Cabernet House, an Old World Inn

We stayed 3 nights at the Cabernet House. Our stay was very nice. The location is excellent, only a 5 – 8 minute walk to Downtown Napa. The Inn itself is very cute. The rooms were clean and the bed was extremely comfortable. My only minor complaint was that there was no drinking water in the rooms and at times only in the dining room. Over all it was a great stay and I would recommend it while staying in Napa.

We came up for our anniversary weekend and were just blown away by how adorable this place was. Service was impeccable and they seemed to have thought through customer needs to a tee. This is definitely our new favorite place to stay in Napa.

We stayed at the main house for our visit but I don’t see it listed so I’ll leave my review here.
We stayed one night and our stay was fantastic. We stayed in the Aria room and while it says on the website and other reviews that this room is small, I feel like it was just right. The bed was very comfortable, the built in gas fireplace was beautiful and heated up the room nicely. The bathroom was spacious for a B&B which I don’t fee like happens a lot. The spa tub was a HUGE hit for my husband and me; just be prepared for how loud it can get when it starts up.
The lobby has unlimited coffee and tea and they have treats out during the day (delicious home made mini cookies for our stay) and desserts out at night (chocolate/​amaretto torte and chocolate covered dried apricots). It was quiet and clean in the hotel and in our room.
Downtown Napa is a very easy walk from the hotel. The breakfast was delicious as well. We will definitely be back to stay here in the future.

Amazing place to stay in wine country. My parents stayed here on a trip to Napa. Very sweet and cozy breakfast and kind Innkeepers. I will most certainly be back.

Our stay here was wonderful and over too soon. We stayed in the Aqua Room, which was very cozy. The bedroom itself was smaller than I imagined it, but the fireplace in the room and the over-​sized bathroom and jacuzzi tub more than made up for that. The Inn itself has a very comfortable and accommodating feel. The treats that were put out at night time were amazing and such a nice touch. Breakfast was great and in a cozy den downstairs. The Inn is also walking distance to downtown and we were able to have a few cocktails and walk back home after a nice dinner. We will definitely be staying here again and trying a new room. We already cannot wait!

I can only repeat what the other reviews said, the hotel is a charming B&B without the «grandma feel». Lots of old woodwork and spotless, not a crochet afghan in sight. Breakfasts were delicious and tailored to drinking wine all day, so smart. Homemade brownies and chocolates at night. We never took advantage of their wine hour but everything else was wonderful — the individual french presses, current DVDs to choose from, ability to bring up wine buckets to break into the stash you brought back from the wineries. We went running in the mornings, the area is charming and beautiful.

Great place to stay. Staff was extremely accommodating and the beds were amazing! We were welcomed from the lady at the front who toured us around and made a fire pit for us outside. Great location and very cozy bed and breakfast. We had two separate bedrooms which made it nice and your own entry into your room, joined by a jack-&-Jill bathroom. Highly recommend this place and would definitely stay here again.

There are no words to express how much we loved our stay here! We stayed at the main inn in room 20. The inn keeper Denise is not only utterly charming but could not be more accommodating! Our room was huge and the bed! Sweet heavens above~~THE BED! It’s the most comfortable I’ve ever slept on! The breakfast was Devine and we LOVED the wine reception each night and the ahhhhmazing desserts sent out in the evening ! Honestly, it was just top notch all the way around. We couldn’t recommend it more highly!

~3.5 stars
We celebrated my birthday in Napa and stayed here for the night after a day of wine tasting. The location is okay — kind of in the middle of nowhere. It’s about a 10 – 15 minute walk from downtown, which isn’t too far but I did see a lot of other inns and hotels on our drive that were closer to that area. The Old World Inn (or Hotel Napa Valley) has different buildings which surround a parking area. The main building is quaint with several rooms available but there are also rooms in detached «cottages» you can stay in as well.
We ended up staying in a room in one of the cottages. There were three rooms in that building. I think they all have a private bathroom. The room itself was nice but a little cramped and, even though we had our own room, I didn’t feel like we had complete privacy. We also paid extra for breakfast in bed for two — it’s a cute idea but the portions were very small so we had to eat again a short time later.
The main building has a free wine reception and provides little chocolates at night for the guests. They also had a collection of DVDs that guests could borrow to watch in their rooms. We loved having that option. The inn keepers are also very nice and willing to offer advice/​suggestions on restaurants and wineries in the area.

