Sonoma Coast Villa & Spa

Spent 2 nights there last weekend. Beautiful grounds, very well kept. Included breakfast, Both days were almost exactly the same. Food fresh, first day was better than the second day. Rooms are good sized, furniture and decoration are nice. Queen bed comfortable, but not for two adults. Very friendly and helpful staff. Good location, very close to beach, hiking trail, and small towns and villages with very good restaurants. Highly recommend it.
Rufus & Martha

I didn’t stay here, but came for a few spa treatments. They were beyond what I expected. I had a massage and a facial, and each were outstanding. One of the best spa experiences I’ve had. Not your typical, run of the mill spa. Definitely more customized and special. Amazing grounds also. Beautiful.

In response to your feedback, Johannes… the following:
We would have loved to mention about the food and other things upon check out, but you were no where to be found… and no one at front desk, as usual. We had to order the food the second night, because obviously we could’t go elsewhere due to the storm. Our meal should have been comped due to the flooding in our room, which we could find no one to help us with for an hour… and not to mention it took an hour and twenty mins for the food to arrive. That is just nuts and no where near the type of thing I’d expect from a «luxury» resort. And if you charge a resort fee, you really should include WIFI with that. And to be charged a $ 35 cancellation fee, when we did NOT cancel but simply changed the date (called back on the same day, in fact, and one month prior to our stay) is truly ABSURD…
Come-on…all this nickel and diming is just ridiculous and does not reflect positively on your establishment, by any means!

Great weekend getaway the owner seems to get a hard time for his lack of interaction. I think people are just not used to a person that has an amazing work ethic today. .
The hotel and grounds reflect his hard work… he walked us to our room, got a cart and helped us with our luggage, told us about a road closure that would have cost us hours sitting in our car.
I travel for a living and I know a great manager when I see one. The people wanting mindless chatter, and something for nothing probably won’t be missed by him.
I will go back in the summer for sure !
Randy C

Not only was there no service, but now the owner charged our group for a bottle of $ 40 wine from the mini bar, that we never touched. From past Unilocal reviews, this has happened before. He even complained about my service dog. Full disclosure, I brought my service dog, complete with papers but the owner was never at the desk to present. I brought my service dog into the dining room, to accompany me at all times, and he said «No dogs allowed.» I complied but this is illegal. I’ve lodged a Discrimination complaint against his business to the US Dept of Justice. $ 300 night for this. Go somewhere else!

After reading many reviews, and some defensive responses, I need to add that when three people say there was no Chardonnay consumed from the mini bar, and they are mature women who could have afforded to pay for a bottle of wine, I believe that the proprietor needs to take the charge off of the bill. When it was first contested, it should have been checked whether this empty bottle really existed, or was it from another room? I was the one using the refridgerator, and do not recall seeing ANY wine in there at all.
We three drank two small bottles of champagne and a lot of bottled water, all which we brought in ourselves. All containers put into a separate bag for recycling.
In regard to the dog in the dining room, a service dog is by FEDERAL Law (Americans with Disability Act) in all restaurants, theaters, classrooms, everywhere. By not allowing the dog to stay in the breakfast dining room, the law was broken, and a lawsuit could be filed if the owner is so inclined.

Yeah it’s a beautiful property and nice rooms. The reason for the one star is the customer service, which there is none. Johannes (sp), is the guy who checks you in and makes breakfast. This guy should be in front of computer w/​o human contact. He is the king of one word answers. We arrived and he reluctantly checked us in and took us to our room. Actually we had to walk fast to keep up with him and eventually lost him. He never looked back or said anything, handed us the key and disappeared. This guy has no idea what hospitality is! I felt guilty staying there, didn’t want to inconvenience him. There was a wine tasting later in the afternoon in the lobby. He stood there poured a couple of tastes and continued to be rude. This guy should not be the face of this facility. Evidently he’s one of the owners as well, unbelievable. I recommend staying anywhere else in Bodega Bay.

