The Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa in the Heart of California Wine Country

Located in the heart of California's Sonoma Valley wine country, the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa is listed in Conde Nast Magazine as one of the top 100 golf resorts worldwide. Its golf course quality, lodgings, guest services and food and drink won it Golf Magazine's 2010 Silver Medal. The Sonoma offers suites and specialty rooms, a natural mineral hot spring spa, a Michelin award-winning restaurant and is surrounded by over 250 vineyards.

Sonoma Golf Club: The historic Sonoma Golf Club course was designed in 1928 by Sam Whiting. One of Northern California's finest golf courses, it encompasses 177 acres of oak-shaded rolling hills, streams and lakes, offering vistas of nearby vineyards, the Maycamas Mountains and Sonoma Mountain Range. It is the home of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, a prestigious PGA Championship tournament. Tee times run every ten minutes, from 7:30 a.m. to dusk. The Sonoma Golf Club does have a strict dress code. Visit this page for complete golf course information.

The Spa: Since 1927, guests have come to the Sonoma to "take the waters." It has been rated among the Top 25 Spas by Travel and Leisure Magazine, expanding from a rustic bathhouse in the 1920s to the present elegant Spanish-Mission style Inn. The Spa has its own thermal mineral water source, flowing from 1,100 feet beneath the Inn at 135 degrees. Spa facilities include the Sonoma's signature "Bathing Ritual," outdoor thermal mineral swimming pool and hot tub with Jacuzzi jets, a Watsu pool, sauna, herbal steam room, as well as an indoor lounge with fireplace and the Spa Café. The Spa provides private lockers, towels, terrycloth robes and sandals, and hair dryers.

Spa and Tee Package: Includes one round of golf per night for the gentlemen and a 60-minute spa treatment per night for the ladies. Enjoy luxury accommodations, cocktails at the Lobby Bar and valet parking. Available year-round, rates start at $449 (double occupancy). Visit this page for complete details.

Dining: The Sonoma's signature Santé Restaurant was awarded the 2011 Michelin Star, lauding its inventive cuisine, pleasant staff and comprehensive wine list. (See complete review here). The Santé Restaurant has also been awarded an AAA Four Diamond Award, and Condé Nast Traveler stated "...it's worth a special trip just to eat here." Fresh local meats, poultry, produce, and seafood are presented in elegant, simple entrees. Their wine list features more than 500 Sonoma and Napa wines, and won a Wine Spectator "Award of Excellence." Visit this page for the menu:

The Big 3" restaurant on the north corner of the Inn's grounds offers American cuisine and hearty country breakfasts in a casual bistro atmosphere. The Water Tower Restaurant is located adjacent to the Mission Inn's historic water tower, and is a poolside, casual café. Visit this site for more details on dining at the Sonoma Mission Inn.

Sightseeing: If you have any spare time or energy after enjoying the golf, spas and restaurants at the Sonoma Mission Inn, discover the historical sites, quaint towns and back roads of Sonoma Valley.

Jack London's Home: Perhaps the greatest American writer of wilderness literature, Jack London plied much of his craft at his Glen Ellen ranch, 15 minutes from the resort. Now the Jack London State Historic Park, visitors can partake of many outdoor activities, as well as visit the dam, lake and bathhouse built by London and a museum. The original barns, stables, silo and "pig's place" still stand. Website.

Sonoma Plaza: The heart of the town of Sonoma, the tree-filled plaza is the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon with a picnic lunch and bottle of wine. Eclectic shops and restaurants surround the plaza. The town boasts the Sonoma Wine Exchange and the jewel of Sonoma and the grand, circa 1933, Sebastiani Theatre. The Mission San Francisco, an example of extraordinary southwest architecture, is located nearby. Visit this site for a list of more historic sites in the area.

Driving Tours: Sonoma Valley's two-lane backroads pass by ancient vineyards, redwood groves, old farm houses and open fields, and feature old bridges and tunnels. Visit this site for three backroad drives.

Sources: Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa; Sonoma Golf Club; Fun Things to Do