Absolutely Fantastic!
You will not be disappointed if you choose this place to stay at.

Note: there are 3 adjacent locations, all part of the «Old World Inn» family that offer the same perks. Our building was «Hotel Napa Valley,» but I am also posting this review here because this page clearly gets much more traffic than the Hotel Napa Valley Unilocal page, even though they are all part of the same group.
My husband and I stayed at the Hotel Napa Valley when we went to Napa for our anniversary trip, and had a wonderful stay! We loved the charm of the Inn, the accommodating nature of the staff, and all of the little «extras». There is always coffee out in the lobby, as well as access to french presses. There is a community fridge, if you are in one of the little rooms like we were that did not have a fridge. They have a wonderful chef, and every night there is some sort of dessert laid out, like homemade chocolate chip cookies or truffles. Every evening there is a complimentary wine tasting featuring a different Napa vineyard. And even better, there is a DELICIOUS gourmet breakfast every morning, quite filling: perfect way to get a base for a full day of wine tasting! Also, a huge priority to me: the room was very clean (as well as cute!)
The location is perfect, it is in a quite, residential area, but it is walking distance to anything and everything in the beautiful, quaint downtown Napa. Oh and even better? I got a free bottle of sparkling champagne because I am a teacher!
The price for our stay was completely reasonable considering comparable hotels in Napa. I would and have already recommended this hotel to my friends and family, and offer the same recommendation to all of you!

This review is for the Old World Inn House on Polk Street.
Amazing location, accommodations, and rooms! This was my boyfriend and my first time in a B&B and we were extremely impressed with the Old World Inn. The Inn provided amazing customer service and concierge services. I emailed the Inn multiple times prior to my visit for restaurant suggestions, vineyard options, and even a hiking option in town. The service prior to the visit was amazing.
Upon our check-​in Patricia the Inn Keeper gave us a tour of the Inn which provided a lot of information. The Inn offers free water and coffee/​tea throughout the day, snacks in the evening, and a happy hour wine service at around 5pm (which we missed as we were out both days during that time). In addition, you receive a free breakfast and even have the option to change the breakfast option if it does not appeal your appetite. My favorites were the evening desserts :)
The room was on the smaller side but very cozy and soothing. The room was bright and offered a fireplace (which we did not need to use, considering it was around 90 each day), and a large jacuzzi tub. I was also impressed with the provided toiletries.
Great location! 5 – 10 minute walk to the main street (1^st Street) with all the restaurants, bars, and visitor center. We parked our car and walked every where.
Overall I was very impressed with the service and property. I will definitely consider coming back if I were to stay in the downtown Napa area.

Most accommodating
Check in was easy and quick!
Delicious cookies as a welcome treat
Huge rooms with wood finishes and true home feel
The complimentary wine tasting was a very nice touch
Very clean in common areas and in the bedrooms
Host was very sweet, had great advice for dinner and activities around Napa, and the coupons we received where a great way to save a few dollars around town :-)
Breakfast was delicious!
We will return for a longer visit next time we visit Napa

Very close to downtown. Friendly, and accommodating staff. They offered activities and coupons. The ladies in the kitchen cooked amazing breakfasts. Clean rooms, great staff and activities, and terrific location. We will be back… And they really helped out a friend of ours who stayed also (issue with noise) .
Thanks again.

