Picking the best discount Napa Valley hotel off the internet is a bit like internet dating. You do all your research, you check out the photos, you're thinking you just scored a date with Jessica Alba, but WHOA, here comes Rosie O'Donnel! Yikes! You see, as cool as the internet is, it's just plain hard to pick a hotel off those little pictures and clever descriptions. Just try to find a hotel in Napa that isn't "close to the wineries" and "perfect for a romantic getaway". I guess they wouldn't book as many rooms if they said "even closer to the wino's" and "get away while you have a chance"!
Thankfully, Local Wally is your new best friend if you're looking for the BEST HOTELS in Downtown Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga. You see, not only do I go to Napa Valley a lot, I also spent my last two trips visiting every hotel I could find in the area and picking the ones I would stay at. Look, you have to trust someone and we all know you can't trust the guy who writes their ad campaign, and you'll go crazy trying to figure out the truth off sites like Travelocity or Yahoo as no one there agrees on anything! So trust Wally, the "local" guy who doesn't put up with dumpy hotels, lousy locations, and crummy service. From finding the best budget hotel to the Five Star Resorts, I'll guide you to the best in your price range.
CLICK HERE FOR DISCOUNT NAPA HOTEL DEALS!
Downtown Napa Hotels / Yountville Hotels / St. Helena and Rutherford Hotels / Calistoga Hotels
Before you book a room you need a geography lesson
I know it all looks close on a map, but you have to trust me when I tell you that Napa Valley is BIG and that it's not that convenient to cruise from one end to the other. So where you decide to stay is VERY important and will have a tremendous impact on where you will dine and the overall experience. Some are in Downtown Napa, the urban and trendy area. Some are in Yountville, the quaint town with lots of restaurants and shopping. Others are in Rutherford and St. Helena area, right in the heart of the vineyards, or way up north in Calistoga, a wild west sort of town that features mud baths. In Napa Valley you'll find everything from Bed and Breakfast places that look a lot like Grandma's house ("Wally, do you have a girl in your room!???"), to top notch resorts with five star restaurants - and everything in-between. So choose carefully and don't just grab any hotel without looking at the location or you might find yourself doing a lot more driving than you wanted.
DOWNTOWN NAPA : Just like Mayberry, except with fancy restaurants and lots of wine bars. Cool and hip, but the furthest away from the wineries. There was a time when the only reason to stay here was the cheaper rates, but now downtown has become a true destination. Wine Train'rs, this is your stop.
YOUNTVILLE: My favorite area for a hotel. Closer to the wineries, and you can walk to restaurants like The French Laundry and Bistro Jeanty, my favorite. Some cynics have called this area touristy, but hey, you are a tourist! Great shopping mall with boutiques, country roads lined with vineyards, it's postcard perfect Napa.
RUTHERFORD AND ST. HELENA: This is where you'll find lodging nestled right up the vineyards and wineries. You want five star resorts? You want hidden boutiques? Follow me to the best.
CALISTOGA: Way up at the top of the valley, home to the mud baths (yes, mud baths). Diverse choices, from budget busting motels to wallet crunching resorts.
Find your dream Napa hotel the Local Wally way!
Big spenders love the patio at Calistoga Ranch |
Now that you found me , the rest is easy. You can go straight to the COMPLETE NAPA HOTEL GUIDE , a good place if you are looking for a specific hotel or resort because all of the Napa hotel options are listed there. This is where you can check rates and availability, and then book your room. You know what you're doing? Then go straight to the complete guide.
On the other hand, let's say that you've never been to Napa or perhaps trying to plan something special. Then skip the complete guide and go to the Wally guide using the buttons to the right. It's broken out by geography so you can pick the hotel in the area you want to stay in. Any hotel in my guides to the right have passed the Local Wally test - these are the places I would stay at, the places I'd have no problem sending my Mom to.
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 Top of the line, honeymoon and special anniversary quality. Ahhh, this is the good life. Expect valets to park your car (Damn, why did I rent a PT Cruiser?) and top notch restaurants on premises or walking distance away, spa facilities, the works!
 Very solid resort or hotel with excellent service, prime location with well appointed rooms and baths. Romantic, perfect for birthdays and anniversaries. Expect a nice pool, maybe a fireplace.
 When you just want to get away but not spend an arm and a leg, there are plenty of 3 Star options in Napa. Expect a good quality hotel. You might not be snapping pictures of the room to show off when you get home, but you won't be embarrassed to pull up, either.
 Bring in the cooler of Bud and let's par-tay! You won't find too many 2 stars that I recommend (and zero 1 stars), but to make my list a 2 Star hotel must be clean and safe and in a decent location. No one needs an angry spouse when you're in Napa. No "ho's" and no "jo's" to be found on my guide.
Wow, Napa hotels are expensive!
Depending on when you come, Napa hotels can be government bailout expensive. So be smart and be selective on when you visit if you want to save a few bucks on your ultimate Napa vacation. First, Summer is the most expensive time to come. If you must come in Summer, plan on a weekday trip to lower your costs and start your search in the downtown area to find cheaper rates - you can trust that any hotel listed to the right will be decent. Fall is Harvest time, or "crush" time. If you are choosing between Summer and Fall, I'd pick Fall as it's a bit less expensive (just a bit), the crazy let's hit as many wineries as possible crowds have thinned out, and there's not only the intoxicating smell of ripe grapes in the air but you'll get to see many wineries in action as they, well, crush the grapes.
The least expensive time to come is Winter. If you can put up with some possible rain, Winter offers a relaxing Napa experience with virtually no crowds at the wineries, no darn, I didn't make a reservation disappointment at the restaurants, and generally a more wine-centric experience as the pourer's have more time to talk and gab about the wines. Of course, that romantic picnic might be cancelled but you can replace it with a seat by the fireplace at Bistro Jeanty or Martini House, a fair exchange. Come Spring and Napa bursts with the brilliant vibrant yellow color of mustard plants blanketing the vineyards and hillsides. An awesome sight, you'll feel like you stepped into a High Def Plasma TV and someone turned up the contrast to full blast. Fewer crowds, cheaper rates, a good time to visit. Look for me if you come at this time as I am usually there - if see a cool guy taking way too many pictures of his food, go up and say "hey, are you Local Wally?" Who knows, it just might be me. If not, you've made a new friend.
And now, the final word from your pal, Local Wally
I'm hoping that you find my site helpful enough that you want to keep me in business so I can continue to help others. I am not a giant corporation pretending to be a little guy - I'm an actual, bonafied, honest to God "little guy" who just loves Napa and loves to write. My Napa hotel rates are some of the cheapest, and I don't add lots of "handling fees" at the end like hotels.com does. Bookings are done through a very reputable company called Advanced Reservations Systems, the same company the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Convention Center uses - I've used them on the original Local Wally site for over 10 years without one complaint. OK, yeah, I get a couple of bucks if you book through me but every penny I make goes right back into keeping this site alive. So if you like this site, if you think Local Wally has helped you plan a killer vacation, then hey, I hope you book through me to help me keep doing this for others. And every booking comes with FREE GOOD WINE KARMA, guaranteed to last through your trip to Napa!
Your Pal,
Local Wally |
