Hotel Yountville

It’s arguably the culinary capital of the United States. The Napa Valley town of Yountville boasts more Michelin-starred restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the world — and it’s on its way towards having a hospitality scene to match. Here’s a prime example. Hotel Yountville’s modern forms distinguish it from the transplanted Tuscan manors and turreted French chateaux that have previously dominated the region. It’s a reminder that the Northern California wine country has largely shed its Europe complex, and is better represented through such locally bred virtues as sustainability and reclamation.

Not just reclamation of materials, but reclamations of classic forms as well — in this case a mid-century roadside motel, deftly refigured by Lisa Holt and David Shapiro into a contemporary boutique resort. The five-acre landscape encompasses eighty suites arranged like the villas of a small country estate, with private entrances and intimate backyards. The open floor plan of the generously sized Yountville Suite allows plenty of space for the local Napa fieldstone of the fireplace to interact with the exposed beams of the vaulted ceiling, the dark German oak floors and the teakwood furniture. It’s a balanced demonstration of the natural beauty that can be wrung from reclaimed and recycled building materials. This aesthetic is revisited throughout thirty-two mid-range, moderately sized rooms, which also feature spacious two-person jacuzzis, rain showers, and king beds outfitted with Italian linen.

Such intelligently crafted luxury can make the hotel a difficult place to leave, and a restaurant offering modern American farm-to-table cuisine, as well as a full-service spa, do their bit to keep the experience self-contained. Just spare a meal for Thomas Keller, at least, whose Ad Hoc, Bouchon and French Laundry are all within strolling distance.