Two Napa Valley destinations earned national recognition in Travel + Leisure’s 30th annual World’s Best Awards for 2025. The annual roundup, selected by readers, highlights the top-rated hotels, spas, cities, transportation and more around the globe. The awards reflect travelers’ favorite national and international spots and, this year, two Wine Country locations won three awards.

Solage, Auberge Resorts Collections, Calistoga

This luxury wellness retreat in Calistoga landed the No. 9 spot in the “Readers’ 15 Favorite Resorts in the Continental U.S.” category and also earned a spot in “Readers’ 100 Favorite Hotels in the World.”

The resort features 100 studio-style rooms and spacious suites with private patios, outdoor showers and sleek interiors inspired by the surrounding landscape. Guests are welcome to a 130-foot heated pool and the 20,000-square-foot wellness center with geothermal soaking pools, steam rooms, saunas and various spa treatments.

Solage, Auberge Resorts Collections has two places to dine: Solbar, which offers local, seasonal fare with indoor and al fresco dining areas; and Picobar, the poolside eatery serving contemporary Mexican cuisine.

A stay at Solage includes complimentary yoga and fitness classes, cruiser bikes, pickleball courts and curated outdoor experiences. The resort is a family- and pet-friendly space with thoughtful amenities, views of the Mayacamas and plenty of Wine Country charm.

Rates start at $765 per night. 755 Silverado Trail N., Calistoga, 866-942-7442, aubergeresorts.com/solage

Napa Valley Wine Train

The Napa Valley Wine Train rolled in at No. 3 in the “Readers’ 5 Favorite Trains in the World” category.

This Wine Country leisure transit staple delivers an elegant regional journey that blends gourmet dining, vineyard views and vintage luxury aboard restored 1915 Pullman railcars.

Guests are welcomed aboard then treated to multicourse meals prepared by executive chef Rodrigo Cuadra, with optional curated wine parings from Napa Valley’s top wineries. The six-hour Legacy Experience includes three winery stops with onboard narration about the region’s history. Other trips last up to three hours and include a variety of immersive, seasonal experiences.

A trip on the Napa Valley Wine Train starts at $202, depending on the experience and date selected. 1275 McKinstry St., Napa, 707-253-2111, winetrain.com

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Earlier this summer, Travel + Leisure highlighted Sonoma County as a top travel destination in California — not just for its wine, but for its beauty and charm.

While the article noted that the county boasts “some of the country’s best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay,” it looked more to its rich history and landmarks, 55-plus miles of pristine coastline and ecologically diverse inland landscapes.

Many Sonoma County towns are known for their early settler history and old-school Americana vibes. From the 19th-century Spanish missions dotting the town of Sonoma, the birthplace of the state’s “bear flag,” to the quaint, historic businesses in downtown Petaluma that look like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting.

These charming old buildings explain why the county has long been a place for Hollywood to camp out and film for period pieces like “American Graffiti” and “Peggy Sue Got Married.” Not to mention the dazzling shots of local rivers, forests, vineyards and coastal areas seen in such films as “The Birds,” “The Goonies” and “Bottle Shock,” among many others.

The Travel + Leisure article also points to the “many small, friendly towns” that may be lesser known nationally, like artsy Sebastopol, “bucolic culinary destination Glen Ellen” and “architecturally significant ’60s-era Sea Ranch.”

The Sebastopol Center for the Arts runs the beloved annual Sonoma County Art Trails. Sebastopol is also home to whimsical “junk artist” Patrick Amiot and his avenue of saved-from-the-landfill, repurposed artwork.

Glen Ellen is home to Michelin-starred Glen Ellen Star, as well as other acclaimed eateries like Les Pascals, The Fig Cafe and The Mill at Glen Ellen. Of course, culinary delights can be found all over the county, which has nine restaurants with either a Michelin star or Bib Gourmand status. Healdsburg’s upscale SingleThread (which the travel article also notes) is the only county establishment with three Michelin stars.

The best time of year to visit the beautiful, culinary hotspot of Sonoma County — by way of the Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport, the Travel + Leisure article suggests — is during the colorful harvest season in fall. Though the mustard season of spring makes for great photos, and the local beaches offer cool respite during summer.