Pretty good stay at the Cabernet House. Their breakfast in bed package was great and the food was exceptional.
The bed was comfortable and the room clean for the most part.
We did have some minor issues. First, the fireplace was not functional. We were offered to move rooms but declined because we had already hauled our stuff up. Then the TV was not functional. The front desk lady helped us to get it working. The shower was in a clawfoot tub with these shower curtains that are touching you during your shower. It’s fine but I doubt they are cleaned frequently and when it’s cold out cause discomfort. The only real gripe about this place I have is that our bathroom had the smell of wet rat or mildew. Something foul. It was not becoming of a Napa hotel to have any off putting scents in the bathroom.
TIP (no bearing on my review of Old World Inn)…
We went to their free tasting. Some guy from Castello Di Amerosa was hosting it. We were the only guests who arrived. Let me just say that this guy has a very interesting personality. While we enjoyed the wine we were in someone of a hurry to depart from his company. After learning every life detail he could fit in during the conversation and maybe getting in only a few words we were exhausted. He was a manic-​megalomaniac of sorts. Skip the free tasting.

This was our first B&B and we loved it! The room was beautiful and clean. Their bed was super comfy too! The inn keepers and staff were super nice and the extra goodies like cookies, wine tasting, etc were amazing! Their breakfast was super yum and very substantial especially for a day of wine tasting! Loved the atmosphere and hospitality.
They have personal French presses and they had good coffee too!
I would give 10 stars if possible!!! :)

First time at a BnB and it was a pleasant experience. I don’t think I fully utilized all the communal living spaces. I really imagined myself reading in the living room along a warm fire drinking hot cocoa. That didn’t happen because it was spare the air day.
I stayed in the La Boheme room in the Cabernet House which was the least expensive room we found at the time of booking. I liked it. It’s a cozy room but good enough for two people. The TV was surprisingly big so you can just lay in bed all day and gorge your eyes out on that.
The bathroom takes a little adjusting to. The bathtub is raised so some people might have trouble getting into it. If you’re over 5’9″, you will be able to see out above the curtain. The water can get REALLY hot so adjust it to the right temperature before you get in and do not touch the pipes (they can get hot). Also, our toilet flushed every 5 minutes – I don’t know if that’s normal but it didn’t bother us.
For an extra $ 25, you can get breakfast in bed delivered sometime between 9:15 — 9:45am. They literally put this magnificent tray of goodies onto our bed and I ate it right there. It’s a filling breakfast with mac n cheese soufflé, strawberry soup (essentially a smoothie), banana chocolate chip bread, coffee, and orange juice.
There is also a wine tasting in another of the houses they own, desserts at night, french presses (with coffee grounds already in them) and tea available all day. Feels like you’re in a relative’s house… the good kind of relatives that provide everything for you!

