Bardessono: Green luxury in the Napa Valley
The understated but ultra-contemporary Bardessono Hotel in Yountville, Calif., combines exceptional amenities with impressive personal service. This boutique hotel is as “green” as it is luxurious: With geothermal heating and solar panels, it uses almost no off-site energy.
But the wow factor is a circular suite of eight individual restrooms off the reception lobby. Behind each door is an energy-saving Toto Neorest 500 toilet/washlet. The lid opens automatically, uncovering a heated seat. A wireless wall control panel allows users to wash and dry (adjusting for temperature and pressure).
The Napa Valley hotel’s 62 ground-floor units are divided among four landscaped groves. Ceiling-to-floor windows overlook an enclosed private patio. An interior stone wall with an energy-efficient electric fireplace separates the sleeping area from a spacious sitting and dining area.
In addition to the hotel’s field-to-table restaurant, Lucy, three Michelin-starred restaurants (Thomas Keller’s French Laundry, Bouchon and Redd) are within walking distance, and celebrity chef Michael Chiarello’s restaurant Bottega is across the street. For lighter fare, you can sit down for a sandwich at the Yountville Deli or a cup of java at the Yountville Coffee Caboose.
IF YOU GO
Bardessono, 6526 Yount Street, Yountville, California
Rates start at $450 midweek
[This article appeared in the Sunday travel section of the Chicago Tribune on October 24, 2013]
Also on More Time to Travel:
Read a prior, more complete review of the Bardessono, see Green Luxury
