Napa Valley Railway Inn

What a quaint, charming, more economical option in Yountville. We’ve stayed here twice and been really happy both times. It is a novel idea where everyone gets their own rail car. Each has been done nicely. Very comfortable living in the heart of Yountville.

We went to the Napa area for our anniversary. Not our first visit by any means. We usually stay in downtown Napa but decided to give the Railway Inn a shot. Needless to say, we were not disappointed and would highly recommend if you are looking for a modest place to lie your head after a day of wine tasting. The beds were ultra comfortable with extra pillows. The bathroom was just the right size for 2 people...still, we usually took turns. The room had a TV (that I think my husband turned on once), 2 sitting chairs and wine glasses for a nightcap. It even had 2 chairs and a table outside the door to our room. We sat out there a few times for wine and breakfast. I think there were only a few other guests during the time we were there, so it was very quiet. One morning, Balloons Aloft were taking off from the parking lot behind the Inn. Very cool to see it up close (even though we have personally done the balloons before)! Very quaint, lots of other restaurants and tasting rooms within walking distance. A big plus is the Mini Model Cafe located in one of the cabooses, which serves up breakfast sandwiches, coffees, lattes, etc. We had something from here every morning except our last morning (I think it was closed). At any rate, we would highly recommend the Railway Inn to anyone visiting the area.

The rooms are just fine and the location is very central. However, beware. IF YOU HAVE TO WORK DURING YOUR VACATION, AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS!. The WIFI is so spotty that I had to use my cell phone hotspot to get any work done. When I contacted my IT team to help troubleshoot my inability to connect to my company's VPN, I was told that the WIFI was too spotty to provide a connection. I could connect to my VPN for 30 seconds at a time and then have to reboot my computer and start over. One of the members of our party had to leave and get a room in Napa so that he could work at all. The owners of the facility had absolutely ZERO compassion and simply said "this has never happened to us before." Well, it's happening now, and one of our party had to book a hotel 20 miles away so he could work during the day. Take a look at the screenshot below. At 15Mbps download speed and 0 upload speed, don't expect to be able to do any work AT ALL!

We stayed in a caboose for three nights. We found our carriage to be charming, a little basic but had everything we needed. Bonus was having the Model bakery at the end of the hotel. We enjoyed breakfast from there every morning on the deck outside our room. The unique experience outweighed all the negatives but there were a few. The room AC was noisy and struggled in the +90F heat. The office was never “manned” while we were there, so to be honest it is a stretch to call it a hotel. We did not mind as our bodies were on Central time but be prepared for a hullabaloo at 5:30 am as hot air balloons take off behind the hotel at sunrise.

Managed to get one of the railcars. Originally booked a suite but was able to into a railcar after a cancellation. Perfect location in the middle of Yountville. Hotel had a small snack bar which was closed the days we were there (only open on weekends) but was walking distance to restaurants and coffee shop. Had an enclosed area to gather and sip wine from our wine visits. Does not offer any services but was just a fun experience.

Really enjoy this Inn. We were able to check in early, they text when your room is ready and give you the door code online. The rooms are very nice and clean. There is a spot outside your door to sit and have a glass of wine in the evening or coffee in the morning. Bouchon Bakery is half a block away for great coffee and pastries. It is convenient to lots of great dining and wine tasting. Only negative was the Model Bakery.