3 Best Hotels in Petaluma, Napa and Sonoma

A stay at this downtown boutique hotel may leave you cooing Je l'adore ("I adore it") for its colorful palette, French-quirky style, and individually decorated standard-sized rooms, larger suites, four Airstream trailers, and two-bedroom cottage. Every morning, the beyond-cordial owners lay out coffee and all-you-can-eat self-serve crepes (included in the rate) in a cafélike breakfast space. Deep pastels reign in all the guest rooms, which have 65" 4K Smart TVs and air-conditioning (a boon in summer, as inland Petaluma often heats up).

The former Carlson-Currier Silk Mill, its oldest section dating to 1892, houses this atypical Hampton Inn, some of whose guest rooms have 14-foot ceilings and exposed-brick walls. Historical maps and vintage and recent Petaluma photographs decorate the rooms, done in rich gray tones that complement the red brick. Some standard queen rooms feel small, but the suites are spacious. Business travelers enjoy access to photocopying and a few other amenities. A plentiful buffet is laid out each morning in the mill's former dye room, a contender for the chain's classiest breakfast venue.

Reasonable rates and vintage allure make this 1923 art deco property worth considering for budget travelers, especially those without a car (parking’s a pain) seeking a downtown location and a touch of style. The high-ceilinged, tile-floor lobby, decked out with contemporary sofas and chairs, has boutique-hotel appeal, but the rooms, furnished with less flair, are on the small side. The ground-floor Costeaux Bakery and The Shuckery seafood restaurant are excellent.