One of California’s fastest-growing hotel companies has landed in Wine Country, and it could help struggling wineries tackle one of their greatest challenges: attracting millennials.
Last week, boutique hotel brand Palisociety opened Le Petit Pali St. Helena with 29 rooms, vineyard views, a pool, a garden bar and a complimentary Champagne breakfast alongside pastries from the famed Model Bakery. The hotel’s whimsical design, described as “very bespoke with an indie vibe” by Palisociety founder Avi Brosh, is a major departure from the plain, rustic-chic inns and resorts that dot Wine Country.
Wine Country tourism has been down since 2023; alcohol consumption is at a 90-year low; and the traditional wine industry is grappling with how to appeal to younger generations. “There’s all this consternation about young people not drinking wine and coming to Napa. That’s because there’s nowhere to f—ing go,” said Brosh, who opened his first hotel in 2008 in West Hollywood.
“It’s all the same, all kind of twee,” he continued. “This was an opportunity to do something that felt fresh.”
High hotel prices are contributing to the region’s tourism woes, some critics say, with Napa County room rates being the most expensive in the Bay Area. Le Petit Pali’s prices, from $475, are above the county average ($412 in 2024), but the hotel is still a more affordable alternative to Wine Country’s numerous fancy resorts, which typically cost more than $1,000 a night.
“The reason I think the (Palisociety) properties connect with people is they’re very authentic. They’re not designed by committee, and they have a sort of quality to them that doesn’t feel cookie-cutter,” said Brosh.
Le Petit Pali St. Helena (1152 Lodi Lane) is set on a quiet country road, sandwiched between the vineyards of two classic Napa Valley wineries, Duckhorn and Freemark Abbey (where another hotel project is underway). It’s the 23rd Palisociety property to open in 17 years; 18, including a hotel in San Francisco’s Union Square and two in Carmel, are on the West Coast. Palisociety hotels are known for their high-end amenities, like Diptyque bath products and in-room hair straighteners, and their eclectic design.
Most Napa Valley hotels are minimalist and ultra-modern with a farmhouse-luxe aesthetic — think white walls, sliding barn doors, light woods and marble accents — but Le Petit Pali, Brosh said, is the antidote to that. Brosh estimates that roughly 80% of Palisociety properties are revamps of existing hotels. In this case, the company transformed the homespun Wine Country Inn & Cottages with bold colors, preppy plaid, cabana stripes and florals. Rooms, equipped with retro Smeg fridges and Marshall speakers, are accented with wallpaper, tiling, heavy curtains and cozy vintage furnishings. The cottages have stained glass windows preserved from the original inn. From one patio, guests can literally eat grapes off the vines; another has an outdoor bathtub.
Continental breakfast includes sparkling wine and Model’s legendary English muffins (a favorite of Oprah’s), as well as croissants, bear claws, sourdough and granola. The buffet also includes soft-boiled eggs with Maldon salt, mimosas and green juice. Guests can order larger plates for breakfast and lunch à la carte, such as a breakfast burrito, a rolled omelette or a club sandwich.
The hotel also carries wines from a handful of Napa and Sonoma producers, including Charles Krug, Faust and Flowers and local beer from St. Helena brewer Mad Fritz. The cocktail menu includes five types of spritzes, like the St. Helena made with amaro, Aperol and passion fruit.
Meandering stone paths lead to quiet sitting areas throughout the lush, three-acre grounds, creating the illusion that the property is farther from Napa Valley’s busy Highway 29 than it actually is. Striped umbrellas provide shade around a fountain repurposed from an ancient European well. The hotel hosts outdoor yoga classes and events, like “Martini Monday” and “Croquet and Spritzes” on the hotel lawn. Cruiser bikes are available for exploring the new section of the Napa Valley Vine Trail Vine Trail nearby. It’s a two-mile ride to downtown St. Helena or six miles to Calistoga.
“Let’s have some late nights and let’s go skinny dipping,” Brosh joked. “That’s a little bit of what I’d love to bring to Napa.”
Le Petit Pali St. Helena. Rooms from $475 a night. 1152 Lodi Lane, St. Helena.