Victorian Garden Inn

Nice place to stay while in Sonoma! The location cannot be beat as it is just a short walk to downtown Sonoma. The staff was friendly, the house was charming with a very lovely garden and breakfast on the front porch nice and tasty.

This place has a bit of the good-​cop (s)/bad-cop thing going on. The good-​cops are the staff that work here. The bad-​cop would be the owner. She will leave you feeling uncomfortable and when you see her, you’ll feel like running the other way so she doesn’t trap you with rules and regulations. I never did feel welcome and I often got the feeling I would be chased away from the house (we stayed in the tower room which is detached). Everything has signs on it. If you are having people paying to stay in your home, be gracious, not controlling.
The good:
The garden is beautiful. It is the best thing about the Inn.
The location is excellent
The bed was comfortable
The bad:
Owner
The room size. It was tiny!!!
The bathroom. It looked like is belonged in a 1979 Winnebago decorated by grandma.
Feeling vaguely unwelcome and uncomfortable the whole time.
A reservation for the spa? Are you kidding?
The indifferent:
Breakfast. It was okay, but certainly nothing like what we have had at other B & B’s

Lovely! Stayed here two times now and it definitely has charm.
Very old and Victorian for sure! My absolute favorite thing about this locally owned Bed & Breakfast is the yard and pool area. Just gorgeous. I haven’t been able to take advantage of the pool yet, since I visit in March, but it is gorgeous to look at and imagine sipping mimosas while grabbin’ some rays.
So this is everything you would expect a Victorian B&B to be, welcoming, charming, cozy, and comfortable. The staff is just lovely. They serve a great breakfast in the morning downstairs, or you can have it delivered to your room. Fresh apple juice, tea, pastries, toast, fruit, and yogurt. Really refreshing and great way to start your day.
The walls are extremely thin though so not sure it would be the best choice for a romantic getaway, if ya know what I mean. Luckily I was doing a girls trip and we shared a room and it was perfect.
You share a bathroom with the other guests so keep that in mind when getting ready in the morning or for your evening shenanigans. Also, while they have a lovely tub, I am not sure I would take advantage unless I knew I had the time that wouldn’t bother the other guests.
The beds are extremely comfortable and I have slept extremely well here. The décor is the epitome of old school bourgeois. The colors are bold, there are a lot of floral prints and they love old school dolls. The parlor is extremely velvety and cushy. Sherry is available and there are a ton of books to relax and soak into the peacefulness of your getaway.
The parking lot is extremely tiny in the back but there is plenty of street parking as well.

A weekend getaway with friendly accommodations and lots of charm made this stay one that will be revisited with relish. Close to Sonoma square and all the eateries and establishments that draw city dwellers to to Sonoma, the Victorian Garden Inn provided just what we re looking for in a Bed and Breakfast. Lots of parking, a spa and convenient tea and coffee amenities put us at ease as we spent a lovely overnight stay here. After visiting the Vella cheese shop, we stored our fromage in the guess refrigerator and headed out for dinner and a show downtown leaving our car parked for the pleasant stroll to and from Sonoma Square. Our host was informative and helpful making this a new home away from home. Enjoy your accommodations and leave the stress behind with a stay at this beautifully gardened inn.

If you’re looking for a beautiful b & b that is not commercialized, overly priced, or pretentious– this is it!!!
My husband and I were pleasantly surprised when we stumbled across this beautiful b & b, and all the care and love the owner Donna has obviously poured into her gardens, eclectic decorations, and «mellow» mood. While we stayed in the Queen room inside the main house, we seldom saw any other people, and when we did-​they were respectfully quiet. We loved sitting by the poolside while drinking our favorite wine, cheese and crackers.
Donna’s beautiful Calico cat «Felize» was a delightful, loving surprise!
The food was delicious, and you are given many options as to where you’d like to enjoy your meal.
The bed was comfortable, the water in the shower was hot, and everything was just great.
One thing to keep in mind is while there is a refrigerator for keeping your groceries, wine, etc., there is no kitchen or microwave for preparing food.
Location-​wise, you can’t beat it.
If you are looking for a «hoity toity» experience– this is not it. It is understated elegance at its finest. We will be sure to return!