We came to this charming villa to celebrate an early Valentine’s Day. The room, the grounds and breakfast were lovely. Johannes is an amazing person. He does EVERYTHING, from checking you in, acting as chef, and even chopping wood from trees so you can enjoy a delightful fire in your room. I have never seen anything like it. We hope to return soon. Delightful.
Maria & Ron
Orinda, CA

We decided to spend Thanksgiving here at the Villa. What a good choice that was! No stress, no mess, just a relaxing and delicious dinner served with an excellent champagne. This was our second trip to this facility, but it certainly won’t be our last. My son and his family came up to stay on Friday and they really loved the place too. During our first visit, I was too lazy to go to the breakfast served between 9 and 10 in the morning. I’ll never make that mistake again. The breakfast was a total delight, with some of the most fabulous pastries I’ve ever tasted. Our host Johannes makes the pastries fresh every morning. He is a master chef as well as a charming host! Plus, as my daughter in law says, «He’s got hella good hair!»
After staying here for two nights, I felt like I had been on a two week vacation and my husband Alex felt the same! The place has fabulous areas for walking and hiking. My two dogs, Harry and Zoe, love that aspect of it. They were able to see deer on their morning and evening outings!

First of all, we did not mean to book this place. We were on another property’s webpage and there was a
box that seemed like it was for the other place, but then the confirmation was for here. We were looking for a cottage at a different hotel. So, browser beware.
BRIDES ~ BEWARE. This is not the place for a perfect fairy-​tale wedding, although it will be priced like one, I’m sure. SCV is not the place for perfect. But it was nice for us as a getaway.
Pros:
–The place is pretty. Definitely a nice setting.
–We were originally booked into an average room. We had hoped for 2 separate rooms, (as advertised on the other place’s website) because I snore. It had a wall of glass windows which was BRRRRR, but there was a fireplace in the room. It was also right next to the spa, which probably would have been noisy.
Anyway, somehow the TV in that room was messed up, so we were moved to a MUCH nicer room. This one had a little sitting area where my husband could lay down his air bed and sleep with earplugs through my snoring. There was no charge for this upgrade, which was very nice. I would have given 2 stars if not for this gesture.
–Breakfast was a nice continental breakfast
Cons:
–Suspicious relationship with
–CANCELLATION FEE IS $ 950. Seems like a plot to scam, bait and switch, and then trap guests. I’ve never seen a reputable business charge so much for a cancellation fee.
— No cell service. Hotel WiFi doesn’t work and is $ 9.50/day. I called after the first day because it was so useless to make sure we weren’t charged for extra days (and we weren’t charged).
(My husband and I joked this was because the innkeeper doesn’t want you to find another place to stay).
It was frustrating, but once we let go of any communication expectations, we ended up having a nice, romantic stay. I’m a manager and I was on PTO, but still wanted to be in contact; I wasn’t. Luckily nothing happened. :)
(Hint: there is service in Occidental at the Union Hotel and cell reception in that town. Also, great breakfast at Howard’s with espresso drinks and FRESH SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE — YUM.)
–Don’t expect anyone to be able to call you in the room, either. The operator is only there intermittently. (Scam to make us make calls billable to the room?)
–The «jacuzzi» spa in our upgraded room had no way to turn on the spa. There were jets in the tub, but seemingly no way to use it. Oh well, it was just nice that it fit the 2 of us.
–Linens in disrepair. Threads hanging off towels. Frayed bathrobes (which are also small — my husband is not a big guy and it didn’t fit him at all). Frayed napkins at the breakfast table. The rooms are not cheap, so why is everything used here worn down?
–Frozen crème brûlée? I ordered from Room Service. The presentation was lovely. It was supposed to have lavender flavor, but I couldn’t taste it. Maybe if it was served at room temp like it usually is. It wasn’t bad for ice cream, but it was NOT crème brûlée in any sense I’ve ever experienced.
Overall, a lot of issues, but (like I said), once we settled in, we did have a genuinely good time. Probably will not be back, though. Still, very grateful for the room upgrade. I would only go here if you are ok to unplug completely and if you get a really good deal.

Great property, nice rooms but service is lacking. It’s not horrid, but when you are paying several hundred dollars a night you expect a little more
Breakfast and wine tasting was a huge disappointment.

