SANTA ROSA, CA —We’ve just added a new recommendation to our list of “preferred hotels”.  The historic Gables Wine Country Inn, completed in 1866, is peerless in its elegance and charm. The B&B is located just south of Santa Rosa, California, on a rural stretch of Petaluma Hill Road. Last week, I had the privilege of touring the property with congenial owners Pam and Larry Willis. The architecture is “High Victorian Gothic Revival” and I'm afraid that my iPhone photos just don't do justice to this beautiful, one-of-a-kind property.

Guests will find three Italian marble fireplaces, an opulent mahogany spiral staircase, and twelve-foot ceilings. Each of their seven spacious guest rooms is beautifully furnished to reflect the historic flavors of a bygone era: antiques, period artwork, and luxurious goose down bedding. All rooms feature private baths with my personal favorite: antique claw-foot tubs. Separate from the main house is also a charming guest cottage steeped in history.