I’ve stayed a lot of places and rarely encounter one I’d consider a 4 or 5 star but this place was a toss up between the two. When I stay at a bed and breakfast, my expectations are different than a hotel: I assume it will be a somewhat quirky and unique experience with fantastic service you can’t find at a chain. For those expectations, I give this inn a full five stars.
My girlfriend and I were planning our first visit to wine country and wanted somewhere in the heart of wineries but with easy access to town and bars/​restaurants.
We chose the Victorian Garden Inn because the prices were reasonable and the location was perfect, plus we really like to stay somewhere with some character.
The gardens and cozy grounds reminded us of an enchanted garden and we were very comfortable during our stay.
The Tower room, while small and cozy, was perfectly suitable considering we were gone most days all day. We slept unbelievably well and woke up refreshed for another day of wine tasting each of our four September nights.
In the morning we were greeted by the very cheerful and accommodating host who served us delicious breakfast (granola with yogurt and fruit, pastries, fresh juice and coffee, and hot eggs with cheese).
To our delight, our very friendly host also recommended restaurants and offered to schedule dinner reservations for us each night. In addition, she gave us a packet of free tasting passes to local wineries, which saved us loads of cash.
To say the room was perfect and price amazing would be a stretch but for the price we paid, the fantastic location, beautiful gardens, and over-​the-​top service exceeded our expectations!

3.5 stars — this is a very convenient place right near the main square, and the gardens on the property are incredible. They have a pool (not heated though) and a hot tub, which is a nice bonus. Other reviewers had mentioned that they seem to have a lot of rules and regulations here which could be a hassle, but we didn’t have much trouble. The biggest issue was that check-​in needs to be by 4 pm, and the staff leave the premises after that, so you absolutely need to call beforehand if you are arriving after 4 so they can leave you your keys and instructions for breakfast. At first I got the feeling that they needed to make sure guests would play by the rules, but once they trusted that you would, they were really friendly, open, and accommodating. We got a private tour of the grounds from the owner (and the official greeter cat), and she really takes pride in the property. Our room was a little small and could use an update, but we made it work. Breakfasts were quite large and tasty, again with plenty of fresh fruit (some of it likely from the trees right outside the back door), eggs, pastries and toast. We took our leftovers in a to-​go package that they made for us so we had snacks in the car, which was a good idea. They also let us print off our boarding passes before we left for the airport, even though there is no public computer available. All told, we enjoyed our stay here, though I can see why people might be a little turned off by the initial interaction with the staff. But they took good care of us, and I was happy with our choice to stay here.

A perfect place for a one-​night getaway. My husband and I appreciated the wonderful hospitality, great breakfast and beautiful home.

This place is totally overpriced. The quoted rate had 10% added to it by the time she charged us. When I challenged her, she was evasive and said that’s what hotels in Sonoma cost, but that’s not true — the very nice El Dorado can be had for 179 whereas we paid 260 for one of our rooms. I paid 179 for a room which shared a bath.
The breakfast was banal — fruit, toast, coffee and sliced processed cheese (she told us it was organic cheese, but if was colby jack)
No TVs in the rooms. Pool had definitely seen better days and is not heated — that’s fine in Florida, but almost never in N California.
If you are charmed by historic houses and that’s worth something to you, this may be OK, otherwise, keep looking.

The Inn itself is very cute, the garden is beautiful. It’s a much older building but it’s clean and comfortable. It’s walking distance from downtown Sonoma which is great. The Inn could use some updating, like in the bathrooms… carpeted floors in the bathroom isn’t a good idea. The pool is a nice size and clean, but it has peeling paint (at least it looks like it) so it’s not super inviting. If you’re looking for a full-​service B&B this isn’t it… the staff leaves around 4:00…which worked out fine but I’m used to there being staff ²⁴⁄₇ (I think it’s odd that they want you to check-​in by 3:30pm, people seem to have to go through alot when checking-​in «late»). The breakfast was nice, and I enjoyed having the option to eat in our room. Everyone was nice but I think I will seek out a more modern B&B the next time around. This Inn needs some TLC and it could be really awesome, but as is it’s just Ok. If you’re going to be gone all of the time this could work for you, but don’t expect too much.
*Also, I accidentally booked the classic queen room which means you have to share a bathroom with one other room. It worked out, but wasn’t ideal. That was my fault though.

