10 Great Summer Resorts and Lodges in Wine Country

Summer in Sonoma County beckons with getaways to beaches, ocean, rivers, streams and swimming pools. Because even while we’re blessed with a temperate Mediterranean climate, when the sun warms things up, who doesn’t love escaping for a cool splashdown?

Pack your swimsuit for these refreshing stay-and-play destinations.

Lodge at Bodega Bay, Bodega Bay

This oasis is so romantic and serene on its seaside perch overlooking the Pacific Ocean. As the only AAA Four Diamond hotel on the Sonoma Coast, it offers a luxury escape, in rooms outfitted with real fireplaces, warm, snuggly down comforters for that sometimes chilly ocean breeze, and private balconies for stargazing. The resort’s onsite restaurant, Drakes Sonoma Coast, celebrates the bounty of this spectacular coastal region with a menu highlighting local, sustainably farmed produce, seafood, and meats (open for breakfast and dinner). The spa, too, sits above the Sonoma coastline, anchored by an outdoor heated swimming pool and whirlpool spa. So embrace your location, and indulge in beach-theme signatures include the warm shell massage with Tiger Clam seashells.

Timber Cove Resort, Jenner

The drive to Timber Cove is an exhilarating one, hugging Highway 1 on the edge of the cliffs soaring above the crashing waves and jagged rocks of the Sonoma Coast. But just a bit north of Fort Ross and Jenner awaits a miniature town with a very big reason to visit: this secluded resort and its Coast Kitchen restaurant.

Recently renovated for a more modern lodge feel, this mid-century modern gem offers rooms with ocean or forest views. Most rooms have fireplaces or skylights, and they all include a record player and vinyl records, eco-friendly Lather bath amenities, a tea kettle with pour-over Russian River Roasters coffee, and the drama of ancient wood trim against crisp white bedding.

The restaurant features seasonal, locally sourced wine country coastal cuisine and dynamic wines from the region. The dining room is celebrated for its rustic luxury charm and extraordinary ocean views from floor-to-ceiling windows. Indeed, guests travel from all over for a spectacular cliffside meal, relaxing before a roaring fire in the huge stone fireplace in The Great Room, then taking a brisk, post-dinner stroll in the crisp Pacific air.

Flamingo Resort, Santa Rosa

Check out the two Olympic-sized pools, including the glamorous original that once welcomed sunbathing celebrities like Jayne Mansfield. Today, the kitschy landmark is a point of pride, and a beacon of all that’s fun and funky in Wine Country. In 1996, in fact, the hotel was designated a Historic Landmark. Though it now caters more to families and groups than A-list stars, it’s still a beloved destination for its stylish wood-trimmed rooms and lovingly restored ballrooms that now play host to fun activities like salsa dancing lessons.

The low-slung style of dramatic stone and glass spans several wings of suites around a lavish pool and expansive gardens, and all the rooms are contemporary, furnished in sleek fixtures in cozy palates of gold and cream.

All stays in the newly remodeled luxury rooms include a breakfast buffet and free wine tasting passes – just a few of the values found at this 1950’s retro-chic destination marked by a revolving, neon trimmed 50-foot tower capped with a spindly legged pink bird.

Raymond’s Bakery B&B at Elim Grove, Cazadero

This isn’t the kind of place most people will just stumble across, deep in the heart of the Russian River. It’s about a mile from downtown Cazadero, and to get there, you need to travel on Highway 116, approximately eight miles through the woods west of Guerneville or four miles east of Highway 1. Then you turn north on Cazadero Highway and continue another 5-1/2 miles until you see the lodge and bakery nestled beneath the majestic old growth redwoods that tower above Austin Creek. Yes, bakery. The five private cottages sit in a romantic compound, decorated in themes of antique knotty pine, bamboo garden, and the Baker’s Loft, finished in hardwood. They overlook the bakery garden, where Mark and Elizabeth Weiss send out a mouthwatering array of fresh-baked-daily breads, muffins, cinnamon rolls, buttermilk blueberry scones, croissants, lemon bars, apple coffeecake, cookies, fruit tarts, turnovers, fougasse, double chocolate brownies, biscotti, palmiers, Danish, and so much more.

Boho Manor, Monte Rio

Boho Manor is a Gatsby-themed hotel resort with multiple amenities like kayaks, paddle boards, bicycles, spa, a full restaurant and speakeasy. Visit in the summer and enjoy a specialty cocktail on a river lounge.

Dawn Ranch Resort, Guerneville

This century-old guest ranch sits on 15 acres among towering redwoods on the banks of the Russian River. Its rustic cabins and cottages blend harmoniously into a landscape of ancient apple orchards, bamboo groves, grassy meadows, and a kitchen garden. 

The property includes two mature rare Dawn Redwood trees (hence the lodge’s current name). The resort is dog friendly, and includes private river access, a pool, and free Wi-Fi. 

Ocean Cove Lodge Bar & Grill, Jenner

An intimate cliffside retreat with 16 rooms nestled around a hot tub and picturesque gardens, the lodge is just minutes from State Parks, sandy beaches, ancient redwood forests and glittering blue ocean coves. Tip: the upstairs rooms have private sun decks, hot tubs, and spectacular ocean views. The rest of the place is rustic but charming, and updated with 32′ HDTV including Direct TV and HBO, oak furnishings and original artwork, mini-refrigerators and microwave.

River’s End Restaurant & Inn, Jenner

Tucked away off Hwy. 1 in Jenner, the pastoral property is just 30 miles west of Santa Rosa, yet brims with all the joys of a far-away vacation. Perched on a bluff overlooking the Russian River entrance flowing into the majestic Pacific Ocean, it’s a destination of no cell reception, no Internet, no TVs, no radio, and no newspapers on site. The only distractions are breathtaking vistas, beaches, and a lovely restaurant. As owner Bert Rangel notes, ‘It’s where a mystical river ends, and a celebration of food and wine begins.’

Originally built in 1927 as a restaurant and inn for area loggers and fisherman, the property now encompasses a clutch of just five cabins, including three dating back 89 years, but all meticulously renovated to modern luxury with sleek wood walls and ceilings, sliding glass doors leading to balconies and decks, and some with gas fireplaces and/or semi-private garden areas. And welcome your neighbors – depending on the time of year, you’ll see migrating whales, playful seal pups teasing their mothers, roaring bull sea lions, and always, soaring gulls dancing above the crashing waves.

Doran Regional Park, Bodega Bay

This isn’t a resort or lodge, but it is a great destination for a summer getaway in Sonoma County. The park’s two-mile stretch of sandy beach is quiet, secluded, and dog friendly (leashed, please, to protect the abundant wildlife). Protected by the bay, the water is calm, perfect for dipping toes, and there’s a rock jetty at the harbor mouth for fishing and crabbing under gentle wind-scudded clouds dancing across the sky. Bring your picnic basket, your camping gear, your RV, and even your boat. If you can pack in your horse, do that, too – part of the beach is equine accessible.

Bodega Dunes Campground, Bodega Bay

Sure, you’re roughing it, but fire pits await firewood purchased from the park rangers, and your portable cook stove is perfect for warming coffee (or hot toddies). On-site hot showers and multiple restrooms with electrical outlets are available, and you can park your car right near your tents. And it’s impossible to beat the beautiful ocean and dune views, the shady canopies of trees, and the well-spaced sites that offer seclusion.

See Sonoma County’s safety tips for water activities here.

Written by Sonoma Insider Carey Sweet