Long-Awaited Four Seasons Napa Valley Opens In Calistoga

If you’re a fan of the Four Seasons brand (and who isn’t?), you were likely following the trajectory of the highly anticipated Napa Valley property on Instagram, whose opening date became a moving target during the twists and turns of the travel industry’s pandemic saga. But alas, the wait is over, and Four Seasons Resort & Residences Napa Valley, set amidst vineyards in Calistoga at the top of the Silverado Trail, is officially open to guests.

Accommodations are in the style of luxury-farmhouse-meets-vineyard-immersion. Two-story units are surrounded by vineyards on each side, and all have easy access to the central pools (family and adult), hot tubs, and poolside Mexican restaurant, Campo.

Choosing a room is an exercise in contrasts, literally. Downstairs rooms are cavernous and low-lit, designed to evoke the feeling of being in a wine cave, while upstairs rooms are light and bright. (The downstairs rooms are ideal for getting in out of the summer sun, while upstairs rooms are uplifting in the gray winter fog.) All have wine fridges and the clever design touch of Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath mounted as an art piece on the wall, an homage to the unpredictability and resilience of this destination wine region.

Bathrooms here are my favorite of all the new hotels I’ve visited this year, simple and aesthetically vibrant, with deep soaking tubs and a wooden table from nearby Petrified Forest. Switches on the wall allow you to raise and lower the electronic shade, as you like.

Truss, the property’s central restaurant, is still waiting for the chef of its dreams to helm the fine-dining side, but Shaun Acosta, a Four Seasons veteran, is doing very nicely on the “living room” casual dining side with an excellent breakfast sandwich on a homemade English muffin at breakfast time and beautiful crispy trout in the evenings.

Don’t miss taking a few hours out of your day to hang out in the gorgeous Spa Talisa, a separate two-story building near the property entrance with its own vineyard-view hot tubs and complimentary self-applied mud treatments.

The 4.5 acres of vineyards surrounding the property are managed by highly regarded wine consultant Thomas Rivers Brown (who also makes some of the regions best wines at nearby Theorem Vineyards & Winery). Here, his newly named Elusa Winery has a tasting room on-site, allowing for an immersive experience. And even better news is that the lush Cabernet Sauvignons produced from these vines (and from other estates he’s contracted with) are moderately priced, by Napa standards — more like $100 a bottle than the typical $200+ price tag.

Check out a cruiser bike from the front desk and tool around the town of Calistoga, famous for its natural hot springs. This quiet outpost has seen a fair amount of growth over the last few years, but it has somehow managed to maintain its rural charm. And Four Seasons Resort & Residences Napa Valley is now a part of its story, bringing the Four Seasons brand’s luxurious hospitality to this swath of wine country.