Coming from the east coast, I'm constantly mesmerized by all the beautiful spots just an hour and a half drive away from San Francisco. Sometimes I wonder if it's my honeymoon phase, but either way, I'm fangirling over here about SF. Every time we rent a car and drive over the Golden Gate, I'm like, are we sure we want to leave magical San Francisco? And then, each time, I'm in love with another part of Northern California.

Calistoga was one of the moments. I was excited to see a new place, but my expectations weren't set super high, and then the Brannan Cottage Inn and Calistoga swept me up with their charm.

Napa Valley is filled with beautiful towns and so much to offer. If you’re looking for a spot to use as your home base as you explore wine county, then I can’t recommend this quaint hotel enough.

The Rooms

We had an adorable King Cottage Room overlooking the outside patio and next to Sam’s General Store during our stay. We loved the contactless check-in and easy parking just a few steps from our cottage making check-in seamless. The bed was super comfy, and after a full day in wine country, we slept like rocks.

The bathrooms had heated floors and even a heated toilet — which was very new to me! Of course, since we were staying during the summer, all of that wasn’t as necessary, but I can imagine it being such a luxury during the cold months.

Though the rooms were small, there was plenty of storage for belongings with the spacious closet and storage in the bathroom. It felt like the perfect size for Michael, Frankie (our pup), and me. We only stayed one night, so we didn’t have too much stuff, but of course, Michael insisted on bringing his road bike so he could cycle during our visit and we had plenty of space!

The Grounds

My favorite aspect of the whole property -- the patio and grounds. Don't get me wrong, when you're in Calistoga and wine country, you're likely not spending a ton of time in your hotel or Airbnb, but it's still nice having a special place to come back to after a long day. The patio, which was just steps from our door, was set up nicely to enjoy a glass of wine or picnic basket (actually, just have both!) from Sam's General Store.

We had spent the day traveling, meeting up with friends at Roth Winery, and by the time we checked in to Brannan Cottages, it was so nice to grab a glass of wine and sit with Michael. We enjoyed the delicious sandwiches and salads from Sam's Market with our Lola Pinot Noir and loved seeing the sunset through the trees.

If you stay at Brannan Cottages, I highly recommend reserving a basket for your check-in day and enjoying the patio! It was such a treat to enjoy upon arrival.

Location

Brannan Cottage Inn, located d in the heart of Calistoga, CA, is an easy 15-minute drive to St. Helena and about 30 minutes for Healdsburg. If you're looking for a convenient spot to stay while exploring Napa Valley, then I highly recommend Brannan Cottages and the town of Calistoga. There's so much to offer in the immediate area, but it also gives you to explore other areas of Napa and wine country.

We enjoyed having most of our meals at Brannan Cottages with the conveniences of the general store and cafe on-site, but there were so many restaurants we can't wait to try when we return like Solbar and Fleetwood. During our first night stay, we did venture to St. Helena for an amazing meal at Charter Oak and the ambiance and food were both top-notch.

Part of our stay included coffee from the cafe and delicious pastries. I opted for the morning bun (because I can't say no to them) and Michael enjoyed the almond croissant. Everything else looked delicious though.