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MacArthur Place Hotel and Spa
Rating Details »
Categories: Hotels, Bed & Breakfast, Day Spas [Edit]
29 E MacArthur StSonoma, CA 95476
(707) 938-2929
$25 off Spa; Free Dinner Appetizer
Stay at MacArthur Place thru 11/30 and recieve $25 off…
Announced 6 days agoMore »
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- By Appointment Only:
- Yes
25 reviews for MacArthur Place Hotel and Spa
This business is a Yelp Sponsor
1/7/2008
11/5/2009
10/12/2009
8/18/2009
10/23/2009
10/7/2009
7/10/2009
9/2/2009
8/8/2009
10/7/2009
3/27/2009
8/12/2009
7/20/2009
7/25/2008
7/26/2009
9/11/2007
3/9/2009
3/27/2007
11/14/2008
7/19/2006
10/28/2008
4/22/2007
8/20/2008
1/11/2009
1/13/2006
One of MacArthur Place Hotel and Spa's Favorite Reviews What's This?
MacArthur Place is tremendous. The hotel is really nice and very, very relaxing and it does not come with the pretense of some of the Napa area Spa and Hotels. Ahhh...the heated pool, peaceful pool area, nice spa & locker facillity and adjacent exercise room are all just a nice way to forget about your stress and troubles and just chill.
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I'll preface the review by saying we stayed for free.
First impressions count ladies & gentlemen, and right off the back at check in we received an upgrade. Bonus points. The room was large & spacious with a separate sitting and bar area. If you do attend the wine & cheese hour (recommended) they make sure your glass is always full. After a playing a little checkers in the library we returned to our room to find a nice bottle of champagne with a happy anniversary note and turned down bed. More bonus points.
Normally continental breakfasts are a let down, but this was better than average with fresh fruit, eggs and table service. The grounds are beautiful, and I couldn't stop giggling at the chess garden.
Within walking distance to the square, so you can enjoy the park, boutiques and restaurants.
-1 star due to the prices. Otherwise it's highly recommended.
Let me preface my 4 star review with a few reasons it didn't receive a higher rating.
1) This hotel is very expensive. $425+ a night, no military discount, or any other kind of discount, period.
2) Be very cautious because the photos online, are not at all what you'll get.
3) I'm a hotel snob. I worked at a few 5 Star hotels, and I know what separates a good hotel from a great hotel.
We checked in on Friday at 3pm. I should have known that my room was a piece of crap when I asked the front desk lady if the room we were getting was nice, and she kinda shrugged her shoulders and gave the generic "all of our rooms are lovely" answer. I asked her for an upgrade or suite, since I could tell that this was not a good sign. She said that if they had something it'd be $100 extra a night. I thought about it for a second, and decided it wasnt a good idea. However, she concurrently told me that they didnt have any upgrades available anyways. Well, that made my decision a little bit easier.
It was quite evident right as we opened our door to our "deluxe" room, that this room was far from "lovely". We were given Room number 35 (make a note that you do not want this room if you plan on staying here). Deluxe room =$425/night. Right when we stepped in I was pissed. The room was teeny-tiny with this hideous safari theme. It looked absolutely nothing like anything they showed online. I called the front desk and told the lady that I absolutely hated the room. She said she'd call back. 15 minutes later she calls back and says that they moved several guests around, and that they now have an upgrade available.
The hotel kindly moved our bags to our new room, which I must say was absolutely divine. We stayed in Oak 45. An upstairs unit, with a balcony, a fancy bathtub, huge bathrrom, and a fireplace. $525/night. Okay so the price hurts, but I would have been more pissed to spend $425 on a hideous room. At least for $525 a night I was getting 2x a better room.
We took full advantage every night of our stay of the wine and cheese happy hour thing in the library. Afterall, we somehow had to justify paying $525/night. First night they served Kunde which was decent. Second night they served Buena Vista which was no good. Our hotel room was kept immaculate, and we also liked how they turned down our room every night for us.
