Calderwood Inn

The Calderwood Inn is located in Healdsburg, California. It has ten rooms that guests can rent as well as a dining and gathering space on the first floor. According to one of the managers, one of the most popular rooms guests will reserve is the Mosaic Room due to its large size and private patio. On the first floor of the inn are the main dining room and gathering area where guests can socialize. While booking a reservation, visitors to the inn have the option of adding on various experiences offered by the inn, such as a VIP wine tour, which includes a full day of wine tastings at vineyards around the area and a lunch. The Calderwood Inn is also close to downtown Healdsburg where guests can find a variety of shops and restaurants to try.

About

Located a short distance from downtown Healdsburg, California, is the Calderwood Inn. The building is three stories tall with yellow paint on the outside walls. There is a garden that is in front of the building with a porch connected to the front of the house that overlooks it. Behind the house, there is a large yard that is mostly grass surrounded by trees, aside from a small herb garden that the innkeepers tend to. An outdoor bocce ball court can also be found on the premises that guests can use at their leisure.

Inside the house on the first floor, the decorations are mostly period pieces and antiques from the early 1900s when the house was first built. The first floor is where guests check-in upon arrival and where they gather to eat breakfast in the dining room. There is also a living room area where guests can socialize that has seating arrangements with a bay window and a fireplace. Should patrons wish to go outside, doors on the first floor provide access to some additional outdoor sitting areas.

Each of the rooms guests can stay in has a unique name. However, all of the rooms fall into one of four categories: standard, deluxe, executive, and suite. All of the rooms come with complimentary wireless internet and a wine hour in the common area, which is found on the first floor. Tim, one of the managers of the inn, says that the most popular room guests will reserve is the Mosaic Room, one of the inn’s executive rooms. He says this is most likely because the room is one of four with its own private patio, and it feels the largest out of all of the rooms. Another room of note is the Wilson, another executive room, which also has a small private deck and a fireplace that guests can use depending on the season they are there. The only suite offered at the Calderwood Inn is the St. Anne’s Suite which is located in the basement of the inn and has its own private entrance and is the newest unit added to the property.

Breakfast is offered to guests every morning at 9:00 AM. It is complimentary for two people per room. The breakfast items offered were created by a chef who oversees the breakfast operations at the inn and is made each morning by the innkeepers. Many of the foods that are prepared for breakfast use herbs from the herb garden behind the house. Of the foods offered, Tim says one of the most popular is the eggs benedict. The Japanese pancakes offered to guests, which are typically thicker than an average pancake, are also popular.

Culture

Tim, one of the inn’s managers, says that he wants guests to feel welcomed on the property. Tim and the staff that work at the inn live locally and can recommend places in the area where guests can experience local flavors and wine. Some local restaurants that they recommend to patrons are the Valette, the Matheson, and Dry Creek Kitchen.

While there aren’t any major events that the inn hosts, the entire building can be rented out by groups looking for lodging together. Calderwood Inn also offers various experiences that guests can purchase with their stay. One such experience is a massage that patrons can reserve a time for at the inn’s sister property, the Grape Leaf Inn, which is a two-minute drive down the road. Visitors to the inn can also book a ‘VIP wine tour,’ which includes a full day of wine tastings and lunch. Something unique about the tour is that each of the wineries patrons will visit are owned by Ken and Diane Wilson, who also own the Calderwood Inn.

In hopes to create the welcoming and relaxing atmosphere that the inn strives to provide, there are a few important policies that the staff asks the guests to follow during their stay. The inn is age-restricted to those who are over the age of eighteen. Pets are allowed to stay with guests, but only if a pet-friendly room is available for them to stay in. Additionally, smoking is not permitted anywhere on the property, with the exception of the designated smoking area.

Many of the guests who have stayed at the inn have left reviews commenting on the quality of their stay. Some reviews talk about how they have enjoyed the packages they had purchased, whereas others focus on the helpfulness of the staff. One former guest commented, “The house was very clean, and the property was well kept. The owners and staff were welcoming and warm.” Said another visitor about their stay, “Breakfast was delicious both days, and they serve wine in the evening. We went to see the Armstrong Redwoods and the California Petrified Forest while we stayed here, which is less than an hour away.”

History

The Calderwood Inn was initially built in 1902 by John Miller and was known as the John Miller House. Miller was one of the first fruit growers to sell dehydrated fruit, and he became the foremost provider of dehydrated foods to the U.S. Military. Those rations were distributed during World War I, and Miller became known for helping to feed the troops during WWI. He and his wife lived in the house until the late 1930s, and then the home became a private residence for some time. It became a bed and breakfast in the early 1980s and has remained as such since then.

Diane and Ken Wilson are the current owners of the Calderwood Inn. Diane is a Californian native, and Ken is from Ontario, Canada. They moved to Sonoma Valley because they were fascinated with wineries and because they enjoyed the area. After moving to the area, Ken and Diane opened their own series of wineries that have received notable recognition. They purchased the Calderwood Inn in hopes of providing an option for accommodation for people who visit the Healdsburg area.