Dina Dwyer hates breaking the bad news to would-be guests.
“If we’re booked, sometimes people will ask me to recommend another place in Napa that’s like Francis House,” says the hotelier and interior designer. “And I have to tell them, ‘There aren’t any!’”
Set in a 19th-century “Second Empire”-style stone manor, Francis is a true unicorn in the Napa Valley, marrying the élan and amenities of a resort with the, well, amazing breakfasts of a B&B. Built by a mining merchant in 1886, the stately seven-room home has worn many hats over the years – hospital, hoarder hovel, bank-owned flop house – before Dina and her husband, Bay-area contractor Richard Dwyer, snapped it up during the downturn and embarked on the four-year process of restoring its former glory.
Exceeding its former glory, even. The Dwyers spared no expense synthesizing the amenities of a luxury European pensione, from the gated, tree-lined courtyard to the heated bathroom floors. Dina invested particular energy in the faithful French breakfasts. A typical stay might include a savory oeuf en cocotte one morning, with tender limbs of cremini mushrooms residing in a simmering pot of poached egg and creamy Gruyère; and a stack of lemon-herb ricotta pancakes the next.
Perched on the north end of Napa Valley in the town of Calistoga, Francis is ideal for wine country visitors looking to retreat from the crowds. It doesn’t have a gym, per se, but there is an immaculate lap pool to go along with a private tennis court – and Richard has been known to take guests up on a game, if asked nicely.
Francis House
1403 Myrtle St., Calistoga
707-341-3536, thefrancishouse.com
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