If you're loaded, then I guess this would be a cool place to stay. Otherwise, I have a hard time justifying spending $525/night. Just not worth it.
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Beautiful grounds, incredibly comfortable beds, well-decorated rooms, wine & cheese in the library, great pool, and within walking distance to the square. This is a small, quiet, and romantic escape of the best kind.
The bad? We had a squeaky bed. And we were in a second floor room. So, the sexy time was a little...musical.
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Came to the MacArthur on business and it was a lovely surprise. A very serene hotel a 5 blocks from the Sonoma square. I was lucky enough to stay in a suite here, and they really have paid every attention to detail in making your stay pleasant and relaxing (which they should for the price!). The hydrotherapy spa tub was also a nice touch as well as the fold down service with chocolates. Although I'm not sure I'd ever pay $500 for the room, it was a great experience for our company meeting. The staff really goes out of their way to help, and they are very non-pretenious. Thumbs up!
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Strap down the dingo in your wallet. Incredible place to stay, free cheese/wine daily, fireplaces. Plead mercy to AmEx later.
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I live in Sonoma so I've never stayed in the hotel but I got a gift certificate to their spa as a birthday gift one year. Most relaxing day I've had. Hands down.
I got a facial that was sublime. I could have done without the heavy sales pitch to buy all the products that were used but hey, they've gotta make a living, I guess.
The highlight was the pool. You get to use it all day if you're a guest at the spa. I laid out all day, ordered cocktails and quesadillas from the pool girl, and read my Vanity Fair magazine.
The surrounding garden was beautiful. It was peaceful and quiet. I only left because I was starting to develop a terrible sun burn. And I've been hoping someone will buy me another gift certificate so I can go back soon.
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Just like others said, the ground is beautiful.
It's located close to the old town, and when you enter the grounds, you feel like somewhere else (quiet, romantic). They have wine and cheese tasting (with some fruits and crackers) at 5p-6p.
Continental breakfast included (nothing special, nothing fancy (few selections of muffins, croissants, bagels, bread, basic cereal and granola, fresh fruits, yogurts, hard boiled egg, that's pretty much it). But you can order from the menu too if you want..
I love the hotel, I just DON'T LIKE the breakfast service. I felt ignored and discriminated. Other tables were asked if they want more juice or coffe, not me. They just passed by me without offering anything, ever. I don't know why.
Anyways... the hotel itself is really beautiful. :)
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Arrived around 4:00 and got settled in our garden spa suite. Great room, vaulted ceilings, large marble bar area, 4 post bed and an over sized "hydrotherapy" tub with shutters that opened out on the main room. Outside had a gorgeous "private garden, with outdoor rain shower and teak wine soaking tub housed in an intimate tea house that overlooks a soothing waterfall". We had a great couples massage at their nice little spa. Fell asleep during the massage and woke myself up with a loud snore. Tried to cover it up with a throat clear until my masseuse told me she took it as a compliment. I blame the chamomile massage oil she was using. Went back to our room and ordered room service. Even got to overhear the couple next door loudly discuss an intimate topic they probably would not want ANYONE to overhear. Lucky newlyweds we are. Great place.
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I went here based on Yelp reviews and some friends saying it was nice. I need new friends. This place is so over- rated. Even the photo on the web page is the back of the hotel, not the front. It has 4 Diamond rating (for what I do not know) and I wanted to rip two stars from the wall before I left. It was clean. Maybe they just give 4 stars if a place is clean. Anyway, The wine tasting was two bottles of Buena Vista down-market wine and a plate of cheese squares and no one in the entire room to even pour! I could hear the people in the next room coughing all night and the bed was uncomfortable. The breakfast was skimpy and the waiters wanted a tip - for a free breakfast and they did NOTHING. I left my room at 9AM and came back at 4PM and no maid service. If you want to read at night, bring your own regular light bulbs. The used car lot across the street is a nice touch - not. Unfriendly staff, bad service and 100% mark up on the wine prices in the restaurant. I checked out two days early so I would not have to spend one more cent on this place. $458 per night for this? I will never go back.
