This Mid-20th Century Retro Wine Country Hotel Offers Modern Luxuries at A Value
On a warm sunny day, I pulled into Santa Rosa’s The Sandman Hotel for a weekend of wine tasting and eating around Sonoma County.
I was immediately transported: Not to leafy vineyards cradling plump juicy wine grapes and tables filled with a cornucopia of fruits, vegetables, nuts, cheeses, breads, and bottles of wine – but the 1960s. Recast from a simple roadside motel off Highway 101, The Sandman Hotel harks back to another era. A time when Americans took to the wide-open highways in search of adventure across the country.
The hotel’s Spanish Mission Revival buildings echo a retro mid-20th century vibe that is quirky and all modernist California with its sand white base decorated with pastel peach, sea blue, turquoise, orange, and golden yellow shapes reminiscent of modernist art of the period or colorful cow spots on the exterior. The pastel cow spot hues extend into the rooms streamlining the minimalist design accented with geometric shapes contrasted by tan, gold, cream, and a punch of navy blue that are almost Cubist or Geometric Abstraction. The clean lines, muted solid hues, and minimalist features create a calming congruent clean modernist effect.
The hotel is true California reminiscent of the 1960s.
The Room
My deluxe king room was on the second floor facing the pool and hot tub area, which is sectioned off by a Redwood fence for privacy. The pool glistened beneath the sun as I looked out from across the parking lot from the entrance to my room as I rolled my weekend suitcase through the door. Looking out my bedroom window, I could see the pool area with its pool house and bar on one side and the bocce ball court and sitting area with a fire pits and picnic tables for outdoor dining and relaxing on the other side more clearly.
The rooms in the two level 135-room hotel are roomy holding a king, queen, or two queen beds and come with plenty of complimentary parking.
The hotel offers guests a variety of rooms with deluxe king and queen beds. It also offers families a family suite that sleeps five with a king bed, bunk beds over a twin bed, and a separate sitting room with easy ground floor access. The hotel also offers complimentary games for kids and onsite coin-operated laundry for guests.
Travelers with pets are welcome to check-into one of the designated pet-friendly rooms and use the dedicated pet area on the property so travel companions, fido and fluffy, feel welcomed and comfortable for a $25 fee.
My room had an open layout where I could see into the vanity area of the bathroom. Everything was well laid out. The exception was the safe and blanket. It was high on a shelf in the closet next to the spare blanket that was in a cloth drawer basket and the iron. I am quite short, so I needed a boost to help me reach the safe and get the blanked or iron.
The room had some wear, particularly in the bathroom where the showerhead and tub were stained and appeared dirty. I also found hairs that were not mine in the sink in the vanity.
Other than those eye sores, the room was clean and comfortable.
The Amenities
I appreciated the eco-friendly amenities, such as the water in recyclable milk cartons.
The hotel has complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi throughout the property and meeting rooms for small meetings.
I was surprised by how quite the hotel was being so close to the freeway, but it is an oasis once inside its confines. The outside world simply disappeared.
The bed was very comfortable with the pillow-top mattress making that makes you feel like you are sleeping on a cloud, and it made it hard to leave in the morning to start my day. I just wanted to stay in its pillowy comfort, but my stomach was calling for breakfast and I had a full agenda ahead of me.
I was pleased to find out quickly the water headed up for my shower and I appreciated the eco-friendly shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the reusable containers.
A majority of the rooms have a small sitting area with a coffee table and two chairs to sit and relax or get ready to leave for the day.
The Sandman Hotel provides a continental breakfast and coffee every morning. Also, during the summer, the hotel offers guests live music and rotating local food trucks that park at the hotel for the evening for guests to enjoy bites every Friday as a part of its Summer Nights Series (July – September).
Santa Rosa offers equally quirky breakfast places serving up farm-fresh eats, such as The Spinster Sisters and Brew Coffee and Beer House, to get the day started.
The Sandman Hotel offers suggestions of things to do in Santa Rosa and Sonoma for every type of guest that checks into the hotel.
If a hike or bike ride is not on the agenda, guests also have access to a small fully equipped fitness room, including a Peloton exercise bike, to get a workout in.
Aside from a fun and relaxing oasis in an urban center next to a busy freeway, its easy access to Sonoma’s wine country.
THE FLUFF
The Sandman Hotel, 3421 Cleveland Avenue, Santa Rosa, California 95403. 707-293-2100. . sandmansantarosa.com.
RATING: (0 worst – 5 best): 3
TYPE OF LODGING: Pet-Friendly, Families, European Plan
CHECK OUT: $$ = $100 – $249
(Lowest price for a single night in a standard room during high-season)
VIBE: Casual and fun
SCENE: Relaxed, laid back, place to stay and hang out.
LOCATION: Quick and easy access to Sonoma’s wineries, outdoors activities, and other activities.
ROOM: Spacious, mostly clean, good amenities, comfortable bed and calming décor.
BATHROOM: Small and dated. The tub and showerhead were stained to the point it looked dirty.
AMENITIES: Complimentary onsite entertainment from live music during the summer to pool, bocce ball court, plenty of space and places to relax, including the pool house and bar, complimentary continental breakfast. The hotel’s bar is near the pool along with a sitting area with fire pits. Complimentary Wi-Fi, games, gym, laundry, and parking.
SWEET DREAMS: This was a wonderful stay. I would stay here again.
WORTH THE SLEEP?: zzz = Like being at home
To book your stay at The Sandman Hotel, contact Heather Cassell at Girls That Roam Travel at 415-517-7239 at .
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