Best Hotel Stay Ever – Just $9, at Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa

My standard hotel reviews include a breakdown by the following topics. Feel free to skip to whichever section you find most interesting.

• Highlights
• Lobby & Check-in
• Room
• Hotel Space / Ambiance
• Food & Drink
• Fitness + Spa
• Miscellaneous

 

Highlights: Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa

After a wonderful day at Graton Resort & Casino picking up playing money with our best slot friends, we headed over to Sonoma to enjoy a wonderful, truly wonderful stay at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa. Frankly, this may have been the best hotel stay I’ve ever had, in terms of enjoyment, and negotiating power.

I simply can’t speak highly enough about the level of service I received at the Fairmont Sonoma, from the front desk agents to the helpful concierges. Read on for more!

 

Lobby & Check-in

I arrived at 3pm, which I thought was the standard hotel check in time. However, we were informed our room was not quite ready at that time, and that their standard check in was 4pm. Not a problem, we made our way through the lobby to a desk to do some work. I used this time to reach out to a concierge, playing the birthday card (mine was the next week, and my lady’s soon afterwards) as well as the room delay card. My lady previously mentioned being interested in a massage, so I brought this to their attention and asked if there was anything she could do.

The concierge, Faye, got back to me shortly thereafter, informing me of the only availability over the weekend – a thirty minute back neck shoulder massage for the following morning. She did comp the spa access cost ($40/person), which is also appreciated. After she spoke with her manager, she was also able to offer a whopping $150 credit to Sante, their restaurant, for dinner. This was an amazing surprise, and I was all too happy to accept!

My lady was thrilled at these surprises, and I felt victorious.

Total Win Count: $230

 

Room = Mission Suite

Thanks to my Fairmont Credit Card, I was able to apply my room upgrade certificate, and they provided a complimentary upgrade to the 550-sq-ft Mission Suite. It was beautiful, with a hot tub, high bed, and nice relaxing area. The buildings seem a bit older, perhaps due to the mission-style architecture that reminded me of the adobe and resorts in Mexico or the Caribbean.

The resort has a resort fee of $30 + tax – which covers a complimentary bottle of wine for guests. Additionally, I got to take advantage of their Fairmont Fit program again, this time with Reebok attire.

Internet worked great – a blessing, after coming from the Doubletree Rohnert Park near Graton, where the internet was slow or spotty at best.

 

Hotel Space / Ambiance

We saw a variety of couples and families, here to enjoy the sun and area. The hotel has a complimentary wine tasting in the afternoons, and we found a delightful and reasonably priced chardonnay. However, we were unable to purchase it at the tasting (makes no sense to me).

 

Food & Drink

As previously mentioned, the concierge provided us a credit to use at Sante for dinner. Thus, we enjoyed that fully. While I was under the impression that it was $150 before tax/gratuity, we could not order that much, and so our bill came to $159 after tax/gratuity.

The food was exquisite, although the lamb (to me) was flavorless. The appetizers were delicious, especially the pork belly, of which I am a huge fan. Their complimentary sparkling wine and dessert was also a nice touch.

 

However, that Sunday morning I was not sure if in fact the massage was complimentary or if the concierge had just made a reservation. I spoke with a different concierge to verify, saying I strongly got the impression that it was complimentary, and would affect my decision-making for the next several hours. Should it be complimentary, we would try the breakfast at Sante with my $50 Fairmont certificates, and if not – I’d save the certificates for the Willow Stream spa. Thankfully, she told me not to worry and enjoy my meal, and I took her at her word.

 

Breakfast was amazing – with a side of $7 bacon not only meeting, but exceeding my expectations in terms of quality and value. My biscuits and gravy were delicious, and the crab cake benedict as well. This came to $54 after tax and gratuity, and I put it to the room – to apply my $50 dining certificates upon checkout.

Total Win Count: $280

 

Fitness + Spa

This gym was decently sized, but could use more machines that aren’t treadmills or ellipticals. It’s nestled in a building far from the residences, so it was a good walk from our Mission suite to the gym area. Additionally, it’s next to the spa – which was a whole other world of pools, hot tubs, and relaxing areas. My lady had a delightful massage and was very happy with it.

She did say the massage was a bit tough on her, but overall she enjoyed the service, as well as the various spa amenities.

Total Win Count: $380

 

Miscellaneous

Their towncar service is also a nice touch – able to drop us off a short jaunt away at Sonoma Plaza, their downtown shopping marketplace. While the car typically is only for drop offs, they were also able to pick us up, which was greatly appreciated.

Lastly, at checkout, I reiterated my happiness at my stay and experience. The bill did not even show the breakfast that I purchased or Spa service that was complimentary – they even took care of taxes and gratuities there. I asked about their ability to waive the resort fee for me, and they were happy to do so! That was another $30 + tax saved. I was worried the $25 Fairmont Gift Card I purchased online at a discount would not be enough to cover my final bill, but it was more than sufficient. Dinner was $159, so after the $150 credit it was a mere $9. Between my free night certificate covering the room, dining certificates for breakfast, and complimentary gifts for our special occasion, I walked away paying just $9 on my Fairmont gift card.

Total Win Count: ~$410 + Free Night

 

All in all, this was an amazing time, allowing me to enjoy more than I typically would – the spa, spa services, nice dinner, etc. I plan to come back to Fairmont Sonoma, hopefully with more Fairmont certificates as well!

 

Featured Image is of the fountain at hotel entrance.  Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links which, should you click through and/or make a purchase, grant me a commission. Also, I only post in the best interest of my readers. Lastly, thank you for supporting my blog and my travels. 

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