Just minutes from downtown Healdsburg – a former frontier town, now a destination for Michelin-starred dining and refined tasting rooms – the resort reflects the region’s evolution. While moneyed travellers have arrived, the town’s unpretentious charm remains, and Montage Healdsburg mirrors this balance with an understated, nature-driven aesthetic.
Maximising light and privacy through organic design
Hidden from the street but for a discreet sign marking the turnoff, Montage models a purpose-built property that integrates naturally into the landscape. The main hub of gastronomic activity sits atop a hill – the heartwood from which 130 bungalow-style guest rooms and suites unfurl down the slope.
The California-based architects and interior designers, versed in sustainable building principles, clearly drew inspiration from the surrounding flora. While subtle touches of glitz and glamour appear throughout, the designers favoured statement-making pieces crafted from organic materials – like a dramatic concrete fireplace and a striking slab of live oak adorning the lobby wall. Moving between common spaces such as the lobby, Scout Field Bar, and restaurant Hazel Hill, you’ll discover more contextual clues: warm woods, textiles in earthy hues and custom artworks of cast bark juxtaposed with local stone.
Credit: Christian Horan
Low-slung bungalow-style guest rooms hide between groves of manzanita and oak, each dwelling featuring floor-to-ceiling views, inviting outdoor showers and private terraces open to the Northern California air. Rooms positioned higher on the hillside feel suspended among the treetops, creating the impression of lounging within the canopy. Modern, clean interiors provide a serene backdrop for meditating on the scenery, whether from your pillow-soft king bed or deep soaking tub.
A small but sufficient gym fills up in the mornings. It’s California, after all, where wine and wellness have long gone hand-in-hand. Rather than an efficient run on the treadmill, try an inefficient meander along the hiking trails etched across the rumpled topography. Swim a few lazy laps in the zero-edge pool or relax with a massage or facial in the spa before prepping for dinner.
Wine and gastronomy
Though nearby Healdsburg boasts fine dining, excellent cafes and a multi-storey farm-to-table experience (hello, The Matheson!) drinks and dinner at Hazel Hill are not to be missed. Whether huddled inside on a fog-shrouded night or dining beneath clear starry skies on the terrace, prepare for a languorous affair.
French-influenced California cuisine takes centre stage on a menu that transitions with the seasons like a grapevine moving from dormancy to harvest. If you’re dining with a group, don’t shy away from over-ordering and sharing. It’s a place to eat indulgently, then saunter back to your room knowing there’s no need to drive.
Start by digging into the wine list, which highlights some of Northern California’s top labels, including Pinot Noir from Littorai’s Savoy Vineyard. Or opt for a glass of Surveyor, made from the estate’s vineyards in collaboration with Jesse Katz of Aperture Cellars, a rising star in American winemaking.
If visiting Montage Healdsburg in the spring, start with a platter of asparagus spears delicately dressed in a bright, savoury sauce of almond, citrus and sorrel. Spaghetti chittara makes use of the short but glorious Dungeness crab season with its mound of sweet meat spiked with Calabrian chiles set atop a twirl of pasta. For meat eaters, budget money and digestion space for the photo-worthy Westholme Wagyu tomahawk steak paired with wild earthy mushrooms.
Of course, carve out time to visit Healdsburg’s stylish tasting rooms like mid-century inspired Ernest Vineyards or California-beach-chic Marine Layer. But don’t overcommit. In a world of busyness, remind yourself that doing nothing is something worth doing. Grab a lounge chair and savour the painterly views of the vineyards and mountains beyond.
For more information, see the Montage Healdsburg website.