Update — I wrote the hotel a letter asking for a credit of the pet fees and am awaiting for a response. If they refund the pet fee to my credit card then I will gladly change my review.

Just stayed here last night and it was the worst customer service I have not only received but ever heard of. A complete nightmare. if you are coming to the Sonoma coast for a relaxing vacation choose a different hotel, it is not worth the stress and anger of dealing with the terrible owner.
Not only was he running around doing every job; literally from answering phones, front desk, bartender, cook, room service (do they have any staff besides the roomcleaners and him?) but he is one of the most rude individuals I have come across, regardless of those not in the customer service industry.
I applaud the guy for working hard, but don’t charge ridiculous rates, call your self a luxury spa, and then get mad AT THE GUESTS for asking simple questions or bringing up complaints.
We ordered a «homemade» pizza requested margarite toppings, which he says ok on the phone to. An hour or more later he brings us an almost frozen, doughy, supreme digorno pizza with the cardboard still underneath which he had cooked the pizza on. Sad that he charges $ 18 for this sorry excuse of an undercooked frozen pizza that my 10 year old sister knows how to properly cook.
When we called to say the pizza was not cooked, he came back angerly, grabbed it out of my girlfriends hand, and stormed away. When I said excuse me to his back, he ran away.
When I went to the front desk to talk to the guy, he was not there, but I heard a door shut and looked for him. I saw him run into the kitchen, while calling after him. He then yelled at me to get out, I said there was no one at the front desk to talk to that is why I am looking for you. He continued to yell at me like this was my fault…
I won’t go on much longer, but I think you get the idea, there are plenty of excellent hotels right in Bodega a short drive closer to the beach.
Do not waste your time or money here

Disappointed with the service… yellow stains on the bedsheet… poor customer service by the one man show… So grumpy, feel scared asking for anything… u think he will just snap at you… The owner seems to be wearing lot of hats which greatly comprises the services… was only told about the over the top WIFI fees at the check out… no fresh towels at the spa… over charging for damage to blinds… only plus point is that the location is so pretty.

My husband and I bought two nights through
for ~1K for our anniversary in May 2015. We left disappointed and hope this will save someone else from wasting their money.
Pros:
+ The massage was fantastic!
Cons:
— No cell service, and hotel charges for wireless
— Overcooked dinner
— Putting green in horrible disrepair
— We were charged $ 18 on top of the $ 47/​person dinner price for water (which tasted suspiciously like the mineraly tap water) and 1 glass of wine
— Chairs around pool are broken to the point of being unsittable
— Shabby linens, iron burns on table cloths, polyester dinner napkins
— Innkeeper is friendly only if you’re interested in hearing about how he plans to turn the place into a cash cow with weddings
— Innkeeper seemed to know little about surrounding hiking trails, etc, despite having been there for ~10 years.
Head scratcher:
— There’s a NYT Travel article hanging in the office from more than 10 years ago (when it was under different ownership) RAVING about what a great place it was, about how much was included for the $ 249/​night rate (including minibar). We couldn’t fathom why the current owner kept it there, highlighting what he WASN’T doing to keep the place nice.
p. s. If you’re thinking about doing a wedding here, reconsider. Johannes is a bottom-​line man with little talent for hospitality. Consider the Marconi Conference Center just up the road.

