Looking for a nice place to stay this holiday season – like, really, really nice? No, don’t check your bank balance first.
Conde Nast Traveler recently released its 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards for the category of Best Resort in Northern California, and topping the list is a “culinary-first” hotel in Sonoma County, co-founded by Michelin-starred chef Charlie Palmer, where rooms can go for more than $2,000 per night.
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The magazine’s list plays up the region’s famed and rugged geography, from the verdant coastal bluffs of Big Sur to the snowy peaks around Lake Tahoe. Resorts in Wine Country take most of the honors, though Half Moon Bay edges in with its oceanfront Ritz-Carlton.
Appellation Healdsburg, which features Andys Beeline Rooftop offering cocktails and small, shareable bites, was named the best resort in Northern California in Conde Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards. (Photo by Emma Kruch)
“Nestled amongst eight-and-a-half acres of lush landscapes sits 108 guest rooms situated in two distinct villages designed by acclaimed architect John Hill,” reads the website of Appellation Healdsburg. Amenities offered are “27 culinary garden beds fueling the restaurants’ menus,” private tours of wineries, hands-on workshops with farmers and local makers, and a restaurant where “progressive American cooking is enriched by live-oak embers.”
Conde Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards for NorCal resorts
1 Appellation Healdsburg, Healdsburg
2 The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe
3 Alila Napa Valley, St. Helena
4 Carneros Resort and Spa, Napa
5 Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur
Appellation Healdsburg, which features 26 garden boxes on its grounds that grow food for its restaurants, was named the best resort in Northern California in Conde Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards. (Courtesy of Studio Alani)
6 Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley, Calistoga
7 Meadowood Napa Valley, St. Helena
8 Montage Healdsburg, Healdsburg
9 Stanly Ranch, Auberge Collection, Napa
10 The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay
Source: CN Traveler