Great
Bed & Breakfast in Wine Country
By George Brozowski. FBWorld.com Staff Writer
The
front of this amazing Sonoma County, European styled B&B is
actually around the back and back in 1909 when it was constructed,
the stairway to the second floor that is now in the middle of
the foyer, was actually outside (they used to tax indoor stairways
as a luxury back then) and the building was half as wide as it
is today. And to top it off, there used to be an open archway
through the center of the structure for cars and carts to pass
through so they could pick up stone from the quarry out back.
After almost a hundred years, a handful of owners and millions
of dollars in reconstruction and renovation, it has become the
only place to stay in Sonoma County.
In
its first incarnation it was called the Rincon Hotel and housed
immigrant stone workers. It later changed hands and became a restaurant
during the war years. In the 1960’s it became a topless
bar called the Tropics and then through an extensive remodeling
and expansion of the kitchen it morphed into a first class restaurant
specializing in extra thick-cut steaks and prime rib. In the 1970’s
it was converted into the Stone House Tavern featuring topless
waitresses. Then for 8 years the lonely land mark sat empty until
1982 when it was retrofitted to become earthquake proof. A crooked
banker bought it next and spent three years and over a million
dollars renovating it to become his corporate headquarters. That
project ended abruptly after the bank lost $112.5 million and
the banker was jailed for laundering over $300 million for an
international drug ring.
In
2001, Beverly and Tommy Kennedy and their partner Patrick O’Donnell
purchased the Stone House and spent the next three years bringing
it back to life. They turned it into its current incarnation of
a beautiful, 14 room, European style, bed and breakfast inn.
Their renovation included ornate antique Italian gas chandeliers
which they converted to electricity. The wooden paneling and bar,
dating back to the 1880’s, were lovingly shipped over from
France. Today the Inn offers tastefully decorated guest rooms
with queen or king pillowtop beds. Each room has its own special
characteristics, with private whirlpool tubs, TV and telephone
with unlimited local calls and Internet access. There are rooms
for corporate meetings, weddings or a family celebration, as well
as a complete business center.
The
Inn is close to over 200 wineries, hot air ballooning, 16 golf
courses and some of the finest restaurants in the world. Whether
you’re looking to spend a couple of quiet nights or a weekend
in wine country, you will not find finer, world class accommodations
with a very European, old world flair. |
