Inn at Occidental of Sonoma Wine Country

Welcome to the Inn at Occidental, a Sonoma County bed and breakfast where gracious living, superb cuisine, and exceptional wines combine for the ultimate relaxing-and romantic-getaway. Come escape to this peaceful town in the heart of Sonoma County Wine Country - and truly leave the "real world" behind. Walk through our front door and the bold, vibrant walls and whimsical American folk art will grab your eye and elicit a smile. Notice the colorful collection of quilts, the quirky rooster pillows, and the collection of green Majolica plates bordering the living room wall.

 We are proud that our inn was recently profiled in these terrific publications:

Sactown Magazine, June/July Issue, "Soaring Redwoods & Primo Pinot:
Steal Away to the Russian River"
National Geographic Traveler, "Wine Country Uncorked - The Inns of Napa and
Sonoma Valleys are as fine as the local wine"
Sunset Magazine - "10 Easy Summer Day Trips: Bodega Bay - Escape to the Ocean"
Sacramento Magazine - "Getaways - 8 Romantic Escapes"

Expect a warm welcome from the owners and the gracious Inn staff. Mention an interest, and you'll soon have a customized map and list of activities in your hands. Settle into your room or suite and delight in its many amenities. Walk into the living room at 5 p.m. and a selection of hors d'oeuvres and local wines will greet you.

Our gracious Sonoma Wine Country Inn is not just another bed and breakfast. Secluded beneath towering redwoods in the charming village of Occidental, this bed and breakfast is centrally located to the spectacular vineyards and orchards of Sonoma wine country, the stunning beaches and cliffs of the Sonoma Coast and the meandering Russian River.

The Inn at Occidental is a perfect spot for a romantic getaway or special occasion. With 16 guest rooms and a two bed room cottage, this Occidental Inn stands out from the Sonoma Valley Lodging Inns. This Inn has been recognized by AAA with 4 diamonds and is also a proud member of Select Registry. The Inn is located a short drive from Healdsburg and Bodega Bay. Occidental California is only a one hour drive north of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Inn at Occidental is perfectly situated for both Russian River Wine Country getaways and Sonoma Coast vacations and Bohemian Grove events.

Make sure to inquire about Osmosis Spa in Freestone which is less than 5 minutes from Occidental CA. Our Osmosis Rejuvenation Spa Package -- specific to the Osmosis Spa is very popular with guests! Located less than an hour from all four Sonoma wine valleys - Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley and Valley of the Moon (Sonoma Valley), the Inn at Occidental offers a central location to see it all. Historic and quaint Bodega Bay and the rugged California coast is just a 20 minute drive away. Enjoy the twelve dramatic beaches between Bodega Bay and Jenner and use the Inn as a hub for your Occidental vacation.

Aglow from the oversized stone hearth, our Wine Cellar dining room offers a morning culinary experience you won't soon forget. Start with our custom-blended coffee, your choice of juice, fruit from a local farm, the Inn's own granola, and a fresh baked pastry. Next, a hot entrée appears in front of you - will it be smoked salmon hash with poached egg and hollandaise sauce, pecan caramel French Toast, or Orange Cream Stuffed French Toast?

Beautifully prepared and presented, each day's featured fare is a feast for the eyes as well as the palette. Our chef creates marvelous dishes spiced with herbs from our own gardens and produce from the best Sonoma farms. Elegant and hearty, our breakfasts will leave you satisfied and ready to explore the charms of Sonoma County.

For a corporate retreat, Wine Country wedding or reunion, our Occidental cottage can accommodate up to 16 guests for meetings. All rooms have private baths with showers, WI-FI, phones, radio with CD players & alarms, hairdryers, luxurious bathrobes, Aveda bath accessories and Frette bath towels. Television available upon request.

Share a laugh with other guests, or just kick back and enjoy the folk art displayed in every nook and cranny. Stroll round the Inn and discover something interesting around every corner and up every staircase - a family heirloom, an original artwork, a heritage quilt, and an antique replica of a racing schooner. Your stay at the Inn is your special time away. Our wonderful atmosphere and our knowledge of all things Sonoma will make it one of the most delightful and memorable experiences you'll ever have.

Springtime at the Inn at Occidental means blooming flowers and gentle breezes. It is the time to see the heritage roses at Vintage Gardens and to spy a gray whale migrating through the Pacific. The Sonoma countryside is a million shades of green this time of year and wildflowers of every color sprout up all along Coleman Valley Road. Wineries across the county hold barrel tasting weekends - a great way to sample up-and-coming vintages.

