Jul 8, 2015, 1:22 pm
Last edit by: platbrownguy
Hotel website: The Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance Resort & Spa
Resort fee includes (hat tip to sg59) includes: internet, daily hike, yoga, 2hr free bicycle rental, winetasting and minibus to Sonoma square. resort fee also covers daily Sangria (if you like that), two bottles of water daily, a single use $10 discount voucher that you can use at The Bean and bottle or The Spa. There is daily yoga and a local hike, as platinum we could rent a bike free for two hours. Reception have free coffee, mini muffins and croissants about 8.30 am, and fruit and cookies in the afternoon about 4pm, before wine tasting.
Breakfast: option of 1,000 points or breakfast. Breakfast allowance is $30 pp (max 2). (Update 5/11/2019: YMMV on breakfast; there is a meager "continental buffet" and depending on the wait staff you may be permitted to order eggs and sides for free as well.)
Resort fee includes (hat tip to sg59) includes: internet, daily hike, yoga, 2hr free bicycle rental, winetasting and minibus to Sonoma square. resort fee also covers daily Sangria (if you like that), two bottles of water daily, a single use $10 discount voucher that you can use at The Bean and bottle or The Spa. There is daily yoga and a local hike, as platinum we could rent a bike free for two hours. Reception have free coffee, mini muffins and croissants about 8.30 am, and fruit and cookies in the afternoon about 4pm, before wine tasting.
Breakfast: option of 1,000 points or breakfast. Breakfast allowance is $30 pp (max 2). (Update 5/11/2019: YMMV on breakfast; there is a meager "continental buffet" and depending on the wait staff you may be permitted to order eggs and sides for free as well.)
The Lodge at Sonoma Resort, Autograph Collection [Master Thread]
Oct 21, 2018, 7:17 am
#76
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,074
Here last week for a 5 night stay on points, tried to use suite upgrades but was rejected. However, we were upgraded to a cottage anyway. The rooms have been renovated and are very nice, bathtubs have been removed from the cottages.
As a PP elite I was offered 1000 points or breakfast, I chose breakfast which is in the Carneros restaurant. Breakfast allowance is $30 pp (max 2) which I thought was quite generous, we checked it with several staff to make sure it was correct, no coupons just told to tell the Server we were Platinum. During the stay we were offered a menu just for Platinums and sometimes an a la carte menu, Reception confirmed regardless of which menu they gave us, breakfast would be free. However, I think they were only supposed to offer the Plat menu, which of course is limited. Please note if you do not take the breakfast option they do have free coffee in the lobby with either mini croissants or breakfast muffins.(Apples and cookies in the afternoon). They no longer charge for parking which was $17 , however the resort fee is now $32 per day which includes: internet, daily hike, yoga, 2hr free bicycle rental, winetasting and minibus to Sonoma square.
Not really a resort but a nice hotel never the less. Have always been treated well here, they really try to please their guests. New breakfast was option was good, cooked to order with a choice of hot items,eggs any style, meat option and herb potatoes, pancakes, Granola or fruit and yoghurt.
I
As a PP elite I was offered 1000 points or breakfast, I chose breakfast which is in the Carneros restaurant. Breakfast allowance is $30 pp (max 2) which I thought was quite generous, we checked it with several staff to make sure it was correct, no coupons just told to tell the Server we were Platinum. During the stay we were offered a menu just for Platinums and sometimes an a la carte menu, Reception confirmed regardless of which menu they gave us, breakfast would be free. However, I think they were only supposed to offer the Plat menu, which of course is limited. Please note if you do not take the breakfast option they do have free coffee in the lobby with either mini croissants or breakfast muffins.(Apples and cookies in the afternoon). They no longer charge for parking which was $17 , however the resort fee is now $32 per day which includes: internet, daily hike, yoga, 2hr free bicycle rental, winetasting and minibus to Sonoma square.
Not really a resort but a nice hotel never the less. Have always been treated well here, they really try to please their guests. New breakfast was option was good, cooked to order with a choice of hot items,eggs any style, meat option and herb potatoes, pancakes, Granola or fruit and yoghurt.
I
Feb 17, 2019, 5:02 am
#77
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: NL, Canada
Programs: AC Aeroplan SE, Marriott LTPPE
Posts: 123
The Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance Resort & Spa
I have a 5 night stay coming up at this resort in April. I see they have increased the resort fee to $37 a night now which is suppose to include daily wine tasting and shuttle to Sonoma Plaza. Any one have any idea of how frequently or how late in the evening the shuttle operates?
Feb 17, 2019, 6:01 am
#78
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: Marriott Plat Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13
Hi Nfldflyer,
we stayed for 5 nights last October on a reward stay.
The shuttle bus is an on demand Service, just call into Reception and phone if you are out for a return lift, not sure what time it runs to unfortunately, although Sonoma Plaza is only about 1 mile away and is easily walkable.
