by Anna Nordberg, Sunset Special Projects Editor

While some B&B's can scare people off with their chintz and chatty hosts (not to mention breakfasts that would give anyone with a cholesterol issue pause), the charm of the proprietor hotel, when done right, is hard to beat. Take the wonderfully secluded Fite Ranch B&B, about 8 miles east of San Antonio, New Mexico. 

 

Wish I were here now ...
PHOTO: Jen Judge for Sunset magazine

This working cattle ranch and B&B has a lovely, deep arroyo on its eastern side and great little suites in an old, low adobe bunkhouse. It's also within striking distance of the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge and the cool, quirky towns of Socorro and San Antonio. (Spoiler alert: You can read all about this area in our Southwest edition of Sunset in December). 

Your front row seat to the sweeping views of the ranch.
PHOTO: Jen Judge for Sunset magazine

Book it: From $100; two night minimum; fiteranchbedandbreakfast.com

Read about more of our fall favorites in New Mexico

Talk to us: What backcountry B&B's do you love?

By Peter Fish, Sunset Editor-at-Large

Photograph by Kenny Karst

When it comes to Yosemite historic hotels, the Wawona tends to get overshadowed by the more famous Ahwahnee.

This is too bad. The Wawona has the virtues of simplicity. Where the Ahwahnee is champagne, the Wawona is lemonade, where the Ahwahnee is filet mignon, it’s ribs. 

The hotel is, in fact, even older more historic than the Ahwahnee, opening in 1879. (The Ahwahnee is a newcomer, opening in 1927.) It has small but functional guest rooms, broad porches that are ideal for sitting and figuring out where in the park you want to go next, and a pleasantly old-fashioned dining room that features pot roast. It is not in Yosemite Valley but it is near a lot of the good stuff in the southern third of the park, notably the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias. And it’s not far from Glacier Point, or, come winter, Badger Pass ski area.

And compared to the Ahwahnee it’s a bargain: right now, $140 for a room with private bath, $70 for a shared bath.  

Fall is a great time to be up here: no crowds, some remnant fall color, and bracingly cold clear nights. So, if you’re in the mood for lemonade, consider the Wawona.
For more on Yosemite, visit Sunset’s online park guide.

by MacKenzie Geidt, Sunset assistant travel editor

I'm part of a freakish minority: I do not—and never have—owned a car.  I know, it's hard to imagine your life without one. But in San Francisco, I manage to get around just fine (don't get me wrong, Muni buses are not for the faint of heart, but we make it work...) 

Since I'm used to exploring cities on foot, I love finding hotels that anchor me in great walkable neighborhoods.  Which is why the Oxford Hotel in Denver's LoDo (Lower Downtown) neighborhood is such a find!  Aside from cool historical bragging rights (it's the oldest hotel in the city—it opened in 1891 back in Denver's Wild West days), it's in the Mile High City's most walkable 'hood.  And a crisp fall weekend is the perfect time for a cozy car-free city escape.

Photos courtesy of the Oxford Hotel

The Oxford puts you walking distance of the awesome Denver Art Museum, loads of galleries and boutiques, Union Station, the Wynkoop Brewery (I love this place and I don't even love beer), Tattered Cover Bookstore (my idea of heaven), to name a few. And walk no further than the ground floor of the hotel for my favorite cocktail spot in town: the hotel's Cruise Room Bar, modeled after an old cruise ship lounge with killer throwback cocktails.

Book it: rooms from $180, plus they've got all kinds of special offers going on, theoxfordhotel.com, or call 800/ 228-5838.

Plan your trip: click here for tips on exploring the area, and here for tips on eating out in town.

Got a favorite neighborhood hotel? Let us know!

by Lisa Trottier, Sunset travel editor

It's news to no one that people...just...LOVE...San Francisco. For the 17th year in a row, Conde Nast's readers have just voted it the country's best city to visit. Yet, when I see visitors clustering where so many of the city's hotels are—between Union Square and the Tenderloin—I cringe a little. Of all the city's corners, this may be the least lovely.