I am so glad we happened upon this gem. Hubby had a job up north so the dog and I tagged along. It was a bit difficult finding a «dog-​friendly» hotel, which is how we landed at SCV. Only a select few rooms are dog-​friendly, so make sure you book the right room. I almost made a reservation online in a non dog-​friendly suite.
In any case, we arrived at the Villa and were blown away upon first sight. The grounds are beautiful and well kept. Parking is easy. The owner/​chef was just inside ready to check us in. He led us to our cozy clean room and graciously left us. I appreciate that he was friendly, but not intrusive. Our room had a fireplace, mini-​fridge, ample closet, and wine/​snacks (at an extra cost). The ceilings were partially exposed wood, giving it a warm cabin feel, but still remaining open since not all of it is wood. Comfortable bed, sofa facing the T.V. Dining table and 2 chairs and a separate area for writing. Large lovely shower and bathroom.
Now for the grounds. I don’t know where to start. Our first walk was at sunset. I felt as if I was in Tuscany. I think the word «wow» came out of my mouth no less than 100 times. We walked past an empty stable to a pond surrounded by tall grass. We sat on the well placed chairs with our wine while the dog sniffed around– all of us in heaven. Sitting there, you can watch the cows graze in the distance. Just magical. And when the sun completely disappeared, the stars were mesmerizing. On the way back to our room, we passed the compact holes of golf, several fountains, and a flat grassy area. We didn’t use the pool (too cold), but we did take advantage of the hot tub both nights. Perfect after a day working/​playing hard.
Now breakfast. Wow (there I go again). I did not expect the spread we received. Hard boiled eggs, fresh fruit: apricots, bananas, cantaloupe, blueberries, strawberries, yogurt, granola, pastries, bagels, cream cheese, jam, fresh salmon (and then lox the next morning), coffee & tea (served in gorgeous silver pots), and juice. The food was delicious and the presentation was special.
I am so grateful that we stayed here.
Warnings for city folk (like me:)):
Wifi is very slow! If you must feel connected at every moment, this is not the place for you. If you want to disconnect a bit from your computer and enjoy an exceptional experience, come here. Be aware of ticks! When you wander around in high grass, take a good inspection after.

This is a rustic, unique small business that welcomes pets. So our whole family was able to enjoy a lovely get-​away weekend.
We had terrific massages on site (well, not the pooch)…and the best vegan dinner ever! All the ingredients were natural and local, and very beautifully presented. The owner Johannes is the chef, and he was really attentive and funny. He is from Austria, trained as a chef in France, and has run restaurants throughout California. The breads, jams, and purees are all made from scratch by him… yummy!
The surroundings are like a sanctuary, tucked away but just yards from the main road. The grounds are lush and fantastic, and really well taken care of. In fact, the chef uses some of the flowers in the delicious meals. The spa is lovely, and the massage area are brand new and were built to match the original buildings. Everything is from a different time and place, and spotless clean. There is a great attention to detail, and a cohesive Tuscan theme. Even the classical music is tasteful. It would be a great place to host a weekend wedding. Or have a retreat.
We stayed in room #6, by the pool. It is a junior suite, and this room is huge! Brand new fireplace, TV, mini bar, nice shower with great pressure, hairdryer… everything you need. Nice, firm bed. Were the towels a bit used? Yes, but I am committed to a green life so it comforts me that things are fully used. And do you have to jiggle the key in the lock to gain entry to the room? Yes, but I was so happy to have a real key and not one of those plastic room keys from one of a generic hotel chain.
Cell coverage is spotty. I have Verizon, and got some signal sometimes. It was interesting to be unplugged. But we got signal as soon as we hit the main road.
We took an afternoon trip to Dillon Beach and Point Reyes, which was a great drive and there are lots of little spots to stop off at along the way. The beach was a little windy and overcast, and everybody out there is so friendly including the dogs.
The Sonoma Coast Villa is not cheap. But you can easily pay similar or more for a bland/​chain experience. The meals alone are worth it. It is increasingly hard to run a small business in California, and I am glad we haven’t chased all of them out. I felt sad to leave. I will be back to stay there, and I will bring friends!

I found this hotel through Groupon, and purchased it for a low-​key bachelorette party for three. Awful experience.
Johannes was extremely unorganized and offers VERY poor customer service. When I called to book the room I had made the reservation for a junior suite (but was then charged for a honeymoon suite), upon check-​in he argued this with me but we agreed to settle it when I checked out. (He refused to believe that I told him at booking that I had a Groupon. I know for a fact that I did.)
We tried canceled our spa treatments a few hours prior to the appointment (we decided to hit the beach instead since the weather was nice) he told us we would then be charged for the full price of the treatment, or we could reschedule for the next day and have to pay an additional $ 20 on top of the treatment. When we got back to the resort to try and talk with him about our options he accused my friend, who is 7 months pregnant, of being drunk and then told us we needed to leave the hotel in 10 minutes or he was calling the sheriff. At that point I had already paid for the Groupon AND the honeymoon suite (which we weren’t staying in.) All we were asking for was the cancellation policy that stated in writing what amount would be charged to cancel a spa treatment. And the sad thing is that we weren’t the only unhappy customers staying there.
The location is absolutely beautiful (and very close to good beaches), but I WOULD NOT recommend this hotel to anyone else.
Johannes, you should be nicer to your guests. We are paying good money to stay at your hotel. You might benefit from putting this motto into practice: «The customer is usually right.»
Customer service is EVERYTHING. Especially in the hotel business.