One of the perks of travelling in January is the off-season prices. I really wanted to celebrate the bf and I's 4-year-milestone with a SPA DAY and after cruising through Yelp, I found MacArthur Place and it fit the bill - in wine-country, affordable room, and affordable spa!
The rooms were clean and open. Breakfast, bikes, and movies are all included. The gardens were well-kept and I can imagine using them (and the pool) a lot more if it was sunny out. The wine and cheese reception was small, but a nice compliment.
Included with the room were two coupons to use at the SPA. We each got $25 off for a full-body massage. The locker rooms are nice, clean, quiet and adjacent to the sauna. Robes, slippers (note: the slippers were PAINFUL, I'd bring your own flip-flops), and pitchers of fresh-orange-water are all provided. We were able to get our massages side by side in a large, clean, dimly lit couple's room and the nice lady let me smell all the oils before selecting. I went with the rose oil and it was very lovely. We both got female masseuses and they did a great job - I even fell asleep for a little bit.
Favorites: the white robes they provided and the really, really wonderful grape-seed soaps and shampoos. Seriously, I have stayed in A LOT of hotels and MacArthur Place's bath soaps now rank as my all-time favorite.
Complaints: The shower was too small - I felt cramped - and I'm only 5'2". Also, the room was perhaps a tad too simple and unexciting for the price-tag. And, we told them we were celebrating an anniversary, but alas, no wine/champagne bottle in the room. That would've been nice.
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I'll start with the good things I experienced. My room was very nicely remodeled with a country house feel and was large and airy and even had a flat screen TV. At the spa, the hot stone massage ranked in the top 5 massages of my life.
However the rest of my spa experience was pretty abysmal. It's small, old and noisy. On day 2, I had one of the worst massages of my life. I could hear a guy loudly talking throughout the first half of the treatment, and it was supposed to a grapeseed treatment but halfway through I realized that wasn't even what she was using and she did things like karate chop my body, it just felt awful.
On my last day, after my spa treatment, I asked the girl at the spa's front desk if she would put out more cookies and she actually said No. They have really yummy oatmeal raisin cookies, I forgot to include that in the short list of good things. I had just spent $550 dollars at the spa over the course of my stay. Nice job, you saved a cookie but lost a customer.
Saddles was pretty disappointing too. The first morning, the waiter brought me a cup of coffee with trash in it. I mean how oblivious do you have to be not to see a toothpick and other gunk floating in the cup?
And watch out for the room service waiters. I asked the waiter if the tip was included and he said no, so I added 20% tip. Later it was bugging me how room service could be $55. I looked at the menu and saw that they did include an 18% gratuity, so he got a 38% tip. Maybe he didn't understand my question.
My next trip to Sonoma, I would stay in their rooms because they are reasonably affordable, but I would drive over to Sonoma Mission Inn and spend the day at their spa, where they have a decent gym, great fitness classes, a beautiful spa and three refreshing swimming pools.
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I'm only going to give this 3 stars because at a minimum of $300pn for a room I just didn't think it was worth it. The room was nicely furnished if a bit old school. Bathroom was big, no tub but nice walk in shower. Swimming pool is nice if small. Watch out for the numerous dead wasps in it though. 10 minute walk from plaza, 2 minute drive. Very quiet. Didn't go to spa so not sure what that's like.
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The word amazing doesn't even come close to describing this place. It is top-notch and a wonderful surprise considering how picky my husband and I are about where we stay. My husband did tons of research to plan a special getaway for my birthday this year. He wanted us to have a place to go that really satisfied our need for rest, relaxation, pampering, and shopping. MacArthur Place was all of this and more, complete with a surprise bottle of champagne left in our room the day we arrived. He'd told them that it was my birthday. They were so sweet.
Upon our arrival, we chatted a bit with the gal at the front desk who confirmed our spa appointments for that afternoon as well as the next day. We then headed over to Saddles, the adjacent restaurant. Upon entering the restaurant, guests are greeted by a large collection of boots. Very strange. The western theme seems a bit overdone and gave us the impression that this may be another kitschy place. However, we weren't disappointed. The wrap sandwich I had for lunch was 100% satisfying without being too filling and the service excellent. We also had dinner there that night in the dining room. Our waitress was extremely accommodating and sweet and chatted with us quite a bit and had fun with us. What's not to like?