So, when you visit San Francisco (and by all means do), I say get away from downtown and stay out in the city's neighborhoods. That's what I do. There are lots of small inns around, but my favorite is the Hotel Drisco.

 
This is not only because it's perched above the bay on the tippy top of the city in an absurdly scenic, fantastically pricey neighborhood bordered by Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights, and Cow Hollow. I love how from the street it nearly passes as an apartment building. There's no vast lobby to cross, no maze of hallways. It makes me feel at home. And the shops and restaurants along Fillmore and Union streets are a short (if sometimes steep) stroll away. I've spent more than one happy weekend here without once touching my car.

Plan your trip: Click here for my favorite walks, shops, and restaurants in the Hotel Drisco's neighborhood. And get many more ideas for a trip to San Francisco here.

Book it: from $169, www.jdvhotels.com/hotels/drisco. Get a third night free by booking here and typing in "joie"

What about you? Do you have a favorite city sleep? We'd love to hear what it is.

by Anna Nordberg, Sunset Special Projects Editor

It's been gray and rainy in the Bay Area, which makes me want to write about beaches—in particular, island beaches. And yes, I know the Four Seasons is to budget accommodation what a Krispy Kreme donut is to my pre-holiday diet, but for special occasions, I find there are few brands with more consistent service and quiet luxury.

For our own recent special occasion (an anniversary), my husband and I spent Labor Day at the Four Seasons Manele Bay, in Lanai, a tiny Hawaiian island within striking distance of Maui and Molokai. 

PHOTO:  Holupo'e beach at the Four Seasons Lanai, Manele Bay (Courtesy of the Four Seasons).

This was our first time to Hawaii, and many of our friends thought it odd that we skipped over Maui and Oahu to stay on a postage-stamp former pineapple plantation with no stoplights. But long sunny days with nothing to do is exactly why people go to Lanai.

The island, and the Four Seasons, didn't disappoint. We did exactly one activity the whole time we were there—surfing. The rest of the time we read on the beach or on the balcony of our room. And every time we went to the lunch cafe or ordered a glass of guava juice, we were greeted by name (I find it's hard to resist a hotel where everyone at least pretends to know who you are). 

PHOTO: The pool at the Four Seasons Lanai, Manele Bay (courtesy of the Four Seasons)

There are two Four Seasons on Lanai, the upland, plantation-style Lodge at Koele and the Manele Bay property, where we stayed. Hotel connoisseurs give the slight edge to Koele, which is indeed stunning, with its lush gardens and understated English grandeur. But if I'm flying six hours to an island, I want to stay at the place that's a three-minute walk from the beach. Period.

PHOTO: An oceanview room at The Four Seasons Lanai, Manele Bay (Courtesy of the Four Seasons)

PHOTO: The Lodge at Koele (Courtesy of the Four Seasons)

While the Four Seasons has resisted the rate slashing of other luxury brands, even it has bowed to economic reality—a little. For the shoulder season (until Dec 18), the hotel is offering a promotional starting rate of $295, and if you book three nights at the regular rate (from $445), your fourth night is free. Not exactly a bargain, but then again, your 40th birthday or silver anniversary only comes once.

Book it: from $295 through Dec 18; fourseasons.com/manelebay

Plan your trip: Want to learn more about Hawaii? Here are our top picks for what to do on Kauai, Maui, and Oahu, and the Big Island. 

Talk to us: Have a favorite hotel in Hawaii? What luxury hotels do you think are worth the splurge?

It happens to me every fall. Right about now. Something about the changing leaves, the crisp sunny days, that late-afternoon light... I suddenly have the urge to make like a J. Crew catalog cover and wear wool and wander country roads, lounge by the fire and drink red wine...  

The thing is, so does everyone else. And Napa knows this. And exploits this, by raising what are already ridiculous room rates to astronomical levels. I mean, who can blame them? When people, yes, even In These Times, are willing to pay $600, $800, $1,000 a night. 