I stayed here at OWI about 20 years ago. Apparently the Inn and ownership has changed. Don’t get me wrong, its still a nice Inn, but I remembered the «old» inn where the innkeepers greeted us, and went out of their way to call us by name, and offered information to us.
This new OWI is run like an «hotel» instead of a Inn or B+B. There’s a check in desk, and during the 3 days we were there, we never got the name of our «host» or «hostess» once. Not once did they call us by name, or knew what room we were in. Very impersonal.
Also on the website, they raved how we would be innundated with food and chocolate. Well, they need to add this disclaimer: you’ll get the dessert if you beat the other guests to it. I hate to do this but the ‘old” OWI literally had the dining room table lined with cakes, wines, sherry and cheeses after a long day. I think once they had 3 cakes, 2 types of cheese and 3 wines. This place makes you walk «around the corner» for wine at their sister inn, and there’s no wine to help yourself at the Inn.
This «new» OWI had a plate of mini cookies at 5:30, and 2 covered dessert plates at 7: pm, and it was never replenished. They assumed guests would only take 1 or 2 (as there’s a sign asking us to be courteous and share) but on our 1^st night, we saw no dessert at 8:30 pm. Our lost, eh?
This Inn does have make your own coffee and teas, and a library of DVDs to watch in your room.
The old OWI had the living room brightly lit, and had puzzles and games on the coffee table, encouraging guests to relax and socialize. This new OWI had a dark living room, 3 chairs, and some newspapers laying around. Hmm, no encouragement to enjoy the Inn.
Breakfast: The reason for coming to a B+B and not going to a hotel, right? The breakfast is good, but I felt so rushed!
You arrive at breakfast between 9:00 — 10:00, get yourself a cup of coffee, maybe some juice or water at the counter, sit down, and before you can finish (or begin) your first course, the staff is coming out with freaking hot soufflé dishes.
Come on, let me drink my coffee first! So you shove your 1^st course to the middle of the table, and debate on starting course 2, or finish course 1. Really? Isn’t this supposed to be a vacation?
During breakfast, not once did a staff member come out to chat with us, or make any experience personal. Its a hotel like atmosphere but you get breakfast in the dining room.
As soon as you’re done with your meal, the staff comes swooping down to take away your plates, utensils, and anything else. Basically its like «Ok you’re done. move on!».
We stayed in the suite in room 2A + 2B, and if you’re a light sleeper, the neighbors above you will sound like elephants when they’re walking. Thin floors. Also BYO hair dryer. Its not very powerful.
Yes, I’m being harsh on this Inn because I’ve been a MANY other B+B’s. This is just as good as the others, but they do need to add a bit of PERSONAL charm. Its like going to a steak house. I’ve had a Porterhouse. This Inn is equivalent to Sirloin… its tasty, but it just lacks that extra flavor.
***** update ¹¹⁄₂₄ *****
I received a personal email from Russ, the innkeeper of OWI, apologizing for my stay. He said his foot is in a cast and he wasn’t able to mingle with guests. It was a classy thing to do, and I’ve asked to discuss my stay offline.
He did explain things like the rush of breakfast (which he said many guests are always in a hurry to hit the wineries). He did mention his wife did pop in the Inn. If she did, I never knew it, as she didn’t say «hi, I’m —, and I hope you’re enjoying your stay».
I’m sure I’m in the minority on my concern, but I’d like to emphasize I was reflecting the difference of my prior stay of the OWI then, and now.
Here is a part of his email:
«After I read your Unilocal review, I went to the Cabernet House and saw first hand that staff was presenting 2^nd course before folks had completed the 1^st. This is completely unacceptable, and it’s not the way we’ve ever done things (we’ve owned the inn for the past 10 years).
I’m thankful you brought this to my attention, as it is something that was not happening a few weeks earlier when I was working at that house for breakfast. Our staff had a meeting about this yesterday, and we will be watching more closely in the coming days to make sure it does not reoccur. »

I was looking for a place to stay in napa and stumbled across this one so decided to try it out. The breakfast was pretty delicious, my favorite was probably the Mac and cheese soufflé. Breakfast was at 9 am every morning. The room itself was cute, I stayed in la biblioteca which was upstairs in the main house. I like how they also left it cookies during the day and desserts at night for guest. My favorite dessert was probably the s’mores. Also this bed and breakfast was close enough to downtown napa so it was easy to walk down there and check stuff out.
The downside is that the pillows were way too flat and soft for my liking. I ended up stacking 2 or 3 pillows to sleep at night. Also the lg tv was not set up properly so it was really annoying to watch a show and have something lg on the side that kept popping up. The thermostat was also super confusing since I kept turning it up so to wouldn’t turn on but it turned on so many times during the night that I woke up.
Overall good location with a good price I wouldn’t mind coming back here for future napa trips.

We had an amazing time but please, need, bed, braced.well. I think guests know what I mean.
We stayed at the «Aqua» room, we had jacuzzi in our room and it was nice to relax in it after a fun day in Napa. I brought my bubble bath liquid soap moisturizer from L’occitane and boy was that a brilliant idea.
The bed is comfortable, I passed out throughout the night but the squeaking noise of the floor is so loud especially in morning, it actually woke me up from a goodnight sleep and it still too early! Ugh.
Room #10 in the Main House for «Aqua» room is definitely a no no for a light sleeper.