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Tallman Hotel

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  • 9550 Main St.
     Upper Lake, California 95485
    (707) 275-2244Website
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Sierra
Sierra
First Reviewer
5 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
1
Review
5
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Editor Pick

The Tallman Hotel

  • October 19, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Sierra from Chicago, Illinois
The Tallman Hotel

When you picture "wine country accommodations," The Tallman Hotel is exactly the type of place you dream of.

Beautiful and lovingly restored historic hotel that dates to the 1890s, with high quality modern amenities, yet a rustic, Western frontier-meets-Victorian chic look, and huge old claw-foot bathtubs? Check.

Friendly, welcoming, knowledgeable staff that makes you feel like you're coming home, and not just checking into a hotel? Check.

Spacious verandas and a lovely garden you can sit in to enjoy late afternoon California sunshine? Check.

Great restaurant next door, and continental breakfast? Check.

Modern amenities like TV, DVD players, Internet access, private balconies, swimming pool, en suite mini refrigerators? Check.

Teak Japanese 'Ofuro' soaking tubs? Check -- wait, what?

That's right: four of the Tallman's 17 rooms come with traditional Japanese soaking tubs on their private back decks. These large rectangular tubs are kept at 105 degrees, encouraging a long soak at the end of your day.

This is the kind of unusual detail that would make the Tallman stand out in Napa Valley - nevermind that this hotel is the first and only boutique hotel to open in Lake County.

The Tallman first opened in the 1870s and remained a popular hotel until the Depression. (The current building dates to 1896). It then served as a guesthouse or boarding house for 20-30 years, before allowing to stand vacant for 41 years.

Lynne and Bernie Butcher bought the hotel in 2003 and restored it to its original design, reusing and recycling as much building materials as they could. To this, they added the pool with hot tub; gardens which supply the hotel and neighboring Blue Wing Saloon with fresh fruit and vegetables; solar panels; and a geothermic heating/cooling system before the hotel re-opened in 2005 with an initial four rooms.

The recently opened expansions on the property, including the dual-level cottages with the Ofuru suites, brought the total number of available rooms and suites to 17.

The hotel is beautiful inside and out - the grounds lovingly cared for, flowers bright and colorful against the white and cool yellow of the buildings. The furniture is luxurious, inviting you to sit down and stay a while.

While it is not on the lake, the area is quiet, with some interesting shops along the street. Stroll the wood-panelled sidewalk. Enjoy a drink or meal next door. At night, the clear skies over this part of the state show off an amazing star show.

This is the type of inn that you look forward to returning to at the end of your day.


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Reservations (866) 708-5253. Government rates available.

From journal Beyond Napa: Clear Lake Wine Country

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