Well, high season-shmigh season. It's time to get clever, folks. Forget about how amazing it would be to stay in Napa right now. Instead, plan ahead. Give yourself something to look forward to: Winter in Napa! Green. Cozy. Uncrowded. Sure, a little cold, but—get this—affordable. 

One of my favorite places to stay is near Yountville, two miles from the Michelin-star mecca: The Cottages at Napa Valley. (Which, at $455 a night peak-season is almost a bargain in these parts.) 

But come winter, rates plummet at these private, Provencal-style cottages: Eight cute-as-a-button (but not irritatingly so) colorful cabins scattered around a grassy lawn, complete with Adirondack chairs and indoor and outdoor fireplaces, French-press coffee and supercomfy beds, baskets of flaky croissants from Bouchon delivered to your front porch in the mornings and complimentary wine hour in the courtyard in the evenings.

And December 1st through February 28th, you can stay three nights for the price you'd pay for one this very weekend. So bust out your wool, winter in Napa isn't so bad.

Book it: Winter special, three nights for $495; or two nights for $495, including dinner for two at Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc restaurant, a private owner-led tasting tour at O'Brien Estate, and s'mores fixins for roasting marshmallows outside your cottage; www.napacottages.com. 

Plan your trip to Napa

Got a--gasp!--affordable lodging recommendation in Napa? Tell us! Please!

By Peter Fish, Sunset Editor-at-Large

The first time you see the Boulders you experience a sense of déjà vu, at least if you're like me and wasted your youth watching lots of  cartoons. All those rounded adobe casitas scattered among giant rocks? What do they remind you of? Right. The Flintstones. The Boulders’ similarity to Bedrock is so powerful that you expect to see Barney and Fred cruising by in a golf cart and Wilma and Betty wrapped in terrycloth robes awaiting their Watsu, an underwater spa treatment designed to bring partakers “back to the womb.”

Arizona's (and probably the nation's) spa capital, Scottsdale has resorts the way lesser cities have strip malls. All the resorts have their strengths. What are the Boulders’? Here's our take:

Setting. The Boulders is out there, literally, at the far north end of town. You have a soothing sense of being a long ways from anything that might bother you, like traffic, bosses, or other people in general.

Rocks. There are, as I mentioned, lots of rocks, big mountains of granite boulders that date from about 12 million years ago. Despite the Flintstone jokes, they are very beautiful, and the resort is arranged around them gracefully.

The rocks also provide recreation. The Boulders has a new program, “Walk the Rock”—good guided hikes among the boulders. If you’re feeling even more adventurous, they also offer rock climbing classes.

Spa. Not just any spa, but a branch of the Golden Door. You can have the aforementioned Watsu treatment or go for a more mundane but enjoyable massage. There is also a labyrinth, which I tried and enjoyed although I am not really a labyrinth person. 

Restaurant. Big news is the reopening of the resort restaurant, Latilla, after four-months’ remodeling. Food is good--contemporary American, as they say, but with a southwest accent. They have a great corn chowder with jalapeno relish, and flat iron steak with Pasilla Pepper Jus.

Casitas. The rooms are like little houses, with fireplaces and patios overlooking golf course and surrounding boulder-strewn desert. Because I live in San Francisco, my casita appeared to be larger than the house I share with my wife, son and dog. 

Golf. Lots of golf: Two 18-hole courses, ranked among the best in the country. I am not a golfer but if you are, this is a good place.

Resorts like the Boulders are a splurge. But even these places aren’t immune to recession, so rates have dropped. Right now, through December 24, you can get a room for $149. That's a bargain, given the amenities, the spa, the golf course, the food and all those rocks.

Book it: Boulders Resort and Golden Door Spa.

Talk to us: Do YOU have a favorite spa resort? Let us know. 

by MacKenzie Geidt, Sunset assistant travel editor

A trip to L.A. always gives me an excuse to channel the starlet that I'm so obviously meant to be (a destiny that has yet to be realized, but my time will come). And if you're a glamour-seeker like me, you obviously need to stay at the Avalon Beverly Hills. 

