We stayed at Solage Calistoga for the second time in November 2012. For us, it is all about the food and the spa. The restaurant makes delicious food - we enjoyed breakfast, lunch and dinner, all with great food and service. The cocktails are tasty too. The spa is amazing. We got a couples massage and enjoyed the starlight at the bathhouse - we had the whole place to ourselves from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. So much fun, and romantic too. I also got a great mani/pedi. The service is wonderful, the beds and rooms are comfortable, and the atmosphere is calm and soothing. We can't wait to go back.

Solage Calistoga is a lovely spa/resort hotel. The property itself is a 4....very nice but short of the best of the best (that would rate a 5). The rooms (which are individual buildings called studios or suites) are plain...almost army-barracks simple on the outside, but contemporary, well designed and very comfortable on the inside. The common spaces are Napa-simple, wood and environmentally-friendly.

The service is a 5, The Spa is world class. Outside each room are two cruiser-type bicycles for getting around the property, or taking into the nearby town of Calistoga, And there are three spectacular new Mercedes convertibles that you can take on a first-come-first-served basis. No charge. The Solbar restaurant and bar is top notch. If you want to know where something is on the property, and you ask a staff member, instead of telling you how to get there, they will drop what they are doing and take you there themselves.

Of course, Solage Calistoga is a great base-camp for winery visits, and the helpful concierge staff can set up everything....tours, transportation, restaurant reservations, you name it.

Helpful hint: The Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County airport in Santa Rosa (STS) is an easy half hour away. Alaska Airlines has non-stop service from Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles and San Diego. Super easy airport to get in and out of, no big TSA lines, rental cars 100 feet from the building. If you don't want to do the hour and a half to two hour drive from Sacramento, Oakland or SFO, consider flying into STS,

We thoroughly enjoyed our two-night stay at Solage with family members to celebrate a special occasion. As we needed 5 rooms, we booked the least expensive of the studio categories (Vega King) on the "rise and dine" plan, which included access to the spa facilities (without a spa treatment or $25/person/day charge) and a full menu breakfast for two each morning at Solbar (separate review). We asked to be located near the main pool, and I would ask for that again, though I can't comment on whether there would be any noise issue there during peak season. All of our rooms were in the #40's, some of which had patios opening onto central grassy courtyards shared with other rooms (#40), and some of which had patios on the main pool side (#46, 47, 48, 49), which were screened from the pool and had no walkway between the patio and the pool fence; hence, those were more private. If you don't have children, I would definitely avoid the rooms right next to the family pool (#1-6); conversely, those might be very convenient and appealing if you do. In my opinion, the rooms that are closer to the spa and behind it (#51-89) are not as appealing in terms of location and view, and yet many of those are the more expensive Adara King rooms. Plus, #70-89 are located across a little bridge and are quite a distance from the main part of the resort. If you want a Capella Suite, I'd ask for #37 or 38, as they are centrally lcoated to the main pool and restaurant, completely surrounding by a fence for privacy and have patios facing towards the eastern hillside and vineyards.

The rooms were spacious, the beds were quite comfortable, and our room had a beautiful view looking onto the private patio and the eastern hillside. We did not use the two cruisers bikes that were parked at our room, as it sprinkled on and off while we were there. They are certainly a nice add for getting around town or taking a leisurely ride down the Silverado Trail to any number of nearby wineries. There were all of the expected room amenities (e.g., robes/slippers, hair dryer, iron/board, Ipod dock, umbrella, huge flat screen, coffee maker with 1/2 and 1/2 in minibar, tea). Housekeeping provided twice/day service.

Perhaps what we enjoyed the most was the main pool. Our room was right near it, but you couldn't actually see the pool from it because of the plants growing along the fence surrounding the pool. It's almost Olympic length (just shy of 50 meters) and has lane line markings on the bottom. Lap and masters swimmers will be very happy. Maximum depth is around 4', so it's just deep enough for flip-turns. There is a small outdoor spa on the pool deck, and there is a separate family pool for children under 12 located adjacent to the main pool in its own fenced-in enclosure; there's a grassy play area next to that pool. Plenty of towels and loungers were available at all times. There are cabanas as well, which we used when it was raining, and would be welcome shelter during the summer heat.

The spa and gym facilities are located a short walk away on the other side of the dining area. While it might be different in the summer, everyone wandered around the resort in the robes and slippers or thongs that were provided in the room or in the spa lockers. The spa has an outdoor warm pool (appx. 100-101) that you can laze around in forever, and then two gender-specific, clothing optional outdoor areas that have a slightly hotter jetted pool (appx. 103?), a cooler plunge pool, a steam room and an outdoor shower area. In the main spa area, there are also full locker facilities with a suit spinner, showers, fruit and water, etc.

Several of us attended a complimentary spin class in the movement room, which has floor to ceiling glass doors that were opened fully during the class. It was beautiful looking out onto a very old California oak tree and into the eastern hillside beyond the resort. The instructor was very engaging, and the class was a mix of guests and Solage spa members. Some in our group stayed on for the yoga class afterwards; they seemed to enjoy that as well. There is a full gym with cardio and weights in an adjacent building between the main spa and the movement room.

My daughter had a massage and said that it was the best one that she had ever had. Another couple had a couple's massage and liked theirs as well.

Calistoga's main street is walking or biking distance and has an array of small shops and restaurants. It's a lower key version of St. Helena. We didn't leave the resort much, as we have been to Calistoga many times before and preferred to just relax on-site. Solbar is a great dining option that we had visited before, so we just ate there, with the exception of one night when we drove into St. Helena to eat at Farmstead.

We're looking forward to our next stay at Solage, whether that is as a couple, a group of friends, or as a family group with or without children.

This place has amazing pools that are natural hot spring feed. Men and Women have their own area and also there is a coed large pool. The rooms are really nicely appointed and comfortable with a modern twist. They have bikes you can use and it is fun to cruz the area on them. Town is close by also. Look forward to returning!