The resort fee also covers daily Sangria (if you like that), two bottles of water daily, a single use $10 discount voucher that you can use at The Bean and bottle or The Spa.
There is daily yoga and a local hike, as platinum we could rent a bike free for two hours. Reception have free coffee, mini muffins and croissants about 8.30 am, and fruit and cookies in the afternoon about 4pm, before wine tasting.
We really enjoyed our visit and I see with the new category changes its going to a category 7 in March, which is quite a hike.
Anyway, enjoy your visit.
we stayed for 5 nights last October on a reward stay.
The shuttle bus is an on demand Service, just call into Reception and phone if you are out for a return lift, not sure what time it runs to unfortunately, although Sonoma Plaza is only about 1 mile away and is easily walkable.
The resort fee also covers daily Sangria (if you like that), two bottles of water daily, a single use $10 discount voucher that you can use at The Bean and bottle or The Spa.
There is daily yoga and a local hike, as platinum we could rent a bike free for two hours. Reception have free coffee, mini muffins and croissants about 8.30 am, and fruit and cookies in the afternoon about 4pm, before wine tasting.
We really enjoyed our visit and I see with the new category changes its going to a category 7 in March, which is quite a hike.
Anyway, enjoy your visit.
Apr 25, 2019, 10:11 am
#80
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: NL, Canada
Programs: AC Aeroplan SE, Marriott LTPPE
Posts: 123
Renaissance Resort & Spa - Sonoma, CA
Just recently completed a 5 night stay at this resort. Great experience. Titanium upgrade to Cottage unit. Property very clean and comfortable bed. Friendly and helpful staff. While they do charge a daily resort fee a number of amenities are included in the fee including daily wine tasting, sangria, bike rentals, afternoon live music in pool area, and anytime transport to town center. etc.. Had two meals in the onsite restaurant and both were great. Pool area and loungers were nice. The only thing I noticed which could become an issue is there was a considerable gap between the bottom of the door and the floor of the cottage which a good sized insect could enter the cottage if they were so inclined - luckily I did not encounter one. I would recommend this property.
Apr 25, 2019, 12:54 pm
#81
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
Programs: UA 1MM, WN CP, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Gold, IC Plat
Posts: 15,722
There is no need to justify the resort fee which is 100% bogus like all such fees worldwide but unfortunately is par for the course now at all major properties in Napa/Sonoma, Vegas, etc. When we visited about 15 months ago we found the wines at the "free" happy hour wine tasting to be undrinkable. I would concur with the recent room reviews - no complaints there. I think the rooms here compare favorably with the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn where everything is very old and dated. The cottage rooms are also much larger than the Andaz Napa and comparable to Westin Verasa. Of course the latter two are in Napa - the Ren remains one of the best options for Sonoma.
Last edited by Boraxo; Mar 14, 2022 at 4:44 pm
May 10, 2019, 10:32 pm
#82
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,671
Here last week for a 5 night stay on points, tried to use suite upgrades but was rejected. However, we were upgraded to a cottage anyway. The rooms have been renovated and are very nice, bathtubs have been removed from the cottages.
As a PP elite I was offered 1000 points or breakfast, I chose breakfast which is in the Carneros restaurant. Breakfast allowance is $30 pp (max 2) which I thought was quite generous, we checked it with several staff to make sure it was correct, no coupons just told to tell the Server we were Platinum. During the stay we were offered a menu just for Platinums and sometimes an a la carte menu, Reception confirmed regardless of which menu they gave us, breakfast would be free. However, I think they were only supposed to offer the Plat menu, which of course is limited. Please note if you do not take the breakfast option they do have free coffee in the lobby with either mini croissants or breakfast muffins.(Apples and cookies in the afternoon). They no longer charge for parking which was $17 , however the resort fee is now $32 per day which includes: internet, daily hike, yoga, 2hr free bicycle rental, winetasting and minibus to Sonoma square.
Not really a resort but a nice hotel never the less. Have always been treated well here, they really try to please their guests. New breakfast was option was good, cooked to order with a choice of hot items,eggs any style, meat option and herb potatoes, pancakes, Granola or fruit and yoghurt.
As a PP elite I was offered 1000 points or breakfast, I chose breakfast which is in the Carneros restaurant. Breakfast allowance is $30 pp (max 2) which I thought was quite generous, we checked it with several staff to make sure it was correct, no coupons just told to tell the Server we were Platinum. During the stay we were offered a menu just for Platinums and sometimes an a la carte menu, Reception confirmed regardless of which menu they gave us, breakfast would be free. However, I think they were only supposed to offer the Plat menu, which of course is limited. Please note if you do not take the breakfast option they do have free coffee in the lobby with either mini croissants or breakfast muffins.(Apples and cookies in the afternoon). They no longer charge for parking which was $17 , however the resort fee is now $32 per day which includes: internet, daily hike, yoga, 2hr free bicycle rental, winetasting and minibus to Sonoma square.