The rooms are tastefully decorated and very modern and we could tell right away that a professional decorator was involved. All space was planned efficiently. The bathroom was a true luxury, complete with 2 sinks and a wonderful shower with water pressure that knocked our socks off.
Our room had a safari feel - none of the cheap hotel decoration with loud obnoxious colors on the bedspread, carpet, and drapes that you see at most chains. There were lots of calming browns and earthtones and art on the walls. The room even came with a flatscreen TV that could be adjusted so that it was comfortable to watch from anywhere in the room. I also especially liked the window seat. Too cool.
What was puzzling, though, was the full stereo available but no radio access. We were told by the front desk that it wasn't set up to access any radio, but that we could play CDs. There was one unopened opera CD in the room. Enough said.
We did, however, get to borrow some movies from their library, and watch one over the 2 days we stayed there. The sound system was powerful. So much so that we had to turn it down for fear that neighbors would hear. Pretty cool.
The spa is run by a charming and fun group of people who are top notch professionals. Annette helped my husband coordinate the majority of our appointments. She even helped keep it a secret that my spa visits were to continue even after my birthday. I decided to sneak in a facial appointment for my husband at the last minute, and she accommodated my request quickly by scheduling the esthetician's next available slot. We made sure to give her a big hug before we left, as she and her staff made it so much fun for us to visit. All of the staff were in on the birthday surprise, and it made it so much more fun.
Last, but certainly not least, is AJ, the cat. If you love cats, you MUST visit this place, because he is the star.
We loved our stay and plan to go back again and definitely recommend this place to everyone.
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Friendly & efficient front desk; clean rooms with hardwood floors, comfy beds, and a shower with a fabulous shower head. Our room did not have a bathtub. The grounds are very nice and the rooms are grouped into little houses. We spent a lot of time at the pool - very relaxed with poolside drink and food service and a ping pong table. Free continental breakfast was just fine! Wine and cheese hour was nice, with a good selection of DVDs to rent out. We walked to the girl and the fig for dinner (1 mile) - great location.
Stunning, charming and cozy property in a unsuspecting area. Right on the 12 downtown. Fabulous amenities. While this is more upscale with a matching price, it's a peaceful and lovely place. The common areas include computer use, chess, reading lounge and amazing dining. Enjoy brunch in the garden room. On-premise spa services and home to the famous Saddles restaurant.
The only downside is the location from a walking standpoint.
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Macarthur Place is great. Clean rooms, great prices, helpful and friendly staff and a jacuzzi! They offer bike rentals, complimentary wine and cheese and continental breakfast. I booked the place super last minute, two days before, for a weekend getaway, and still got an amazing deal online! We stayed at the Inn at Sonoma before but we definitely like this place better!
What beautiful grounds this hotel has. It's late winter and early spring and things are starting to bloom. The roses need help but anyone going to Sonoma should just stop by to look at the gardens.
The staff is very friendly. I loved my room. It was in the corner facing the West Lawn with a balcony. Turn down service with chocolate squares and body butter samples from the spa. My room decoration was Italian country with art pieces to match.
Amenities included flat screen tv, dvd, wine and snacks that we didn't touch. The bathroom was amazing with a marble shower with no door and a two-person tub with bubbles. The gave us a sweet with a real fire place and one of those just light fire logs - we slept very nicely and didn't have to worry about the fire, it just died on its own.
I woke up around 7am -ish to take photos and it was fantastic light. I didn't get to try the jacuzzi and pool or spa but they did show me a massage room in the spa and it looked very relaxing.
The entire property is around horses we ate a very nice continental breakfast from cereal, hard-boiled eyes as protein and tons of croissant and fresh fruit salad and pieces.
I really enjoyed my stay. This hotel is four blocks to Sonoma Square/Plaza which I'm impressed with as well.
