Andaz Napa, By Hyatt

The valet had our car ready right away for a very early departure and flight, which we appreciated. We didn't get the bottled water at check-in and forgot to ask about it later, though it would have been nice to have. This is a modern downtown spot, much like the Archer Hotel Napa, right in the middle of everything. It's a good fit if you want to be near the bustle. Our room and bathroom were fine, just not memorable. Live music in the lobby, probably moved there because of rain on the terrace, gave downstairs a lively feel. It also meant our room, along with the street noise outside, stayed pretty loud into the evening. A solid choice for location, but nothing particularly exceptional beyond that.

We could hear everything outside our room through the very thin door, and I'm sure people could hear us too. It made things a bit uncomfortable. Otherwise, we had a great stay on our Napa trip. The staff were really friendly and greeted us with a glass of wine, a nice touch. Housekeeping was incredibly quick: we left for a morning tasting and came back before lunch to a clean room. The location worked perfectly for us as city vacationers, with breakfast spots and other places conveniently close.

The hotel itself is fine, and the lobby and breakfast area look nice, but the rooms aren't luxury and the price doesn't feel justified. The booking experience was terrible. There were three rooms available; I booked one, changed my mind a few minutes later, and successfully modified the reservation. I got an email confirming the change, so I thought it was settled. A few hours before arrival, I checked the app and saw the booking had silently reverted to the original room. On the phone, they blamed a software issue and said it was too last minute. When we arrived, the guy just shrugged. I didn't want to argue with my tired family and kids waiting to get into a room. Really awful experience.

The hotel is modern and very nice, and staff were attentive and helpful from the moment we arrived. Its spot just off 1st street makes it easy to walk to shops, restaurants, and bars. Breakfast was good, and the ground level bar was decent. I also appreciated the computer tucked away in a secluded area. I needed it in a pinch for work, so it came in handy. I'd recommend staying here and would return.