Summer is the time for stunning sunsets, farmer's markets, and music, music, music. Melodic strands of jazz, classical, and blues drift through the summer night air. It's peak season for a hot-air balloon ride and a great time to visit Safari West. It's also the time to stroll the shores of Western Sonoma's sun-kissed beaches. Don't miss seeing a summer sunset at River's End.

Warm days and crisp nights make fall absolutely perfect in Sonoma. Everywhere the county hums with activity - harvest festivals, pumpkin festivals, antique fairs, and "The Crush." Grapes are picked, crushed, and stored in barrels in the fall, so it's a great time to see and participate in the winemaking process firsthand. The Sonoma County Harvest Fair is a must if you're visiting on festival weekend. Check with an innkeeper for this year's dates.

Winter is a great time to visit Sonoma. Although the trees are shedding their leaves, the wineries are still pouring great wine. In fact, many tasting room folks are bored and dying to impress you with their favorite vintages. For the holidays, we decorate the Inn in the style of an old-fashioned New England Christmas. We go all out on the tinsel and holly - in fact it takes us four days to deck our halls! We also bake a sampling of Christmas treats to tantalize you in the evenings. 

From San Francisco Airport: Direct Highway

• Follow airport terminal signs to Highway 380 to Highway 280 north.
• Stay on Highway 280 north until San Francisco. Stay in the left lanes that become 19th Avenue. Go through a series of lights as you drive through an urban area.
• When 19th Avenue goes through a park-like setting, follow signs to the Golden Gate Bridge.
• Once you cross the bridge, you will be on Highway 101 north. After about a half hour, you will pass through Petaluma, Penngrove, and Cotati.
• Exit at Rohnert Park/Sebastopol, Highway 116 west. Turn left under the freeway and follow the signs to Sebastopol.
• Go 7.4 miles to downtown Sebastopol.
• You'll be on a one-way street. Stay in the left lane. At light, turn left onto Highway 12/Sebastopol Avenue. Get immediately in right lane.
• Go through the next light and follow signs to Bodega Bay.
• Go 6.4 miles to Freestone (at bottom of long curve).
• Turn right onto Bohemian Highway.
• Go 3.7 miles into the village of Occidental.
• At the stop sign, turn right. Go up the hill to the Inn's private parking lot.

From San Francisco Airport: Scenic Highway (Best During Commute Hours)

• Follow airport terminal signs to Highway 380 to Highway 280 north.
• Stay on Highway 280 north until San Francisco. Stay in the left lanes that become 19th Avenue. Go through a series of lights as you drive through an urban area.
• When 19th Avenue goes through a park-like setting, follow signs to the Golden Gate Bridge.
• Once you cross the bridge, you will be on Highway 101 north.
• In Petaluma, take the East Washington Street exit and go west.
• Follow the signs to Bodega Bay and Valley Ford. Go 19.6 miles through beautiful countryside with lovely farms, hills, and valleys.
• Pass through Valley Ford, go about a half mile and turn right following the signs to Freestone and Occidental on Valley Ford Cut-off Road.
• Go 2.5 miles, until the road ends at Bodega Highway.
• Turn right and go 1.3 miles to Freestone.
• Turn left on Bohemian Highway.
• Go 3.7 miles into Occidental.
• At the stop sign, turn right. Go up the hill to the Inn's private parking lot.

From San Francisco Airport: Coastal Highway (Plan Two Hours)

• Follow airport terminal signs to Highway 380 to Highway 280 north.
• Stay on Highway 280 north until San Francisco. Stay in the left lanes that become 19th Avenue. Go through a series of lights as you drive through an urban area.
• When 19th Avenue goes through a park-like setting, follow signs to the Golden Gate Bridge.
• Once you cross the bridge, you will be on Highway 101 north.
• In Mill Valley, exit at Highway 1 north.
• Drive north up the coast through Stinson Beach, Point Reyes National Reserve, Inverness, and Tomales Bay.
• Pass through Valley Ford on Highway 1, go about a half mile and turn right following the signs to Freestone and
• Occidental on Valley Ford Cut-off Road.
• Go 2.5 miles, until the road ends at Bodega Highway.
• Turn right and go 1.3 miles to Freestone.
• Turn left on Bohemian Highway.
• Go 3.7 miles into Occidental.
• At the stop sign, turn right. Go up the hill to the Inn's private parking lot.

Our Inn, combined with your colleagues, family, or friends, is a wonderful Sonoma County getaway. Whether it's a shareholder's retreat, a wine tasters' club, or a family reunion, our thoughtful staff will create the perfect atmosphere for your event. We offer formal and informal meeting space and accommodations for your corporate or family gathering.

