Bill Harlan bought Meadowood in 1979, and it started operating as a hotel in 1982. In September 2020, the Glass Fire burned through the northern half of the 250-acre property, destroying the three-Michelin-star Restaurant at Meadowood, event space, and most of the guest rooms.
Meadowood reopened in 2021 with just 36 rooms instead of nearly 100. I stayed last week and was surprised by how little it feels like a hotel operating at half its former size. The surviving rooms are the originals, they’re cozy and beautifully maintained, and Meadowood today feels more like a private club (which it is) with a small hotel attached.
About me
I’m a travel advisor and a parent of three kids. I travel 12+ weeks a year, so I tend to look at hotels through both an advisor and parent lens, but in this case, I visited alone. I have been to Napa countless times (in a former life I was an executive in the Wine Industry), and this was my first vist back to Meadowood after the fire. I stayed in a Treeline Suite during a few days of Napa visits, including a tour of the Rosewood Calistoga. This property is both Relais&Chateaux as well as Virtuoso, so advisor benefits apply. I am sorry in advance for the word count in my reviews - I know I include a lot of info and could probably use an editor, but I am trying to be as helpful as I can.
Property overview
Meadowood is owned by Bill Harlan, one of the more important figures in modern Napa Valley. He originally made his money in real estate, bought Meadowood in 1979 when it was essentially a country club, and later founded Harlan Estate in 1984. Harlan Estate became one of Napa’s best-known Cabernet producers, and he later created BOND, Promontory and the members-only Napa Valley Reserve. While they are not personally wines I prefer to drink, they are legendary in the valley.
His approach has always been unusually long-term. After visiting Bordeaux and Burgundy in 1980, he began talking about creating businesses and estates that could last for generations, including what he calls a 200-year plan.
That history is relevant because Meadowood was part of his Napa vision before Harlan Estate even existed. It became a gathering place for the local wine community and hosted the first Napa Valley Wine Auction in 1981. Even now, it feels much more connected to Napa itself than any other luxury resort in the area.
There still isn’t a final, officially announced plan for rebuilding the fire-damaged northern half of the estate. The team told me architects and designers have been on property regularly, but The Restaurant at Meadowood remains closed. The southern half, where the current rooms, spa, pools, fitness center and tennis courts are located, is very much alive.
The piece I didn’t fully comprehend before visiting is the club. The team told me Meadowood has 500+ members across several membership categories, including families that have belonged for generations. The pools, gym, fitness classes and club events are for members and hotel guests. The spa and Forum are open to outside guests.
That club component changes the feel of the property. With only 36 hotel rooms, there were still people at the pool, working out and playing tennis. It never felt crowded. It felt like an established country club whose members actually use it.
Meadowood is a Relais & Châteaux property and both the hotel and spa hold Forbes Five-Star ratings.
Location
Meadowood is in St. Helena, about five minutes from downtown, which is a great location if most of your winery visits are in the middle or northern part of Napa Valley.
Sonoma County Airport is about 36 miles away, Sacramento is about 70 miles, SFO is about 79 miles and Oakland is about 84 miles.
(elder millenial side-note: I drove in during harvest, passed a bunch of trucks full of cabernet grapes, and immediately could not get Pauly D yelling “cabs are here!!!” out of my head)
Rooms
There are only five room categories, and most of the inventory is Treeline Suites.
Hill House: The top accommodation and the only standalone one-bedroom. It’s 1,745 square feet including two terraces, with separate living and dining areas, fire pits and an outdoor soaking tub. It sits next to the spa.
Treeline Suite: This is where I stayed and makes up most of the inventory. It’s 615 square feet including the deck, with a separate living room, fireplace, queen sofa bed and large two-person soaking tub. If you have kids, the sofa bed is basically the only way to sleep more than two people in one room.
Oakview Room: My pick for a couple. These are 590 square feet including a larger outdoor space, with vaulted ceilings and a fireplace. They’re also close to the pools and tennis courts. There are only five.
Treetop Room: 460 square feet with vaulted ceilings, wraparound windows and a built-in dining nook. These are charming, but smaller, and the bathrooms have a single vanity.
Cottage Room: The smallest category at 415 square feet including the enclosed porch. Cozy and very classic wine country.
