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With 226 rooms and suites, two restaurants, two swimming pools, a 43,000-square foot spa and 21,000 square feet of meeting and event space, the Sonoma Mission Inn is the only luxury resort of its kind in the Sonoma Valley. If you're looking for a snug and intimate wine-country inn, this is not the place, but there's no better option for travelers who want access to a full range of hotel services and recreational amenities and who are not particularly concerned about cost.

The present hotel stands on the site of a Victorian-era thermal resort originally developed in the late 1890s. Today the entrance to the property is on a rather dreary commercial stretch of Highway 12 at the northern outskirts of Sonoma — certainly not the most scenic part of the valley, but the location is only a few minutes' drive from the Sonoma Plaza, and it offers easy access to the wineries and vineyards north of town. Recent renovations have expanded and upgraded the facilities, with a completely new spa and a greater range of accommodations, including the spacious and beautifully appointed new Mission Suites. The most affordable rooms, located in an older structure built after the original hotel burned down in the 1920s, have benefited from decorative upgrades, thought these rooms are significantly smaller and less appealing than the newer construction.

Rates typically begin at around $300 a night, with much higher price tags in effect for peak-season visits and the more desirable suite accommodations.

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa
100 Boyes Blvd.
Sonoma, Calif.
707-938-9000 or 800-257-7544
www.fairmont.com/sonoma