Dining Room

Great for your larger events, our 750-square-foot Dining Room offers the best location for formal meetings, roundtable discussions, and presentations. The French doors open to a 400-square-foot attached patio, which can be tented for more seating space and meals.

Capacity:

• Boardroom seating: 20 people
• Banquet seating: 48 people

Sonoma Cottage

An ideal space for retreats, meetings, or breakout sessions for up to 12 people, the Sonoma Cottage is a two-bedroom vacation home located right next door to the Inn. Each bedroom features a private bathroom with a spa tub for two and a fireplace. In addition, the cottage has a full kitchen, living room, and dining room-conference table.

Capacity:

• Sleeps four people
• Seats 12 in the dining room

Prices

Day Conference Prices:

• Dining Room facility fee (up to 48 people 8 round tables of 6) $900
• Sonoma Cottage meeting space (up to 12 people) $679
• Lunch: $22–$32 per person
• Dinner: $40–$75 per person
• A 19 percent service charge and tax will be added to any food and beverage charges.

Overnight Conference Prices:

• Groups of five rooms or more (Sunday-Thursday) $299 single or double occupancy. Valid December through May.
• The Sonoma Cottage is billed as two rooms, with no additional meeting facility fee.
• A full, gourmet breakfast and the Inn's evening wine and hors d'oeuvre reception is included for overnight guests.

Dining/Catering

From a casual barbeque to a formal wine-pairing dinner, our chef is happy to customize a menu for your group. You might also choose to experience some local flavor, including these great restaurants that our innkeepers highly recommend.

Activities

The Inn is delighted to arrange activities for your group, including dinners, tours and tastings at some of Sonoma's more than 190 wineries, horseback riding, walks in the Armstrong Redwoods, trips to the coast, in-room massage, and spa treatments at nearby Osmosis Enzyme Bath and Massage Therapy.

Proposing at the Inn at Occidental

Have you met the true love of your life? Are you planning on "popping the question" in beautiful Sonoma California wine country? The Inn at Occidental’s Wine Country Proposal Package will help you set the stage for a romantic and unforgettable Sonoma wine country proposal that will take her breath away. Our goal is to make this intimate occasion as stress-free and well orchestrated as possible!

• Two nights in a luxurious Courtyard Room with deck, fireplace, whirlpool Jacuzzi, king bed
• Romantic CD – “The piano artistry of Kit Samson"
• One dozen red roses
• An MCI calling card – to share your good news
• Romance Basket with a bottle of Gloria Ferrer champagne, 4 handmade truffles, "True Love" keepsake book, and an adorable Teddy Bear with Inn at Occidental stitched on his vest
• Bed strewn with silk rose petals
• Full breakfast in our dining room
• Coffee or tea delivered to room in the morning

Price: $868 plus tax. (Additional room nights are $339, plus tax. Package is available with stays of two or more nights.)

Setting Up The Package

Step 1) Choose your dates, check availability, and make your reservations. Be sure to tell us you want the Wine Country Proposal Package.

Step 2) Arrange a pre-visit phone consultation with an innkeeper to finalize all the details. We will need to know on which evening you want the Wine Country Proposal Package presented, exactly when you will be out of the room allowing us to set everything up, which side of the bed she sleeps on, etc.

Step 3) Please be sure to consult with an innkeeper if you have any questions. When speaking with us, e-mailing us or leaving any messages, please specify what phone numbers/times/e-mail addresses are or are not safe for getting back in touch with you. We certainly don't want to be responsible for giving away any surprises!

Weddings at the Inn

Our luxurious Wine Country inn is a wonderful place for any couple to start their new life together. We offer fabulous sleeping accommodations for 36 guests and reception space for up to 100 people. Option I Dining Room Reception

An excellent choice for a smaller wedding reception or rehearsal dinner, our dining room accommodates up to 48 guests. It offers:

• Eight round, English-oak tables and 48 Windsor high-backed chairs or a configuration of four 4' x 8' rectangular tables
• Hunter-green tablecloths and linens
• French doors that allow access to the outdoor patio and the street
• A handicap-accessible restroom
• Glasses, plates, bowls, flatware, and mugs

Adjacent to the dining room is a 400-square-foot patio and garden. It is accessible through three sets of French doors from the dining room as well as from the street.

• Excellent location for a dance floor, buffet, wine bar, or passed hors d'oeuvres.
• You can rent a canopy tent that will completely cover the patio.