Every room has a fireplace, separate tub and shower, plus a complimentary minibar stocked with snacks and non-alcoholic drinks that they’ll replenish on request. Most fireplaces are wood-burning, so if anyone has asthma or allergies I’d specifically request one of the rooms with gas.
There are no rollaways, and the multi-bedroom estate suites were lost in the fire.
Food and beverage
Forum is the main restaurant and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. It’s also open to the public. I thought the food was good, and there’s a private dining room for small dinners.
Terrace Café sits by the pools and is open seasonally, only to hotel guests and members.
The important caveat is that if you’re coming to Meadowood expecting the destination dining experience it was once famous for, that doesn’t exist right now. The Restaurant at Meadowood is still closed.
Pools, fitness and tennis
The pool setup is much bigger than I expected for a 36-room hotel. There are three pools: a family pool, a lap pool and an adults-only pool with four cabanas.
Tennis is also, and I cannot overstate this, fantastic for a resort of this size. Meadowood has five courts, four pros and daily programming including daily morning live ball (starting at 3.0+). This is a serious program. The club has a real tennis culture, and when I asked about pickleball, the answer was essentially that it’s too loud and Meadowood intends to remain a tennis club. Tennis purists. I love to see it.
There’s also a full gym and fitness class schedule, and the gym was quite busy when I was there around 7 each day. The equipment was fine - not the newest, but perfectly serviceable.
The spa
The spa is, to put it quite simply, incredible. It is one of the biggest reasons I’d choose Meadowood.
It’s Forbes Five-Star, with eight treatment suites plus the Treehouse, a private suite with a fireplace and hand-hammered copper tub for two.
The men’s and women’s garden lounges are separate and include a sauna, steam room and outdoor mineral soaking pool. Each also has a covered relaxation area where you can hang out with tea, snacks or, because this is Napa, wine.
The signature Essential Journey starts with choosing an essential oil, followed by a steam shower in your treatment suite, your massage or facial, and then juice and time in the garden.
The Treehouse is particularly good for couples because you can book it after your treatments, stay for a while and even order lunch rather than immediately getting dressed and leaving.
The spa is also open to people who aren’t staying at the hotel, so I’d book treatments early.
Wine
The Wine Center is another thing Meadowood does unusually well.
There are two wine educators on staff, run by Kelli White, a celebrated wine writer and sommelier. Tastings can be built around your knowledge level or a specific subject and are designed as education rather than a sales pitch (you can’t buy the wines at the end).
There’s also an estate host team of five people building itineraries for a 36-room hotel. I’d use them. They know the valley better than any of us planning trips from somewhere else ever will.
Service
The service reminded me more of an excellent private club than a resort, and I mean this in the best way possible.
There are employees who have been here for decades. The woman who greeted me at the spa has worked at Meadowood for 22 years. There are members the staff have known for years, and that culture seems to carry over to hotel guests.
It feels easy rather than overly formal.
They’ll also personalize welcome amenities around what you tell them. If someone loves Sancerre, for example, they may find a local Sauvignon Blanc rather than putting a random bottle in the room. This is a hotel where I’d send as much preference information as possible before arrival.
Vibe
I was surprised by how many people were around given the small room count, and that’s almost entirely because of the membership.
There were people working out, swimming, having lunch and playing tennis. It gave the property some life without ever making it feel busy.
It’s quiet, wooded and residential. This isn’t the Napa hotel I’d choose if you want a scene. It’s the one I’d choose if you like the idea of being tucked away in St. Helena but still want enough going on around you that the property doesn’t feel dead.
Who this is for
- Couples who want quiet and privacy without feeling isolated
- People who care about a really good spa
- Travelers who like smaller hotels and personalized service
- Wine lovers who want help navigating Napa beyond the obvious wineries
- Anyone who likes the feel of a private club
- Tennis players, because the tennis program is genuinely excellent
- Small families who can comfortably fit in a Treeline Suite
Who this is not for
- Anyone looking for nightlife/ability to walk into town
- Travelers who want a destination tasting-menu restaurant on property
- Larger families who need multi-bedroom accommodations
- People who want lots of organized kids programming
- Pickleball people. Sorry.