Darn Good Digs Review - Editors' Choice

Camellia Inn, Healdsburg, California
Nominated By: Nina Vemac, Olga, Washington, USA, January '10

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Price Range: US$129-$299 (breakfast included) # of Rooms: 9 Kid-Friendly:

What makes the Camellia Inn so Darn Good? Located in the town of Healdsburg in the heart of pricey Sonoma County, the Camellia Inn beckons with a cozy “Budget Room” that blends vintage style with modern amenities. The inn is within walking distance to the historic town plaza, great restaurants, and several wine tasting rooms.

Location: With its small town charm, nearby wineries, and surrounding nature, Healdsburg is the hippest town in the California Wine Country. Brimming with bookstores, coffee shops, boutiques, and art galleries, the town has plenty to keep you busy when you are not visiting any of the more than one hundred wineries within ten miles of the Inn. Giant California redwoods and the beautiful Pacific coast are both within an hour’s drive.

Rooms: Housed in an 1869 Italianate Victorian home, the inn has nine distinct guestrooms with period architectural details like marble fireplaces, inlaid hardwood floors, and ceiling medallions. All rooms have en-suite bathrooms, except the Budget Room, which has a private bathroom including a huge tub just across the hallway. Guests can take a self-guided walking tour of the gardens, which boast more than fifty varieties of camellias and surround a lovely swimming pool.

Food: The full breakfast buffet includes a warm dish, fresh seasonal fruit, breakfast meats, granola, yogurt, pastries, and smoothies. On Thursday mornings, the Inn offers a chocolate-inspired breakfast as part of its chocolate-covered Wednesday theme, which also includes chocolate treats upon check-in, chocolate port in the evening, and chocolate body paint and soap in the rooms. The inn offers wine, sometimes from their very own winery, and cheese every evening by the pool or in the parlor.

Vibe: The Camellia Inn, a three decade old family business, is comfortable, fun, and warm, but not fussy or cloying.

Keep in Mind: The Budget Room is very popular so make sure to book in advance.

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