The grounds here are absolutely spectacular and breathtaking. The ambiance in the room and on the grounds is absolutely magical. It it’s very pricey so we looked at this as a big treat for ourselves!
We arrived very excited to begin our stay and were greeted by Johannes with a very cold hello. We got that feeling when we arrived it was a mistake. I felt maybe he was having a bad morning, but certainly is NO excuse how to greet your guests.
As others have mentioned the furniture in the room is stained and soiled from wear it needs to be updated as well as the towels and linens. The chairs by the fireplace were so soiled you could see the black on the headrest and on the ottoman.
Johannes the owner, is a very talented professional chef and hands down the food was amazing.
Had an amazing spa treatment and staff was very knowledgeable. The other staff members were friendly, thorough and very attentive to guests.
Johannes is rude and he does not engage in conversation. We felt his very curt manner certainly put a damper in the experience. He does not make you feel welcomed or that he values you as a customer.
I attribute his attitude to the fact he is a one man band as he plays several roles. Perhaps he should consider adding staff to help alleviate his rude demeanor. For such a large and sprawling property he has two groundskeepers and one maid from what we saw while we stayed there.
We will reconsider returning as Johannes responds to each review with the appearance of care and concern, too bad he does not exhibit that in person. It is such a shame as this is one of the most beautiful places we have ever stayed.

NO RECEPTION, POOR WIFI, TERRIBLE INN KEEPER, LOUSY BREAKFAST, POORLY BOOKED MASSAGE, SURPRISINGLY DECENT DINNER. ALSO HIDDEN FEES
ALL GROUPONS GOERS: There is an additional cost of $ 183 when you leave. the Service charge for the Massages are 20% or in real dollar $ 60. Plus all whole bunch of other Service charges that are tacked on.
So Fair Warning, «due to the hill this area» there is NO Cellular Reception. Which is fine because theoretically you are going there to get away from it all anyways, but when an emergency happens at home, you are a sitting duck.
Your two alternatives, Wifi or using the land phone. However wifi cost $ 9.50 a day and the land line (for all calls outside the 707 area code) cost $ 0.75/min. We chose option A and got wifi, only to discover that the wifi doesn’t reach our room. So we literally had to hang out in the Library for 2 hours waiting on a call. After the two hours we decided to just pay the 0.75/min and have the people call us in our rooms. And that’s where it got interesting…
So how the system is set up, you don’t have a direct line to your rooms. The have to call the front desk and then get routed to the rooms. Since this was a birthday surprise for my boyfriend I put the room under MY Last Name… however the people calling us were trying to reach my boyfriend, and since we don’t have the same last names yet… they asked for our room number but wrong last name. the Inn keeper HUNG UP ON THEM, multiple times. So we didn’t receive our calls (even when we called moments prior asking how people reach us in our rooms) until we decided to go back to the library and call them to check on things. It was a nightmare.
And just in general the Inn keeper has the rudest attitude. I can’t explain it. His tone is just awful.
Also the breakfast was soooo sub par it was laughable… the spread is stale pastries, rock solid waffles, luke warm greek yogurt, moderately acceptable cantelope (which is pretty much all I ate)
The only saving grace was our private dinner was actually pretty good. It could also have been that we expected it to be so bad, do to the events of the day and the breakfast spread, that when it came out decent we were so grateful!
And lastly… when I made my reservation for the massage I asked for two female therapist… and when we got there we got a male and a female… we rock paper scissored for the female. Not the biggest deal of the day, but definitely the cherry on top.