The Inn's reception building, the Harvest Centre, is built to evoke the English countryside, with its corkscrewed brick chimneys and oak-paneled great room. Set between Sutter Home Winery and Sulphur Springs Avenue on the southern fringe of St. Helena, and bordering a 14-acre vineyard, Harvest Inn has 54 rooms. Most of them have king beds, brick fireplaces, wet bars and dressing vanities, and some have patio balconies. There are two heated pools and Whirlpool spas on the grounds, and all guests are served continental breakfast. No matter how the inn is defined, Lodi Lane, about 2 miles north of St. Helena, is hard to beat for serenity.
Most units have fireplaces, and some even have private hot tubs.
The Wine Country Inn is still a family operation, founded by Ned Smith in 1975. Son Jim Smith runs the place now. Ned's widow, Marge, did most of the quilt work, and his daughter, Kate, did much of the decorative painting. The hotel, popular with honeymooners, caters to adults rather than to families with children. This upscale St. Helena hotel, which opened in November 1995, looks something like a winery with its earth tones and creeping vines.