The Stavrand Russian River Valley

A colleague of mine recommended Stavrand and so I booked it as a birthday getaway-- it was PERFECTION! Everything I wanted and more! This might just need to be an annual tradition. The only flaw was the alarm on our bedside clock going off at 6am(!) BUT I have to say, if that hadn't happened I wouldn't have gotten to sip coffee downstairs in a cozy nook while reading my book and gazing at the foggy redwoods out the big beautiful windows. So I can't complain! We will be back.

The property was absolutely charming as were the staff and other guests. I can't wait to go back!!

We stayed in the historic Belden House, which has a really inviting sitting area that wraps around the pass-through fireplace and offers wonderful views onto the property. Additionally, the fruit trees in the large garden area on the grounds were loaded, and we were generously invited to pick at our leisure to take fruit home with us. The pool and hot tub were well-kept and pleasantly surrounded by redwoods which provided ample shade. All in all, the facilities were very tranquil, and we liked the fact that we were able to quickly walk into town.

When we first arrived, we were greeted rather coldly with just a plain "Hi" from the woman sitting at the welcome desk. After checking in, we were shown to our upstairs room, but offered no assistance with luggage nor shown around the grounds. When we would come down to relax in the sitting area and get a hot drink, we were surprised that we had to use styrofoam cups instead of having nicer mugs/cups for guest use. The biggest disappointment, however, was breakfast. Perhaps it was our fault for not fully understanding what was included with the room, but we were expecting something somewhat gourmet. What we were given was a menu with a variety of very enticing but pricey breakfast options (e.g., $19 french toast). Confused, we then noticed the three rather modest complimentary offerings in the bottom corner of the menu (breakfast sandwich, overnight oats, granola bowl). The breakfast sandwich was especially bare-bones -- egg, sliced/toasted bread and some greens. Want a slice of bacon on that sandwich? That will cost you $6. For an upscale hotel like the Stavrand, this just came off as petty and, frankly, a bit insulting. They should either offer their full breakfast menu as a complimentary part of your stay or just simply drop the facade of an "inclusive" breakfast.

This hotel is a beautiful complex of buildings near Guerneville. It is a refreshing change from all chain hotels. It has a laid back vibe with very friendly and helpful employees. The room we had was very large, with plenty of comfortable chairs and plenty of wall outlets for charging devices. The lighting was good on both sides of the very comfortable king bed. The bathroom was large with very soft towels. A big plus is the breakfast that is included in the room rate. It is served in a beautiful room with a fireplace and lovely views. There is a hot option and a yogurt parfait option, with very good coffee that is available all day. A nice treat was the packages of s’mores ingredients that were set out each evening, ready to make on the fire pits on the very attractive patio. When we were there, it was too rainy and cold to actually heat up the marshmallows, but we still ate them. The prices at this hotel were quite high for a rather remote location in Sonoma Valley - ie not like high end Healdsburg or popular Sebastopol. That was our only hesitation about staying there, but we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

The property was lovely. The room was clean and large. Everyone was extremely nice and helpful. Breakfast was delicious. It is in a very good location. It's not fancy but it is a terrific escape. It felt like we were in a European inn. I highly recommend it.

This hotel is a one of a kind!! The staff were absolutely fantastic from the time I booked my room until the time I checked out!! The food at breakfast was amazing, the dinner at the hotel was alway amazing! My friends and I were treated like royalty. If there was anything we need and the hotel didn’t have, it was there for us the next day. Thank you to the amazing staff and this very special hotel, for everything.

A beautiful peaceful stay. Wonderful staff and grounds.

The In is historic and beautiful. Our room was luxurious with it's own patio with a spa tub. The location is good. Every morning the restaurant opened for Breakfast at 8:00am. . The menu is adequate but breakfast is not included in the room price which seemed excessive given the location. We had travelled all day and were looking forward to a dinner at the highly rated restaurant. It was very disappointing that it's only open on Thurs., Fri., and Sat.

Beautiful setting, excellent facilities

Cool, quiet room. Pleasant staff. Great breakfast.