This place is ethereal. My friends and I rented Riverstone Ranch this past weekend for a birthday…read moreand were completely blown away. The estate is located on the banks of Russian River and only a pleasant 20 minute walk away from Downtown Healdsburg. We arrived after dark to find our friends around the fire pit enjoying some incredible barbeque. I was pretty impressed even with my first walk through of the property in the dark! There are a series of elegantly themed cottages surrounding a main Queen Anne Style home. Whoever decorated this place is a genius. Every corner has a unique detail to discover! There is a rooster house with all kinds of adorable pieces and an Oak house with a tree through the kitchen! The spread out cottages allowed for privacy and serenity. I've never slept better! In the morning, I woke up surrounded by the electric colors of fall. I also noticed that the estate was surrounded by all kinds of colorful fruit trees and vegetation. None of us wanted to leave! Sweet sweet escape. It only took us an hour to get back to San Francisco! I can't wait to go back!

Not cheap, but spectacular! The owners have spared no expense in remodeling, and it shows; a great…read morelocation overlooking the river, with all the amenities. We had 19 of my extended family staying there for a wedding, but with multiple buildings, there was room to spread out so we weren't always in each other's hair. And with a heated pool, ping-pong table, (gas) fire pit, horseshoes, grill, patio+decks (plus frisbee golf in the works), there's something for everyone to do. Truly a wonderful getaway and special treat for my sister's wedding weekend. My two small tips for the owners: 1) buy a few pool toys like noodles and inner tubes, and 2) put a small fence around the frog pond so kids can't fall in.

Icaria Winery, Cloverdale, CA - September 1, 2023 This was…read morethe second and final winery of the day for us. We had tasted earlier in the day and were ready for one more tasting adventure. Tastings here are by appointment only. I learned that texting in my appointment request worked very well. We were able to get a 3 pm appointment. Due to its location, you'll get a text explaining how to get to the location and what to do when you get there for parking. This is a pretty small scale family-run winery operated out of the basement of a house that is at the top of a hill not far out of town. There are about 50 acres of wine grapes grown down below. The tasting fee is reasonable - $20/person, compared to other wineries in the Alexander Valley area that have $40+/person tasting fees. Our host was family member Helen, who was charming and knowledgeable and she poured our wines and explained a little about each one. We also got to meet and talk to her husband and winemaker, Greg, We got to taste their Chardonnay, Zinfandel, a couple of their cabs, and a very recently (that morning) bottled Pinot Noir. Everything was very delicious as we sipped our wine overlooking the vineyard below. All the wines were very reasonably priced I thought, considering their outstanding quality $35 - $65. We bought a bottle of the Cab. Sauvignon and the Pinot Noir. We have every expectation they'll be delicious when we open them.

The total definition of a hidden gem! Who would have known that this beautiful tasting room was…read moretucked away in the hills of Alexander Valley?! Came here with a friend during a wine tasting event, and we were both blown away by the aesthetics and the Cabernet! This was hands down some of the best Cab Sauv that I have ever tasted in my life. That kind of Cab that makes your eyes roll to the back of your head with each and every sip. Yeeep... like that. 'Twas extraordinary and I lived to tell it. Upon entering their estate, there's a long windy one way road. It was our first time there and we didn't realize that it was a one way road until we got closer to their grounds. It's pretty gnarly! We didn't realize that they have a shuttle bus that transports guests up to their estate. Whoops! Make sure you don't make the same mistake we did and park at the bottom of the hill and wait for that shuttle. Trying to turn around to go back down that one way street is scary, but we made it work. From first glance, the estate looks like a charming old house on the hill. In fact it is, but you'd never expect what's hiding in the backyard. A full on patio tasting area with jaw dropping views of the valley beneath. Our eyes instantly lit up when we made it to the back patio of their estate. Is this even real?! It was stunning and extremely intimate. We were only one of three groups (one group left shortly after we arrived). It felt like we almost had the place to ourselves. The owner/winemaker (Jeff Smith) and his wife (Helen Smith) are so down to earth and hospitable. They poured us our wines and told us about what we were tasting. I love visiting and supporting small family owned wineries like this. It's such a special and intimate experience. Every wine that we tried was exceptional. Their Cabs are just friggin' mouthwatering, and this is coming from a gal who doesn't drink Cab all too often. But let me tell you; their cabs are so damn smooth. It's literally like silk. Still bold like a Cab should be but extremely balanced. Boldness without the super tannins. When it hits the back of your throat, it just opens up with so much complexity. These are Cabs that don't need food to bring out their flavors; they can be enjoyed all by themselves in completely delightfulness. But, I KNOW that they would be amazing when they are being paired. Just exceptional Cabs. I'm actually so grateful that we came across Icaria during the wine tasting event because I'm not sure if I would have discovered them otherwise. If you're looking to taste in the Cloverdale area, Icaria should be at the top of your list of wineries to try.