Photo courtesy of the Avalon Beverly Hills

It's a spot fit for, well, Marilyn Monroe....(she actually lived here in the '50s when it was the Beverly Carlton)....easy to imagine her sunning herself by the kidney bean pool or sipping old-fashioneds in one of the poolside cabanas.  

The pool is definitely the hotel's showpiece (and the poolside bar scene at night is buzzing with industry hobnobbers), but the 84 rooms keep the cool mid-century mod vibe alive with retro furniture finds by designers like Noguchi and Eames.  It's rather inconspicuously situated on the corner of a quiet residential street in Beverly Hills (sadly in 90212), with the air of an incognito Hollywood hideaway.

Let's just say that if Don Draper was looking for a sexy spot for a Beverly Hills tryst, I'm sure we'd find the Avalon scrawled in his little black book...

Book it: Avalon Beverly Hills
They've got a 35% off fall promotion going on with rates from $188 (a steal!); Reservations: 800-670-6183. And in case you need any more enticement, it's 75 and sunny in Beverly Hills right now (um, didn't it snow in Denver last week?)

Talk to us: Do YOU have a favorite Hollywood-style hideaway? Please share!

by Anna Nordberg, Sunset Special Projects Editor

I’ve never been to Portland ... there, I said it. But I'm dying to go—I imagine bio-fuel buses with bike racks; indie bookstores that never have to worry about being pushed aside by faceless corporations; and people sipping local beer and free trade coffee, but not in a righteous way.

Which brings us to the The Nines hotel. We covered it in May when it first opened, and now, with  Oktoberfest upon us and fall color at its peak, it feels like great time to book a room. Or grab a drink at the rooftop bar/restaurant. (Personally, I've never met a rooftop bar that didn't agree with me.)

PHOTO: Courtesy of the Nines

This boutique hotel is in the old home of the legendary Frank & Meier department store, where Clark Gable worked before he became Clark Gable (his portait's at the end of the post). Its sharp, luxe look—ice blue upholstery, patterned wallpaper, an incredible art collection—honors the building's snappy heritage.

PHOTO: Courtesy of the Nines hotel (wish I were here right now...)

The art collection is the hotel's coolest idea and was created, down to the very last canvas, by local Portland artists. And it's not just for show in the lobby—there's an original work of art in every guest room.

PHOTO BY JOHN CLARK. Curator (and Portland local) Paige Powell, the former associate publisher at Interview magazine and close friend of Andy Warhol, commissioned the entire art collection at the Nines.

Book it: from $205; 525 SW Morrison St.; (877) 229-9995 or thenines.com

Plan your trip: Check out Portland's buzz-worthy food carts and up-and-coming North Williams Ave.

Talk to us: Where would you stay in Portland? What other boutique hotels do you love?

by Lisa Trottier, Sunset travel editor

Strange, but true: Ski season starts today at Mammoth Mountain, which was slammed with 30 inches of snow this week. To celebrate the absurdly early opening day, this resort five hours east of Los Angeles is offering a room at the slopeside Mammoth Mountain Inn plus two lift tickets for $99 per person.

But if you don’t mind being a couple of miles from the lift, my favorite place to stay in Mammoth is the Tamarack Lodge (pictured), a collection of 32 cabins and 11 lodge rooms scattered across a piney hillside under a craggy bluff at Twin Lakes.

Tamarack has that middle-of-nowhere feeling where the glow from each cabin comes not from a television (there are none) but from a fireplace. The “traditional” (read: unimproved) cabins are charming, if slightly smoky. The pricier, polished new ones are as comfortable and stylish as anything you'd find at a slick resort but without any of the corporate sheen or surrounding sprawl. Whatever cabin you choose, this place is throwback all the way.

Book it: From $139; from $269 for a newer cabin; 800/626-6684 or 760/934-2442. tamaracklodge.com

Talk to us: What’s your favorite ski hideaway?