Hotel La Rose

If you are in Sonoma County and looking for an atmospheric place to stay, The Hotel La Rose could be your choice. This is a beautiful old stone building in Santa Rosa's Railroad Square historic area in downtown, on the west side of the highway. Several buildings on the square, including the old train depot - now the tourist office - were built of the local stone about 100 years ago. The building is listed on the national register of historic buildings and is noted as one of the "National Trust Historic Hotels of America."

The rooms are not cookie-cutter; we had three rooms in our party and each was different. Across the street the "carriage house" is a newer building which we didn't stay in, but I imagine they are more conventional.

Included with the stay a glass of wine (which we didn't stay for) and a continental breakfast. Josef's Restaurant and Bar on the ground floor looked very welcoming, but we already had other plans.

Directions: Take the 4th st. exit west off highway 101. Wilson is the second block, and the hotel is on the northeast side of the square.

The Hotel La Rose is an old hotel in a beautiful old stone building in the heart of Santa Rosa's Railroad Square historic area in downtown.

Unique Quality: It is an historic and beautiful building, inside and out, which is quite rare for hotels outside of places like San Francisco. Built by local Italian stonemasons in 1907, it is on the national register of historic buildings and is the only hotel in Sonoma County to be listed as one of the "National Trust Historic Hotels of America."

The old wooden staircase is from a San Francisco cable car barn.

It's well-appointed and charming. It is also in the heart of downtown Santa Rosa's Railroad Square area and thus conventiently located to shoppng, restaurants, etc., as well as (ugh) the freeway.

Directions: Heart of Reailroad Square in downtown Santa Rosa, across the street from the depot, on the corner of 5th and Wilson. This is the portion of downtown Santa Rosa on the west side of the freeway.