Why did I pick a spa getaway at Napa’s iconic Silverado Resort and Spa? Perhaps I’d seen photos of its charming, ornate original building, a grand white mansion from the late 1880s flanked by elegant palm trees. Perhaps I’d heard others casually mention they’d dashed off there to retreat for a weekend, or a wedding. Or perhaps I just saw it listed on a hotel website and it piqued my curiosity and desire.
Whatever the reason, when it came time to set off for another spa weekend, I found myself wanting to check it off my #spagoals list. After all, with a sprawling, lush golf course, an easy-to-get-to location (just 10 minutes northeast of downtown Napa), a gorgeous setting (it’s nestled just below Napa’s Atlas Mountains), and, of course, an acclaimed spa, the Silverado seemed like a perfect way to relax and rewind without travelling too far from home.
I took a half day on a Friday and drove up after lunch, arriving at the Silverado around 3:30pm. I enjoyed a glass of wine on the back patio (looking out at the golf course) while waiting for my room to be ready. Many, many minutes later (the check-in process was slowwwww) I finally found my way to my room and got settled.
I enjoyed dinner at The Grill, the restaurant on the property, where I met long-time condo owners (many of the properties on the Silverado are privately owned condos) and had fun chatting with the bar staff who served me.
After dinner, I hopped in an Uber to head to downtown Napa to meet a friend of mine who works there. I waited for him to get off work over a glass of wine at La Taberna, then we headed to Cadet, a lively, modern new wine bar to catch up. (Downtown Napa, incidentally, is increasingly becoming a fun destination in its own right, full of great places to eat and drink — hopefully I can post about some of its hot spots someday soon! It’s on the to do list.)
The next day was all about rest and relaxation. I slept in, then grabbed a bagel and coffee at mini market next to the tennis courts (in addition to golf, the Silverado is well known for tennis). I had breakfast on my balcony in the sunshine. I chatted on the phone with a friend for a while, hit the fitness center for a while, then spent the rest of the day lounging at the main pool.
Dinner was the same as the night before — another great meal at The Grill. I had a glass of wine back on the main building’s patio, then retired to my room to read and get ready for my big day at the spa!
This is bliss: luxuriate in serene style at the private spa pool at the Silverado in Napa, California
Spa & spa treatments
The spa at The Silverado is a beautiful facility, modern and classic, featuring a great fitness room, as well as steam room and sauna. The best perk of all (other than all the delightful treatments, of course) is the outdoor swimming pool and whirlpool, which is reserved exclusively for spa guests (guests of the Silverado can pay an additional fee to enter). I indulged in an hour long massage, which was excellent.
The Silverado Resort & Spa: the good
One of the best features of the spa at the Silverado is the private swimming pool just for spa goers — and you only need to book a treatment at the spa to use it! Even guests of the Silverado have to pay an extra fee to use the spa pool. This means the spa pool is blissfully serene, and wasn’t too crowded when I was there, even on a blazingly hot summer afternoon.
I wisely scheduled my spa treatment for the day I checked out, so I brought my stuff to the car minus a change of clothes, then went to the fitness center for an hour or so before my treatment. After my massage, I lounged at the pool for a few hours, enjoying the hot June sunshine until I absolutely had to leave.
The Silverado: the not-so-good
I loved the spa at the Silverado; the hotel, not as much. At least two weddings were checking in around the same time I did and it took forever to get my room (there was an enormous queue of people winding all the way outside the reception building) and no one available to help me find my room (the property is fairly sprawling and it took me a while to understand how to locate my room). The original room I was put into was awful: tiny, cramped, dark. I get that places in Napa believe they can and should charge a fortune for the “privilege” of going there, but even after I was moved to a better room, I didn’t feel the quality of either room matched the luxury price point I was being charged (after taxes, my stay came out to over $700 a night). The second room — the room I stayed in — was definitely a major step up from the first room, but the furnishings did not feel totally in line with the prices being charged. What’s more, the room was loud — I could hear people in the room next door, which was separated by a hallway! (The rooms at the Silverado are a bit like small, two story apartment complexes circa the 1970s or ‘80s.) I was able to have a nice stay anyway, but I would think twice before heading back for a getaway intended to relax and recharge.
The final word
I absolutely loved the spa at the Silverado, especially the access to the spa pool! This for me would be my main reason to go back — to organize a spa day around treatments, the fitness center, lunch at the café, and, of course, ample time at the pool.
While the room situation didn’t prevent me from having a good time, I’m not sure I would plan on staying at the Silverado unless I was with an avid golfer or tennis player who wanted easy access to the course/courts. However, with its proximity to downtown Napa, it would make a great spa day for those planning on staying in San Francisco or wine country, for a day, night or weekend!
The spa at the Silverado Resort & Spa (this is for the actual spa, not the resort)
Ambiance 5/5*
Treatments 5/5
Value 5/5*
*I did not think the room was worth the money at the Silverado, given I paid well over $700 a night after taxes and fees were added in. I would highly recommend a visit to the spa, however, or heading to the Silverado midweek or at another time of the year to try to get a better rate. Unfortunately for me, I was there in June with at least two weddings booked at the hotel, which I’m sure drove up the rates as high as they were.