The gardens are peaceful and beautiful. That, and easy walking distance to town, are the positives about this place. After reading many others’ reviews here, I have to agree with several points made: If you check in after 4 PM, you are lead on a treasure hunt involving many steps to find the key to your cottage. Obviously the owner is operating on a «bare bones» budget; also, since she lives on the property, I don’t know why she couldn’t just leave her phone number on the door, and come out to help. The young woman helping with breakfast is very friendly and cordial. (We gave her a nice tip since she has to work for this stern owner!!) There are so many rules, it’s ridiculous. Although they advertise they have a spa, you have to reserve your time and be «instructed» to use it. We went ahead and gamely reserved a 3 PM time, after shopping in Sonoma. The owner said, «Are you sure you will be using it?» (She asked us multiple times.) There is a common ‘fridge by the pool, which is convenient, but there is no ice (despite a working freezer section). When I asked for some ice after breakfast, the owner’s response was: «If you want ice for cooling your wine, I will give you ice for it; but return it right away because others have to use it, too!» Then I explained we were going to have drinks and I needed ice for the glasses. She asked «How much ice do you need?» Honestly, this is not the kind of response you want when you’re on vacation and you’re paying «nice» hotel rates, like over $ 250. per night. This is a quaint, clean, hotel, but they have a lot of rules. My husband says the plumbing is not quaint, it’s OLD.

My boyfriend and I stayed here for his birthday and being last minute planners we were still able to find a room at this B&B. Overall it was a pleasant experience: cordial owner, clean room, jacuzzi (which was awesome), super nice breakfast staff and a definite B&B feel.
However, there were a few things that I think could be improved. For instance, the shower in the bathroom was clogged which made me feel uncomfortable when showering. The sink in the bathroom was extremely low. While we were happy to have breakfast served in the morning, it was clear that the fruit wasn’t very fresh and the pastries were pretty mediocre.
In general, the location is not bad, only a few blocks from Downtown. It was definitely very peaceful and had the weather not been somewhat rainy and foggy, I’m sure breakfast in the garden would have been beautiful.

This is a true local spot for a B & B. Donna owns and operates this beautiful Victorian House, with a pool, gardens, honestly a close walk to the Plaza and all the fine spots of Sonoma. This is one place that is overlooked by all of the travel/​tourism groups. I have a business here in town and this is where I place all of my guests, farmers, brewers, chefs, winemakers and more. Yes it really is a short walk of 2 blocks from the Plaza, yes it is small with very little staff, but to me, this is the place to stay when you would like a bit of privacy, comfort and to relax. Enjoy. All of my guests have raved about it over the years.

Small town crazy cottage. 3.5 Would have been a 4.
The in-​laws made the reservations and thought we were staying somewhere else until I saw the Inn sign. Let me tell you, I’ve heard so many lackluster reviews from visitors I was a bit anxious… it was the only thing with available Saturday reservations. The sigfig was greeted on the phone with, «can you get here before 4pm so we can go home?»
Both sets of family staying here were given quick tours but with little interest from the caretaker.
Personally had 2 different interactions with the reservationist, plus additional questions from family members and it still wasn’t recorded we were bringing our child. We’re supposed to pay extra — not an issue… but the staff attitude was not appreciated. To top it off there was no linen for the bed «the child» was supposed to sleep in.
With 3 of us crammed into what must have been a double-​bed. Every time someone rolled over one would fall out.
Stayed in the woodcutter’s cottage. Very charming. Except for the small, unmarked step from the side of the bed down into the bathroom. Yeah. My ankle hurt all morning.
We were told breakfast would be there at 9:45. But then my parents were told between 9−10am. And since there were several of us we were served in the common area rather than our private patio. Not an issue but then we have to get dressed.
The owner kept coming every few minutes to ask us if we were done and then she would stand behind the bushes waiting… well, that pissed me off. At one point she stops back to try and collect the cloth napkins we are using… John is still eating and she tries to pull the napkin out of his lap… while he is eating!!! Not even 9:45 yet…
Rustic and charming, but for the price you have many other more charming and better taken care of properties. Only bother if you will actually be spending a lot of time on the premise. And make sure you are staying in a cottage room with a bathroom…