Editor’s note: The 2020 Glass Fire destroyed virtually all the structures at Calistoga Ranch, but the resort plans to rebuild. “Our intention is to work with the ownership and the community to reestablish the resort, but it will take some time to rebuild,” said Todd Cilano, regional vice president of Auberge Resorts Collection, as reported in The Weekly Calistogan in late 2020.
Tucked away in a secluded Napa Valley canyon, Calistoga Ranch feels like it sprang from the earth, much like the ancient oak trees and mineral pools that populate it. Its elegant wooden structures blend harmoniously with the lushly forested landscape, making the Ranch feel like a natural—yet meticulously designed—extension of the land. The setting is both subtle and striking.
California’s enviable indoor-outdoor lifestyle is on glorious display here, especially in the lodge accommodations, which range from the one-bedroom creek-side suites with outdoor showers, some with hot tubs, sun decks, and fireplaces, to the 2,400-square-foot Estate Lodge, where you can enjoy family dinners alfresco on the roomy patio.
In keeping with Calistoga Ranch’s close ties to the land, there are multiple ways to enjoy Napa Valley’s legendary food-and-wine bounty. Book a table at Lakehouse Restaurant, which utilizes seasonal ingredients from local farms. For a hands-on experience, take part in the ongoing Food of Place series, which includes cooking classes, wine tastings, and hosted dinners starring area chefs and vintners. And if you’ve ever wanted to learn the art of wine blending, there’s a class for that, too.
Also drawing inspiration from the natural surroundings—and the town’s healing mineral pools—The Auberge Spa in Calistoga offers treatments designed to restore and rejuvenate. The guest-favorite Calistoga Cure is a 150-minute session that includes a mineral-salt body scrub, a soak in a private outdoor bath, an energy-balancing session and, finally, a therapeutic massage.
