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This spectacular Relais & Châteaux property, set high above the Napa Valley in a 33-acre olive grove, is quiet, indulgent, and luxuriously romantic. The Mediterranean-style rooms are large enough to get lost in -- and you might want to once you discover all the amenities. The bathtub alone -- an enormous hot tub with a skylight overhead -- will entice you to grab a glass of complimentary California red and settle in for a while. A wood-burning fireplace is surrounded by oversize, cushy furniture -- the ideal place to relax and listen to CDs (the stereo comes with a few selections, and there's also a VCR). Fresh flowers, art, terra-cotta floors, and natural-wood and leather furnishings whisk you out of the Wine Country and into the Southwest. Each private deck has views of the valley that are nothing less than spectacular. Those with money to burn should opt for the cottage suite; the 1,800-square-foot hideaway's got two fireplaces, two full bathrooms, a den, and a patio Jacuzzi. Now that's living. All guests have access to a celestial swimming pool, new exercise room, and the most fabulous spa in the Wine Country, which opened in 2001. Only guests can use the spa, but if you want to get all the romantic grandeur of Auberge, have lunch on the patio at the wonderful restaurant overlooking the valley.

Facilities: Restaurant; 3 outdoor pools ranging from hot to cold; 3 tennis courts; health club and full-service spa; sauna; steam room; bikes; concierge; secretarial services; salon; 24-hr. room service; massage; same-day laundry service/dry cleaning, free Internet access.

© 2005, Wiley Publishing, Inc.