Not really a resort but a nice hotel never the less. Have always been treated well here, they really try to please their guests. New breakfast was option was good, cooked to order with a choice of hot items,eggs any style, meat option and herb potatoes, pancakes, Granola or fruit and yoghurt.
Unfortunately the breakfast situation is no longer as you describe.
Titanium, stayed two nights (paid) Monday & Tuesday of this week. Nice enough place, we had cottage 12F which was the perfect location because of the easy access to the pool area and main building/bar, etc. It was a drag to carry the bags upstairs but I would not have wanted to be in cottage 12 downstairs, there's a fair bit of traffic.
Anyhow, back to breakfast. There is a "continental buffet" set up with oatmeal, some muffins/pastries, a bowl of melon, a bowl of berries, cereal, and yogurt. The first day we went for breakfast, we were told by our server (who went to check) that all we got as the elite breakfast was that continental buffet (plus coffee and juice). I thought that was a bum deal but wasn't going to take it up with the server, so we ordered an egg dish (chilaquiles, quite good) to share and were perfectly satisfied with that plus the other items. On day 2, we ordered eggs/bacon/potatoes to share, but our server (a different one) tells us a different story once she learns we're Titanium (this time I didn't mention it until after the fact because why bother) -- she says that eggs and sides of meat are also included, so she went ahead and took off the dish we ordered (even though the potatoes aren't supposed to be included - lol!). So then I went to the front desk to inquire further but the agents there had no idea what it was "supposed" to include, so I asked them to take off day 1's dish and they did.
So all in all, things were fine (this annoyance was simply what I expect with Marriwood these days) but before returning I would want to get confirmation of the breakfast policy.
Sangria at the bar each night was a nice touch -- ask for it without the club soda!
May 18, 2019, 8:27 am
#83
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 148
We just checked in yesterday for a two night stay (100K points) and tomorrow we're over to the Westin Verasa for 3 nights. We didn't put in for an upgrade using certificates, but did ask if we could be upgraded. However, we were told that due to capacity that wouldn't be happening. But we checked in and were placed in one of the cottages (building 3). The desk clerk told us that this was a good building because it's only one floor, so we wouldn't hear noise from above. The room is nice and private and doesn't face any of the walkways (we're in 3C). Bathroom is updated with walk-in shower. Amenities in the bathroom are sparse and small. Aveda products, but on the small size. No extras, such as mouthwash, slippers. Basic coffee machine in the room.
We did the Sangria last night that was fine. Someone recommended asking for it without soda water, so we'll take the tip today. Haven't tried the breakfast yet, but will after a run and will post an update on that. The wine tasting in the Discovery Room was not worth the experience. The folks pouring wine literally poured maybe 1/3 ounce. It was a thimble amount and barely enough to taste. However, the charcuterie set-up was nice and that's where you should focus your efforts.
I forgot to mention, when you check in, they do give a pour of champagne (1/3 pour). Tip - ask for a refill
We did the Sangria last night that was fine. Someone recommended asking for it without soda water, so we'll take the tip today. Haven't tried the breakfast yet, but will after a run and will post an update on that. The wine tasting in the Discovery Room was not worth the experience. The folks pouring wine literally poured maybe 1/3 ounce. It was a thimble amount and barely enough to taste. However, the charcuterie set-up was nice and that's where you should focus your efforts.
I forgot to mention, when you check in, they do give a pour of champagne (1/3 pour). Tip - ask for a refill
May 18, 2019, 5:01 pm
#84
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,671
The folks pouring wine literally poured maybe 1/3 ounce. It was a thimble amount and barely enough to taste. However, the charcuterie set-up was nice and that's where you should focus your efforts.
I forgot to mention, when you check in, they do give a pour of champagne (1/3 pour). Tip - ask for a refill
I forgot to mention, when you check in, they do give a pour of champagne (1/3 pour). Tip - ask for a refill
Jul 30, 2019, 10:51 am
#86
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: DL GM, MR Platinum, National EC
Posts: 99
Wife and I had a great trip. Upgraded to king Cottage, offered hot buffet for weekend breakfast and was able to order eggs cooked to order on Monday, since the Plat buffet is cold on weekdays. Nice property and will definitely be back when we are in wine country. Also took advantage of the welcome champange and complimentary sangria!
Nov 6, 2019, 2:53 am
#87
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 4
It's funny, we had neither champagne at checkin nor charcuterie anywhere. But our free wine tasting was a solid glass, at least 4 ounces. Must be luck of the draw with the wineries. (Of course the wine itself was terrible and we only had a sip, but it's the thought that counts?)
Mar 14, 2022, 2:46 pm
#90
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 55
I'd be interested to know of any recent stays here. I've booked two Autograph Collection stays - here and Tetra Hotel, Sunnyvale (no thread/reviews yet) - for later in the year. It would be good to get a handle on Plat benefits, particularly as this is part of the DiamondRock portfolio who are not exactly known for their guest generosity.