Package and Price: The facility fee for the dining room and patio is $1,500. We can help you secure additional rental items, such as champagne flutes. There is no obligation to rent any of the Inn's bedrooms.

Option II English Courtyard Garden Reception

The outdoor garden courtyard is an ideal location for a reception or ceremony for up to 104 people. Surrounded by an English-cottage garden and bubbling fountain, it requires little decoration. There is also space for a dance floor in the southeast corner.

Package and Price: The courtyard is available only with the rental of the entire inn; otherwise, room guests would walk through your reception area. When renting the entire inn, we include all 16 rooms and the Sonoma Cottage plus the use of the dining room and all its amenities, the patio, living room, and veranda. Most wedding parties rent the Inn for two nights, Friday and Saturday. You have the exclusive use of the Inn from 3 p.m. on the first day to noon on the last day. The package price is $17,565.50. You may choose to rent back the rooms to your guests to offset the cost.

Ceremony Options: Have your ceremony at the Inn or consider one of our two local churches. The Occidental Community Church is a one-minute walk from the Inn and just across the street from our Sonoma Cottage. The Roman Catholic church, also walking distance, is just minutes away in the village.

Catering: Our Executive Chef, caters events up to 48 people. For larger events, we suggest Park Avenue Catering. The Inn's commercial kitchen easily accommodates our caterer's requirements for preparing and serving your reception or dinner.

At Your Service: Please call us at 800-522-6324 or email for a complete wedding packet. Our events manager can help you plan your special day at the Inn and answer your questions and concerns. Click here for important wedding links and contact information.

During your visit to the Inn at Occidental grab a copy of An Historical and Anecdotal Walking Tour of the Small (but Fascinating) Village of Occidental, California, and take some time to stroll our quirky town and drink in its history and charm. Many of the boutiques and shops offer mementos of your trip, and if you're a pasta lover as well, this is the place to be! Occidental's first settler, "Dutch Bill Howard" was actually not Dutch, nor was his name Bill Howard. He was, in fact, a Danish sailor named Christopher Folkmann, on the lam from stealing a military boat. In 1849, he assumed the named Bill Howard and settled on what is now the town's north end. Despite his shady past and the fact that it wasn't really his name, the town was christened "Howard's Station" after him and remained so until renamed "Occidental" in 1876.

In the 1880s, the town experienced its first boom when Italian immigrants migrated to the area. They worked as loggers, farmers, and coal miners and made Occidental their home. Many of the original families still live in Occidental, which explains why its two-block main drag has five (yes, five) family-style Italian restaurants.

Occidental is tucked into the redwood forests of Sonoma wine country - a great vacation spot and perfect location for the Inn. Kissed by the scent of both the nearby vineyards and the crisp Pacific breezes, Occidental is close to all the wonderful things Western Sonoma has to offer.

Occidental also is home to dozens of artists, and local stores feature their handcrafted works and all sorts of other goodies. Meander the small town center and poke your head into Hand Goods, Revival Antiques, Natural Connection, Leapin' Lizards Fun Store, and the many other terrific shops.

The town prides itself as a great place to hear music. Our Redwood Arts Council presents concerts of local artists and world-renowned musical performers featuring chamber music, international folk music, jazz, vocal ensembles, and more. The acclaimed Occidental Community Choir performs its original music here several times a year. Check with an innkeeper to see what's happening during your visit.

Sonoma County is the quintessential wine country” sophistication and class without the attitude and crowds. It's the wine country with meandering roads and gently sloping hills ” where nationally known vineyards and family-run operations exist side by side. At 1,604 square miles, Sonoma county is much larger than neighboring Napa and offers more diverse activities to enjoy. Relaxed and personal, Sonoma lies closer to the sea and farther from the traffic.

The first home of wine production in Northern California, Sonoma County is also still the nation's largest producer of quality wine. Distinct wine valleys dot the countryside  "Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and the Valley of the Moon each offering its own flavors and varietals, including many of the world's best-known labels and appellations. Classic barns dot the Wine Country hillsides. Almost all of the county's 190 wineries are open to the public for tours and complimentary tastings.

Just an hour north of San Francisco, Sonoma wine country offers everything you could desire in a memorable travel destination unspoiled beauty and elegance all in one. The county's natural beauty ” vineyards, towering old-growth redwoods, the Russian River, and the rugged coastline” are just the beginning. A haven for artists, craftspeople, and chefs, Sonoma also offers wonderful galleries and shops, revitalizing spas, and some of the finest dining experiences in the country.