Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa: The Fairest of them All

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa: The Fairest of them All

By Emma Krasov. Photography by Yuri Krasov

This is a story of a birthday celebration in California wine country that rivals royal pool parties and gourmet festivities at the best hotels restaurants of the world. Just because my dear husband was approaching the age of retirement I felt compelled to cheer him up and make sure his personal new year was graced with a great experience of pure joy.

After traveling the world as part of my journalistic career, and staying in luxury hotels from London to Lima, Madrid to Montpellier, and Singapore to Shanghai, I can confidently attest to the fact that there’s no place like home, or rather, like Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, barely an hour and a half drive from our house!

The historic boutique resort located in the lush Sonoma Valley, and known for the healing power of its geothermal waters, is definitely a place of strength, but its boundaries are almost imperceptible from the outside, where the Boyes Hot Springs’ thoroughfare, Boyes Boulevard, connects the wine country community to the Highway 12 corridor.

You wouldn’t guess that a typical suburban road lined with family homes and retail businesses leads to a magic world of endless charm and serenity. This place’s special atmosphere envelopes you right away when you enter the hotel grounds, and find yourself under a wide canopy of a century-old sycamore tree towering above the main entrance of the Inn. Its long branches are decorated with strings of clear glass bubbles sparkling in the midday sun, and illuminated with twinkling lights at night. The only sound you hear is a cheerful birdsong and a soothing murmur of a large garden fountain—one of many scattered throughout the campus.

There are 226 guest rooms and suites in multiple Spanish Revival-style hotel buildings, but all of them are surrounded with so much greenery—fragrant eucalyptus, old redwoods, majestic oaks, leafy bushes and flower beds of perennial natives—that nothing would disturb your sweet solitude and the meditative reverie induced by the very air here.   

Our most romantic, secluded and luxurious Mission Spa Suite was tucked away at the edge of the property, amid tall foxglove stalks and hydrangea shrubs.

Nothing could be more pleasing for a weary traveler than a smartly laid out large room with a sizeable balcony behind the double doors, the four-poster king-size bed, separated by a movable curtain from a Jacuzzi tub for two, and a cozy sitting area in front of a wood-burning fireplace. There was even a sweet birthday treat waiting for us on a coffee table! And since the hotel includes a welcome bottle of local wine with every stay, we jumped to the opportunity to start celebrating right then and there!

Not skipping a bit, we continued our wonderful mini-vacation enjoying a signature Complimentary Wine Tasting hour that happens in the tremendous hotel lobby daily from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. That day, the featured California wines were presented by Gigi Gleason, a wine educator of Bouchaine Vineyards in Napa, and Mike Jones, an experience lead of Ricci Vineyards in Carneros. Some of the hotel guests came to the wine hour straight from the pool, spa, or gym, happy and relaxed, clad in white terrycloth robes provided in every room.  

Then we hurried to the major attraction of the Inn—the Main Resort Pool, fed by the underground mineral hot springs. Naturally heated, and kept at 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the family-friendly pool is large and graduated enough for a kid’s section, lap swimming, and just lounging, floating on buoyant pool noodles to one’s heart’s desire in indulgently warm water. Besides this open-air body of water, marked by the signature water tower, and served during the day by Water Tower Bar, the Fairmont Spa, a 40,000 sq. ft. facility features five separate adults-only thermal pools, a Watsu treatment pool, and a Roman bathhouse.

By dinner time, we were ready for the ultimate feast at the French-Mediterranean Santé restaurant in the main lobby. Recently renovated, it exudes warmth, elegance, and romantic vibe with its upscale interior décor, futuristic circular chandeliers, original murals, plush armchairs around nicely spaced-out tables, and skilled, friendly service that makes you feel welcome and well taken care of.  

Our celebratory dinner, created by the experienced kitchen team, led by Chef de Cuisine Jennifer Venezio, started with The Old Mission cocktail—Woodford Reserve bourbon, Argonaut Saloon Strength Brandy, Figcello (artisanal fig liqueur), bitters, and a glass of the famed Silver Oak Alexander Valley cabernet sauvignon from Santé’s 500-label wine list, dominated by the best brands from Napa and Sonoma.   

With Northern California’s fresh produce at her fingertips, the master chef emphasizes locally-sourced ingredients, mostly from organic farms, in her creative, bright and memorable dishes. Crudités d’aubergine of multicolored heritage carrots, radishes and asparagus, dipped in roasted eggplant puree with capers, pine nuts, and mint showcased both the chef’s talent and the incredible freshness of seasonal vegetables. Braised Duroc pork cheeks smothered in Castelvetrano olive-caper relish and sweet peppers, acquired an intriguing crunch, topped with crunchy Pangrattato—a mixture of toasted breadcrumbs, olive oil, garlic, and herbs, derived from Italian cuisine.

Our main courses were also a testament to California bounty. Crispy-skinned Pan roasted Petaluma Liberty duck breast with a side of orange and citrus gastrique, braised fennel, and heirloom carrots came from a well-known Sonoma County Liberty duck farm, while the juicy Niman Ranch lamb ribs, garnished with butter beans, housemade lamb sausage, fava beans, and mint, were produced in a small coastal town of Bolinas, north of San Francisco.

For dessert, we shared a Paris-Brest “bicycle wheel”, made of choux pastry cut in half, filled with rich praline mousseline cream, and decorated with shaved almonds. That was worth every delicious calorie packed in it!

After a leisurely walk around the campus, and a good night sleep in our super-comfy suite, we had a lavish Santé breakfast of Dungeness crab eggs Benedict, Croque Madame, and abundant freshly-brewed coffee that’s also offered complimentary to all hotel guests every morning in the lobby.

Among the many perks of staying at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, there are regular wine tastings, Friday night live music, and Sunday Supper Clubs. Coming up this month, there’s a debut of Lori Austin Gallery, a new pop-up fine art venue with the opening reception on Thursday, July 16, from 5 to 7 p.m., complimentary and open to the public. The gallery will welcome resort guests, local residents, collectors, and art lovers for an evening of celebrating Sonoma’s artistic community.

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa is located at 100 Boyes Blvd, Sonoma, California. For reservations, call 1-800-441-1414 or (707) 938-9000, or visit https://www.fairmont.com/en/hotels/sonoma/fairmont-sonoma-mission-inn-spa.

Santé restaurant hours are: Breakfast 7–11 am, Sunday Brunch 7 am–1 pm, Dinner Thursday–Monday, 5:30pm–8:30pm. Call (707) 939-2415 or visit https://www.fairmont.com/en/hotels/sonoma/fairmont-sonoma-mission-inn-spa/dining/sante.restaurant.

Lori Austin Gallery: https://loriaustingallerysonoma.com/.