1/5
UPDATE: The room was booked through The Estate, not a third party, as the owner responded below. I appreciate the response otherwise. Our experience with The Estate was terrible, but our wedding was amazing. We booked the venue over 14 months before the date of our wedding. We were excited to have our ceremony in the vineyard, the reception and cocktail hour in The Social, and to stay on property. Approximately 2-4 weeks before our wedding, I received an email (not a call) stating our reservation had been cancelled, that The Estate would be happy to accommodate us two days later (after the wedding). The director of sales, Robert, contacted me after my planner kindly stepped in to help navigate the situation. Essentially, they reserved the property for a banking event during our stay, and he was in a bind because we had paid in full and he was technically in breach of contract. But he didn't admit it. Instead, he launched into a sales pitch for us to stay at a nearby 3-star hotel at their expense (which is lovely, and I've stayed there several times), but not the experience we booked, or thought we did, at The Estate. He then promoted another hotel 30 minutes away, for its bowling alley and steakhouse, as if that was the experience we wanted. We chose The Estate for its location, the opportunity to stay at our wedding venue, its walkability in Yountville, and the overall experience they offered. While we understand that things happen, their approach to handling it was terrible. When my then-fiancé asked to have a meeting with Robert (I was over the chauvinism) upon our arrival, he said he thought they’d addressed everything and “fixed the issue,” which consisted of $30 bottles of Chandon and comping our stay. While we appreciated their effort, they missed the point that they never asked what we felt might have fixed it; It wasn’t about the money, and certainly not for free Chandon. Michelle and Tracey (the wedding coordinators) were terrific and stuck in a tough situation. For the reception, The Social doesn’t have shades, so when the sun sets, our guests in its path struggle with the heat and brightness. I kept getting up to block it, and then I had to ask for help. There wasn't much proactivity. The A/C went out during the day while I was getting ready (it was 95 degrees that day), and they just weren’t prepared, which I could understand. But we had to ask for fans. To top it off, after the wedding, we received a bill for $2300 without any explanation or invoice attached. When my husband inquired about the details, including an invoice, the accountant responded that they’d made a mistake, and we only owed $300. Overall, just a poor experience. The Hotel stay: The staff at The Vintage House don’t seem to want to be there or help you. Robert had supposedly reserved transportation for us to a local winery, yet the front desk had no memo of it. The Estate offers a complimentary car service to nearby wineries, but the girl at the front showed no interest in resolving the issue. When my stylist needed to get her things down the stairs on my wedding day (they put you upstairs in a room that, while beautiful, has no bathroom—you have to go through the lobby in your robe—and the elevator is non-functioning), not one of the men or boys opening or closing the front door tried to help her. They just kept focusing on the broken elevator and talking among themselves. The turndown service came at 9:30 pm, which seemed strange. It just lacked so many small details to make it a 4-star, aside from the aesthetic. One of our guests stayed at Hotel Villagio and said their service and stay were much better, if that's helpful. Our ceremony and reception were beautiful, he rooms and pool are nice. Food is great. Michelle provided a facial at the spa, which is lovely. The location is central. I prefer to forget the drama we endured, but share our experience as a warning—and a suggestion for The Estate to review their business model. Consider staying and getting married elsewhere; Napa Valley offers many better options.