We stayed at Two Thirty Five Luxury Suites for our wedding weekend. It was the most enjoyable stay!…read moreWe stayed in the Fitch Mountain Suite which has a balcony overlooking the Square. It could not have been better! Can't wait to come back! Recommend this place 1000%!!!

Our stay at 235 Luxury Suites in Healdsburg was fantastic. There were 10 of us vacationing…read moretogether. We rented two suites so everyone or couple had a private bedroom and ensuite. Our suites were next-door to each other so we were able to share happy hours and breakfasts together. The units are perfectly designed, decorated and located near restaurants, bars and shopping. Everything was spotless and well equipped. The communication process was excellent and the staff was friendly. We are already planning another trip to 235!

My wife and I had always talked about how one year, we would like to go out to northern Sonoma with…read moresome friends and rent a house in a vineyard. This was the year it happened. Pezzi King has a guest house on the estate overlooking the working winery. The house has 4 king bedrooms, each with its own bath. (One of the bathrooms is across the hall from its room.) And each bedroom has a door opening to the outside with tables and chairs nearby. This worked out great as it allowed 4 couples to go on the vacation. We were together but each had our own space if we wanted it. There was satellite TV hooked up in each bedroom, but no TV in the main common area. Come winter, the fireplace would be nice. The weather was beautiful so we spent most of our time on the deck looking over the vineyards and winery. Two nights we grilled out on the deck's BBQ. There is a full gourmet kitchen if you would rather cook inside; almost overkill for breakfast. There is a hot tub which was used a couple of evenings after dinner. The drive up the mountain to the house after dark can be a little nerve rattling due to some of the hairpin curves. Biggest issue was that the house wi-fi was spotty at best. Most days we couldn't even connect. All in all, we had a good time and made lots of great memories.

We booked a place and then the owner/host messaged me and asked me to pay for and stay another…read morenight and when I communicated I could not they cancelled the reservation. Very sketchy and disappointing.

Our trip to Healdsburg got cancelled because of the wildfires and mandatory evacuation in the area…read more However, Shante made the whole process of cancellation seamless. She worked with us till the night before our departure and called airbnb herself to cancel our booking, despite the place not having free cancellation. We hope to stay at his place some time in the future and enjoy the home!

Wonderful relaxing spot in the mountains. Great for families and large groups with affordable…read morerates. The cabins are rustic and you must clean them at the end of your stay which isn't hard as they provide mop and broom for you. The pool is cold and refreshing and the overall atmosphere is friendly. The owners are a wonderful family of hard working individuals who have dedicated their lives to the success of this place. Long term families who come year after year are appreciative of having a stable, familiar place to reunite with their families and friends year after year. They're old school and it's good. So don't expect payment by app or wifi. You may have to leave a message but they'll get back to you. They're a family run business and they're busy people! Busy making others' vacations dreams a reality.

Whispering Pines is a great distraction from the Grind…read more You won't find zip lining or parasailing, but if you're lucky you'll find something you've been looking for your whole life - family connection. My extended family has been coming to WP for 44 years now, and while I can't always get away from the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley life to join in, I appreciate every moment I spend here. It's just regular people from the Bay Area escaping the madness for a little while, reconnecting with family and friends and enjoying a beer (or two...) It is as enjoyable as you make it. While there is a pool for adults and kiddos, bocce ball, tennis court, bbq area, swings and playground, there are also porches on each cabin, which is a key ingredient for us. Time spent on these porches growing up with family and friends have created memories that will last a lifetime, and I thank the Strickler family for every one.

Our trip was scheduled for April of 2020. We had made reservations and paid in full $5653.57 not…read moreincluding an additional $1500 damage waiver that was to be refunded after our stay. Covid 19 restrictions and stay at home orders caused us to cancel our trip. Keep in mind it would have been against California law for us to travel to or stay at this location during this time. The Wine Stay is refusing to refund any of our money paid including the $1500 damage deposit. Total $7153.57. When offered a stay credit for the same house, the same week 1 year later the cost of the house is suddenly $2600 more to stay at then what is listed on their website currently. The Wine Stay may offer beautiful homes to stay in but they are horrible people who are using Covid 19 to turn a profit. Shameful.

While this house may be lovely, stay far far away from Healdsburg Experience, the so called…read moreProperty Manager. Your dream vacation will be filled with problems. There are other reviews on Yelp saying the same thing. We should have listened.

All I can say is wow! What a hidden gem. We were going to a family dinner in Loch Lomond and…read moreneeded space for 11 people. This came up in my searches and I was a bit skeptical that maybe the pictures were not telling the entire story. Boy was I thrilled when I walked in the room. The attention to detail and the cleanliness was incredible!! The pool area was perfect. We felt like we had the entire space to ourselves. We also loved the gate with the code to get in. Made us feel super safe. Highly recommend staying here.

Fantastic stay! Our room was fabulous and felt like we were in another world. We could walk to…read morecoffee & breakfast, pizza & groceries and there is a steakhouse across the road. The checking in / gate & door codes worked without issue and the communication was attentive and thorough. Cobb is on the up & up here.