Best Kid-Friendly Hotels in Sonoma County

The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa is a premier family pick, with a big pool, connecting rooms, cribs upon request, babysitting services, and accommodations for nannies. Some rooms have two queen beds and can fit smaller familes. The concierge can recommend a range of activities for kids of different ages; for example, the nearby Train Town with a miniature steam locomotive and petting zoo is popular with younger children. The upscale hotel, housed in a Spanish mission-style building, also features a top-notch spa complete with its own thermal mineral spring, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and an 18-hole championship golf course.

This quaint, small B&B in the heart of downtown Sonoma is made up of six homey and attractive bungalows. Families may like the privacy of staying in a bungalow, and several units have two bedrooms. All have a kitchenette or kitchen. There's no pool on-site, but guests get free passes to a health club a half mile away that has a pool, Jacuzzis, steam rooms, and saunas.

Though popular among business travelers for its conference center and affordable rates, the Flamingo is a wonderful pick for families. The resort boasts a kids' club, a large swimming pool, and spacious rooms with flexible sleeping arrangements (some have two double beds, and both rollaway beds and cribs are available). Its location and solid restaurants are all upsides, but the most attractive feature for many kids will be the Olympic-size heated lap pool.

The 155 rooms of this upper-middle-range chain hotel are clean and contemporary, and can sleep up to four. In-room amenities include flat-screen TVs with on-demand movies, iPod docks, and Nintendo consoles (in some rooms only). Cribs and rollaway beds are available on request, as are babysitting services and baby toiletries. The Babies Travel Lite program lets parents order baby supplies in advance and have them ready in their room upon arrival. The large outdoor pool is a great place to splash around with the kids, and the spa (with wine-inspired treatments), and the French brasserie are convenient for parents.

The Courtyard by Marriott is an affordable basic hotel in Santa Rosa. It might lack the charm of other Sonoma County hotels, but it has solid amenities for families, including rooms with two double beds or a king and a pull-out sofa; microwaves and empty mini-fridges; a small pool with shaded areas; and cribs and rollaway beds for no extra fees. The casual Bistro and the great freebies (free Wi-Fi, breakfast and self-parking) are perks too. Plus, the hotel is in downtown Santa Rosa, within walking distance to shops, restaurants and cafes, and a short drive from family-friendly attractions such as several museums and Snoopy's Home Ice Arena.