms in the cute property is named for one of the wineries they own. We stayed in the Matrix room, located in the top floor corner. We had actually started our day at Matrix, so it felt like we came full circle.
When we checked in, the property manager, Laurie, personally showed us to our room. We noticed on the bed was a list of all the Wilson Wineries and that Calderwood inn guests are offered 10% off.
After settling in, we went to go sit in the beautiful living room. At 5pm, you are welcomed with some wine and a cheese plate. We stuck to matrix wine and I had some Russian River Pinot, while my boyfriend opted for their Zinfandel. His sweet tooth also immediately spotted the complimentary chocolate chip cookies that were put out by the coffee and tea station. These were a great pre-dinner treat.
We had a full day of wine tasting, so, when we got home from an amazing dinner at Valette, we were so excited by both how quiet it was and how comfortable the bed was. We slept soundly, waking up just in time for breakfast.
At 9am, all hotel guests eat breakfast together. Coffee is put out a bit earlier for impatient caffeine addicts like myself to get a fix before the meal. We had a lovely meal, which kicked off with a granola and yogurt parfait and ended with a plate of eggs and fresh squeezed orange juice. We mostly talking about the event we had gone to the day before since many of the guests had also gone! It was fun to see how different their experiences and taste preferences were. Laurie, ever the best hostess, also sat down at the breakfast table and enjoyed a cup of coffee to chat with everyone. I felt more like I was at home than I basically ever do when I stay in hotels.
It was raining during the duration of our stay, so I know I definitely want to make another trip up there when I can sit on their beautiful deck. Until next time, Healdsburg and thank you for the best little overnight stay! The Calderwood inn is as charming inside as the house is on the outside.
