Review: Montage Healdsburg

Why book? Set on 258 acres peppered with moss-covered California oak trees and surrounded by rolling vineyards, it’s the rare Sonoma wine country resort that perfectly channels its surroundings while offering all of the luxury resort trappings.

Set the scene: After getting off Highway 1 at the Dry Creek exit and wending along the loping Montage Way that leads to the property, it’s clear that this is not your typical California wine country resort. For starters, there’s no fronting or pretending to be in Tuscany or Bordeaux: there are no grand villa vibes, expansive lawns or European gardens. Instead, there is a refreshing “owning” of place and there is no doubt that you are in Sonoma. Every last element speaks to this: The architecture is NorCal modern, the landscaping goes heavy on oak and eucalyptus trees, rosemary and native shrubs; the color palette pulls from the surrounding sunbaked hills and vineyards (ochre, moss, wheat), and at the restaurant, nearly every single item, from the Russian River wines to the baby gem lettuces, are sourced from within a few miles. While Napa has a handful of large-scale, high end resorts, and Sonoma has a number of great places to stay, Montage Healdsburg is a first for Sonoma in terms of luxury and size.

The backstory: This is the first property in Northern California for the Orange County-based hotel and resort brand Montage International. Montage has long-loved properties in tony places like Laguna Beach, Deer Valley, and Palmetto Bluff. With its most recent resorts, the property in Los Cabos and this new spot in Healdsburg, the brand has made a real commitment to understanding and championing location rather than just opening up another fancy resort that could be anywhere in the world.

The rooms: There are 130 guest rooms and suites set on 258 acres of vineyards and oak groves. The structures, sort of modern bungalows, are freestanding with one or two units per building, delivering plenty of privacy and space . “Built to blend into the landscape” is a bit of a buzz phrase these days and can mean little more than paint color choice, but in Montage’s case, the term has some teeth. Acknowledging that the surrounding landscape is fragile (as recent wildfires that ripped through nearby parts of Sonoma and Napa have shown), the earth-hued structures are raised to disrupt the land as little as possible and were built in a way that preserved 22,000 of the property’s pre-existing oak trees. Rooms have an almost NorCal modern meets ryokan vibe—clean-lined with lots of light wood, sliding doors, and expansive cantilevered patios with private fire pits. There are considered accent materials and lovely organic shapes throughout; a woven leather bench, sandstone bricks in the bathroom (that opens out onto a huge outdoor shower); dried branches artfully hung on the wall.

Food and drink: The main restaurant, Hazel Hill, the Scout Field Bar, and the lobby form a sort of complex with an enormous patio creating an indoor/outdoor flow that takes advantage of the pleasant year-round weather. Nearly everything you want to eat or drink can be and is grown or produced in Sonoma and the menu at Hazel Hill spotlights the almost absurd bounty of this part of the state: Dungeness crab caught off the Sonoma Coast, produce, cheese and meat sourced from within miles, and a wine and beer list that doubles down on nearby vineyards and IPAs brewed up the road. The pool bar does a mean margarita and the grab-and-go Healdsburg Country store is great for an early morning coffee (from Sonoma roaster Flying Goat) and a pastry or a pressed juice; the store also has a large selection of locally made treats to pack away for later (honey, chocolate, soaps).

The spa: The spa, adjacent to the zero-edge outdoor pool and a full-service salon, is sleek and modern with 11 treatment rooms and a solid menu that delivers any type of massage, facial or body treatment one might want. Health and wellbeing are big in these parts (the storied hot springs and wellness town of Calistoga is about 20 miles away) and there is a deep, established pool of excellent practitioners--from massage therapists to yoga instructors--that Montage is able to dip into.

The neighborhood/area: Downtown Healdsburg is about 4 miles south of the property. It’s a cute town and it’s definitely worth poking around its shops and cafes one afternoon. There are a few excellent restaurants in Healdsburg, with the standouts being SingleThread and Valette. The resort is an excellent home base for exploring Sonoma’s many (as in hundreds) of wineries. The Russian River, Dry Creek and Alexander Valley wineries are all nearby. Montage has relationships with a number of them and can help plan visits, set up bespoke tastings, and provide private drivers.

The service: This is California afterall, and there is a friendliness and casualness that comes through. Everyone is professional, but it’s not a “wait to be spoken to” culture. Staff will strike up conversation, recommend a favorite winery, or offer tips on where to take one of the house e-bikes for a spin.

For families: The property itself is definitely family friendly. There’s kids programming, lots of outdoor space and a separate family pool is forthcoming. That said, unless you live in chilly San Francisco and want a dose of Sonoma sun, this is a wine country resort, meaning you’re probably planning on doing at least one day of tastings (something that doesn’t scream family fun).

Eco effort: The resort went out of its way to preserve as many of the original oak trees as it could when planning and building the resort. Many of the structures are elevated to prevent disrupting the land and drought-tolerant and endemic or native plants are used in the landscaping. The in-room amenity line is created in partnership with clean, vegan brand Gloss Moderne, and products from the gentle, plant-based brand Bāeo Essential Organics are provided to families traveling with children. As mentioned, the food and beverage program pulls almost exclusivity from local purveyors. There is also an onsite parking area with solar panels on the roof that provides about 20% of the resort’s power.

Accessibility There are several ADA rooms available that range in size and setup (including a king room, one with two queens and large suite); the main paths around the property are wide and paved.