La Belle Epoque

We had an exceptional stay in the Elizabeth Suite (Buckley House across the street from the main house that is La Belle Epoque). I emailed Tracy before our arrival to ask for assistance in making dinner reservations and for suggestions on what to see in Carneros and Yountville/Calistoga. She was so responsive and helpful – we ended up trying a few of her suggestions and were so impressed! Our arrival was delayed due to Friday evening traffic, so we arrived after check-in hours. Tracy left an envelope with our names on it at the front door, so we were able to get into our room right away. She left a split of sparkling wine and delicious chocolate chip cookies to welcome us, which was perfect after being stuck in the car for a few hours. Off to a great start! Accommodations: We had reviewed all of the guest comments and pictures online before we booked, and the suite was just exactly as we expected. It is a spacious room with gas fireplace, sitting area, and a big bathroom with Jacuzzi tub for two. Everything was very clean when we arrived. We could not figure out how to turn on the fireplace (the pilot was lit when we arrived). I called Tracy, who asked – did you turn on the switch behind the TV? We had not seen it – whoops! She was very gracious; I forgot to ask if we were the first guests to do that! The room comes with a Keurig coffee maker (only 2 pods each of caffeinated/decaff, but if you go upstairs where there are 2 additional suites, they share a common coffee area that has more pods, if needed). There is also a mini-fridge, which has a bowl of coffee creams and 2 small bottles of water, restocked every day. We used the TV as well, which worked fine. The bed was very comfortable. Other reviews have posted about the amazing sheets – and I can concur that the sheets are unlike any I have ever experienced. As for the bathroom, there are good quality basic toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, soap), a hair dryer, but also bath salts. This was a nice detail and we did enjoy the Jacuzzi tub after a couple of long days touring the area since it was chilly and a bit rainy. There were plenty of outlets for chargers, etc. Although we were on the first floor, we did not hear the other guests staying on the second floor or in the bottom unit next to ours. Breakfast and other amenities: Tracy puts the “breakfast” back in “Bed and Breakfast!” Breakfast is served from 9-10am in the main house. We loved every bite! Great coffee, yogurt parfaits, bananas foster pancakes, and on and on. We enjoyed meeting some of the other guests (from England, Netherlands, USA). Tracy was telling us that she sometimes does “tea time” in the afternoons on weekends. Now, that I’d love to see. Tracy secured us a dinner reservation at Cole’s Chop House on Saturday night. She also recommended some great wineries and tours that we would never have known about otherwise (simply too many to research). We did a food and wine pairing at B Cellars and it was a highlight of the trip! We also loved Tracy’s suggestions to visit Buena Vista winery and Dalioush winery. Amazing and unique! Other thoughts: parking was so easy – lots of street parking available during our visit. The location is great for walking to restaurants, shops, and entertainment in downtown Napa. I hope we can return sooner than later! This is our first choice for lodging in Napa Valley.