74 South Bay Accent COURTESY OF BARDESSONO (3) DESTINATION: WINE C OUNTRY BARDESSONO 6526 YOUNT ST., YOUNTVILLE; 707/204-6000. WWW.BARDESSONO.COM. T he Zen-flavored Bardessono Hotel in Napa Valley simply sizzles with an idyllic formula for intimacy. Guest rooms come complete with a stowaway massage table, gas fireplace and private courtyard. A three-hour sunset drive through Napa Valley in a snazzy Lexus is available with the hotel’s compliments. Afterward, you can turn up the heat in an outdoor hot tub and voilà! Instant romance. Tucked along a side street, this modern, two-story inn with 62 rooms is a gorgeous, eco-friendly retreat. Once on the premises, you are surrounded by tall grasses, trees, giant boulders, manmade ponds, a water-and-fire table and cozy outdoor dining alcoves. As evidence of Bardessono’s attention to sustainable details, it holds the prestigious platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Guest rooms are grouped in four enclaves dubbed Magnolia, Birch, Olive and Cypress, each possessing its own charm and its namesake trees. Each neighborhood features stone pathways, gardens and signature fountains. Guests appreciate the handmilled doors, coffee tables, desks and floors meticulously created from fallen trees. Building exteriors are also of recycled wood, and walls and accents are made of repurposed limestone. Stylish with modern décor, the light-filled rooms offer deep beds topped with 100 percent Egyptian cotton linens. Roomy bathrooms with showers and jetted tubs are generous enough for two. There’s even a doorbell by your front door so your spa butler can alert you to his presence. And while you really should unplug, all the tech essentials are here—flat-screen TVs, iPod docking stations, virtual surround speaker system, wireless Internet. Rooms are designed to be as allergy-free and energy efficient as possible. No furry throws here! Instead of draperies, think Guest rooms at Bardessono, like this luxurious steam-spa suite, offer private spa bathrooms with concealed massage tables. motorized exterior shades. No wall-to-wall carpeting, but area rugs. When you leave, sensors will shut down the lights, fireplace and climate control system. The largest rooms are the Tufa Suites, approximately 780 square feet on the ground level with a dual indoor steam shower, soaking tub with a garden view, two flat-screen TVs and living room. Enjoy breakfast pastries on a private, furnished patio or a loofa scrub in an outdoor shower. There are five outdoor soaking tubs on the patios of various rooms, and it’s a good idea to snag one when you make reservations. The Steam Spa Suites are also located on the inn’s ground level and come equipped with a dual-shower steam room and a fabulous garden patio. Upstairs, there are Spa Suites with balconies and glorious views of the Mayacama Mountain Range. Care for a dip? Head to the outdoor rooftop pool and hot tub, then laze around in one of the sheltered, bedlike cabanas with their puffy, colorful pillows. And of course, light fare and drink service is available from the upstairs food counter. As luxurious as the rooms and amenities are, you’ll want to leave the inn at some point and explore the surroundings. When the mood strikes, borrow the hotel’s Lexus. If you’re uncomfortable driving it yourself, the staff can give you a lift to dinner or to a local winery. Or, try tooling around town on a lightweight, high-end carbon fiber bike. You can use one from the hotel’s fleet; for fun, reserve the tandem bike for you and your Valentine. Lucy Restaurant and Bar, formerly known as the Restaurant at Bardessono, has been revamped as a top-notch, stand-alone dining destination. The changing menu is focused on farm-fresh ingredients, many from the restaurant garden’s supply of fruits, veggies and herbs. According to the executive chef Victor Scargle, this season the garden produced more than 31 different tomatoes and more than 20 types of peppers and chilies. The emphasis here is “field-to-fork” cuisine. Bardessono garden yields fresh ingredients for dishes such as English Pea Soup with pea blossoms.
South Bay Accent - Feb/Mar 2015
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