Sarah LesslerFor equestrian travelers seeking wine-country calm, The Stavrand blends slow luxury with easy access to Sonoma County trail rides through redwoods, wilderness parks, and scenic dunes.
Hidden among the redwoods of Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley, the Stavrand is the kind of small, deeply personal hotel that wine-country regulars whisper about and then guard jealously. Hospitality-industry veteran Emily Glick acquired the dormant Applewood Inn in 2021 and spent the better part of a year reimagining the six-acre property top to bottom as a 21-room sanctuary devoted to quiet luxury, slow meals, and the long, golden afternoons that California does so well.
The hotel takes its name from Emily’s late mother’s Norwegian family name. Rooms are scattered across three Northern California rustic villas, each with a different character, some with private patios, others with fireplaces or freestanding soaking tubs, and all dressed in soft linens, vintage textiles, and locally made ceramics. The property offers lanterns to wander, lawn games, and a firepit with s’mores kits for the kids.
The restaurant is the heart of the place. Open to hotel guests only, it serves an evening tasting menu that pulls from the property’s own gardens and the small farms and ranches that surround Guerneville and Healdsburg. The wine list reads like a love letter to the Russian River: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Zinfandel from the families who have shaped the valley.
Days drift from spa treatments to wine tastings, redwood hikes at Armstrong Reserve, or simply a long lunch in the shade. For horse-loving guests, Sonoma County is rich with equestrian activities, like guided trail rides through wine country, atop scenic sand dunes, through wilderness parks, with panoramic views to remember.
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