Luxury Comforts and Chateau-Style Accommodations

As you arrive at the Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa, you pass beneath a canopy of towering trees before coming face to face with the yellow-and-gray façade of a French-style chateau. The estate’s European influences are apparent in its manicured gardens, trickling courtyard fountains, and grand lobby, which is set under a three-story dome. But the hotel remains plugged into the Northern California lifestyle, thanks to its acclaimed restaurants and proximity to popular Bay Area destinations.

Fine-dining options abound at the hotel. Bistro at the Park’s large stone fireplace licks its sizzling chops as waiters serve regional microbrews and contemporary American fare made from local ingredients. At the Duck Club Restaurant, 18th-century european decor sets the stage for breakfasts of lemon-blueberry pancakes ($12) and suppers of seasonal meats and seafood dishes such as grilled scottish salmon ($21).

The palatial hotel has 138 guest rooms, each adorned with custom cherry furnishings, granite vanity countertops, and separate work areas. Fireplaces and vaulted ceilings adorn many of the oversize deluxe rooms, where fabric canopies crown each bed. You can admire the hotel’s original artwork or slip away to the private library to face off with the concierge in speed-reading contests.

Outdoors, a heated swimming pool glows at night under the flicker of a nearby fireplace. The adjacent european day spa offers relaxing services such as a 50-minute deep-tissue massage ($120).

Lafayette, California: Quiet Hillside Turf Close to Lively Bay Area Destinations

The rolling hillsides of Lafayette lie within 30 minutes of Oakland and Concord, and the city is only five minutes from Walnut Creek. The area has a number of art centers and galleries, and downtown boulevards are lined with designer boutiques. Trains pulling into the Lafayette BART station—about 1.5 miles from the hotel—transport passengers to the heart of San Francisco. There, a ride on a California Street cable car from Embarcadero station shuttles visitors past colorful Chinatown and to the foot of Notre-Dame de Paris doppelgänger Grace Cathedral for stunning photo ops and googly-eyed admiration.

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