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Like the complex. It makes you feel like you are not on the main road. You can walk to down town. Heated pool. Huge rooms with patios. Double sinks in the bathroom. Felt larger than my apartment in SF. Lady at the check in desk was a bit annoying but can look past that.
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My cousin invited me to a weekend here when it first opened --her kind hubby got a fat sales commission and gave her a Mom's night off here -- I got to ride her coattails. Our room was as large as the price was steep, but very, very comfortable and well-appointed. Just this past weekend, my friends needed a change of scenery and a pool to lounge at, so Mac Arthur Place fit the bill. We lounged by the pool while waiting for our massage appointments. The afternoon went like this: sleep, read magazine, sleep, play with friend's daughter while she was getting massaged, get my massage, lounge, eat and ready to roll home.
For those that don't like being around kiddies, rugrats are welcome here, so you may want to find a place that has age restrictions. For families, this can be a nice day trip. Met a nice couple who took turns with their massages and watching Junior playing nice in the pool.
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Awesome grounds, friendly and knowlegable staff, romantic rooms --especially the new Asian-influenced ones and a great restaurant (Saddles) where killer Martini's can be savored
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fabulous place. many types of rooms. some regular hotel type rooms, many really cool bungalows. plasma tvs, reasonably priced honor bar stuff (a flask of chivas for $14?) fabulous grounds. great spa. great pool.
great location. wonderfully helpful staff. they let us know about some wineries that i've never heard of before. hell, for the first time in my life i bought one of those books in the room that's stamped 'hotel copy...for sale in gift shop.'
really amazing place. if you've seen it all and done it all in the wine country, give this a try.
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My group of friends goes here every year for our annual spa day. This place is great. And even if you aren't staying at the hotel, the spa staff treats you like a guest. The last time I called, they remembered me from the previous year! Kudos to the staff at this establishment. Its so nice to see a commitment to excellence in customer service. Its so rare these days.
This place is beautiful and I really do wish we could've ended up having our wedding here. However, we were aiming for a certain budget (and a fairly decent one at that) and after many conversations in regards to pricing and what all the quoted pricing entailed (i.e. was the location fee a flat rate or did it include service charge, if using outside vendors did we still have to pay the hotel their service fee and tax (the answer it turns out is yes oddly enough..they do want to charge you their service fee even if they aren't the ones providing the actual specific service) and details on how and why all billing for everything must go through them, etc). We had all the details confirmed and double confirmed verbally (the venue fee was higher than most other places so I wanted to be absolutely sure nothing would be added to it, which it turned out there was) with the person we were initially working with and when she wanted the non-refundable deposit I insisted the details we had discussed be added to the contract. Good thing I did that, because it was at that point that she realized she was wrong. Somehow she had missed that additional charges were added to pretty much everything once we would get final bills, which would've made the actual costs go up another 35%! It turns out the person we were initially working with was fairly new and when we talked to the catering person who's been there a lot longer she explained that I had been given incorrect information. Unfortunately at the end the costs were just going to be too high (much higher than many of the very, very high end Napa locations we had looked at) and we didn't feel that A) it would be worth what they are charging and B) that we would get quality, consistent customer service and that things would continue to get messed up which nobody wants to worry about for their big day.
One last thing, they had provided a list of preferred vendors, 2 of which I talked to directly, and found out that 1 of them had never even been to the site before and was surprised they were on the list (it's a very well known and respected florist in the valley) and the other was surprised to hear that they added their own service charge on top of the bill - remember the venue requires you pay them directly for everything, so the florist you use has to invoice MacArthur Place who in turn bills you (and adds their own service and tax to it). The vendors apparently never see any of this service charge.
Again, the place is lovely so we're giving it a couple of stars, but make sure you get all of the details up front and get them in writing!
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The place has a resident cat! need I say more ... okay maybe some more info would be useful - great rooms (with kitchens - which I find essential if i am staying up there for more than a few days), spa, great people, central location (walking distance to downtown sonoma).
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