I spent a couple of nights at this Tuscan-inspired hotel in the heart of Santa Rosa recently, and I wholeheartedly recommend the Hyatt Vineyard Creek to others. Here are a few things that stand out…
Hyatt Vineyard Creek. Photo by Andrew Collins
1. I’ve of the mind that all of Sonoma’s major chain hotels are ostensibly gay-friendly – this just isn’t a big issue in this part of the world. That being said, I feel especially good about supporting Hyatt generally (the chain scores a perfect 100 per the Human Rights Campaign’s 2010 Buying for Equality guide).
2. Specifically, the Vineyard Creek property employs a number of GLBT staff, including the super-knowledgeable and quite charming concierge Ramon Meraz. If you tend not to think much about hotel concierge services, keep in mind that in the wine country, a knowledgeable guy like Ramon can be enormously helpful. He provided me with coupons and introductions to several of the wineries I visited the weekend I stayed at the Hyatt, gave me the lowdown on great nearby restaurants, and knew which nightspots in Santa Rosa tended to have a bit of a GLBT following.
3. About those restaurants…the Hyatt is just off the 101 freeway (extremely handy if you’re coming up from San Francisco or points south) yet set back far enough from the road to avoid road noise. At the same time, it’s right downtown – a five-minute walk from some of my favorite nosh spots on and near Railroad Square (Aroma Roasters, Syrah, Jackson’s Bar and Oven, Stark’s Steakhouse, and the very cool Wine Spectrum shop and bar). Also, upon checking late into the Hyatt my first night, I ordered an extremely affordable and tasty light meal via room service from the Seafood Brasserie restaurant (artisanal charcuterie platter of local cheeses and salamis with roasted garlic, and a well-prepared classic Caesar salad).
4. They host Friday night “wine and food pairings” in the lobby. This is pretty cool – from 5 until 7, a local winery presents a tasting at the lobby bar (which has a great selection of local vintages at all times), and the kitchen at the aforementioned Brasserie Restaurant presents light tapas to pair with the wine. While all this is going on, staff from the hotel’s Hyatt Vineyard Creek Spa are there to give complimentary massages and to answer questions you might have about booking a more substantial treatment during your stay.
5. Guest rooms are quite spacious, with plush bedding – upgrade to an Executive Suite, and you’ll discover a roomy jetted spa tub and a separate two-head shower in your granite-accented bathroom. For a quiet night’s sleep, I recommend a room facing the hotel’s courtyard and gardens.
Ramon is not only a great concierge, but a most wonderful person as well! Thanks for mentioning Ramon here!
I had the pleasure to meet Ramon at a prior event and was most impressed.
I will be recommending The Hyatt Vinyard Creek.