Among the places to stay, the travel article recommends Forestville’s Farmhouse Inn (which has an impressive restaurant), Montage Healdsburg, Harmon Guest House, The Lodge at Sonoma Resort and The Sea Ranch Lodge.

Out of over 400 wineries in the county, the travel article highlights Gundlach Bundschu in Sonoma, Vérité Winery in Healdsburg, Bricoleur Vineyards in Windsor and Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville, among others.

Looking for more places to sip, eat, play and stay in Sonoma County?

Our dining editor rounded up the best local foodie destinations, and the Sonoma Magazine staff pulled together the best winery tasting rooms. Hike amid towering redwoods and sweeping valleys at some of the county’s best hiking trails, or simply take in the spectacular views from local winery terraces. All out of ideas and need a last-minute plan for the weekend? We have that covered, too.

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Travel + Leisure magazine just released its 16th annual “It List,” a selection of the top new hotels in the world. Among the 70 properties to be recognized this year is Montage Healdsburg, a luxury resort that opened in December of last year.

“Sonoma County’s most significant hotel opening in years faithfully embodies the area’s unspoiled, agricultural setting,” said Travel + Leisure about the Healdsburg property.

Montage Healdsburg is set on 258 acres of oak woodland and vineyards. The property includes a main lodge and 130 bungalow-style guest suites designed to blend with the surrounding landscape. The elevated bungalows come with stone and wood flooring, airy decks and spacious patios with stone fire pits. Most rooms have outdoor showers. Room rates range from $695 to $1,695 per night; the presidential suite, which spans more than 4,600 square feet, is $10,000 a night.

The resort grounds include pathways lined by lavender and gardenia and lawns spaced among the vineyards. Winemaker Jesse Katz of Aperture Estate in Healdsburg designed the hotel’s vineyard and will use grapes from the property to make estate wines. The resort also has partnered with Sonoma County Bee Company, which will manage the resort’s five-hive apiary and use honey and wax to craft custom products for the onsite spa.

The Montage property also is home to Hazel Hill, a “terroir-to-table” restaurant that overlooks vineyards and hundreds of acres of undeveloped land. Its Olive Terrace, with fire pits and cozy rocking chairs, is a popular spot for cocktails with a view.

“Stepping onto the Montage Resort’s sweeping patio perched high above the Alexander Valley is a jaw-dropping, showstopping adventure that requires at least one oooh and ahhhh no matter how fancy you are,” said dining editor Heather Irwin in a recent review.

Click through the above gallery for a peek at the world-class hotel.

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Travel + Leisure magazine just released its 15th annual “It List,” a selection of the top new and renovated hotels in the world. Among the more than 70 properties to be recognized this year is Sonoma’s MacArthur Place Hotel and Spa, which recently received a $25 million upgrade.

“For a long time, the town of Sonoma has been the sleepy spot you visit on your way to or from Healdsburg, which several years back managed to become Sonoma County’s premier destination for wine travelers. But the multimillion dollar restoration of MacArthur Place, four blocks off the Sonoma town square, may disrupt that situation,” said Travel + Leisure about the property.

The new MacArthur Place, unveiled in August 2019, features a blend between its mid-19th-century origin and contemporary comforts and style. The Victorian-style manor’s historic structures have been modernized and transformed into bright and airy spaces and the Western-themed Saddles Steakhouse has been replaced by the Mediterranean-focused Layla Restaurant.

“Order wild Pacific black cod with harissa cauliflower and Greek yogurt together with a side of patatas bravas (crisp-fried perfect potato cubes drizzled with whipped garlic aioli — basically tater tots that have gone to heaven) and you will be a happy person indeed,” recommended Travel + Leisure.

The boutique hotel also has a new bar and coffee shop/marketplace, The Porch, and its 64 rooms have been upgraded with original art, custom-designed furniture in light and serene tones and large bathrooms with walk-in showers, soaking tubs and natural light filtering in through the windows.

You can find the Travel + Leisure list of best new hotels here. The list features more than 70 properties around the world, including 19 hotels across the United States, four in California, three in New York, and two in Hawaii, as well as in places such as Asbury Park, Detroit, Miami, New Orleans, and Philadelphia.

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