BY: FRAN ENDICOTT MILLER

I was first introduced to Silverado Resort three and a half decades ago when my college roommate married into an esteemed Napa Valley winemaking family. The wedding reception was held in the Silverado ballroom, and aside from a White House Christmas party I’d been fortunate to attend, it was the most refined event of my young life. The champagne flowed freely as black-tie and ball gown bedecked guests mingled on the veranda overlooking the impossibly green golf course. While the marriage didn’t last, the elegant glow of the evening was forever emblazoned upon my memory.

Fast forward a few years to a profession which led me time and again back to Silverado. As a member of the Golden State Warriors executive team, Silverado was our second home. Our annual golf tournament and season ticket holder events were held there, as were our annual marketing retreats. Our tight knit front office group swam in the pools, drove at the driving range, and imbibed at the Mansion Lounge. And all these years later, we continue to laugh about the time we placed our sleeping co-worker’s trundle bed in the middle of the fairway – which, now older and wiser, we do not recommend.

Long story short, my memories of Silverado are happy and warm, so it was with great pleasure that I returned recently for an overnight stay to find that everything I once loved about the place continues to resonate. For me, Silverado was always ‘quintessentially Napa,’ and it still is. The Mansion Lounge still serves great cocktails while a Sinatra soundtrack plays in the background; the great lawn is greener than ever, and the swimming options have expanded to include the tranquil Spa pool and a remodeled central pool with luxe cabanas. Located off of Atlas Peak Rd., just a hop and a skip from the Silverado Trail, the resort was threatened by the 2017 wildfires and sustained minor damage. Several surrounding homes were lost, and portions of the golf course were singed, but the permanent structures at the resort remained intact - The historic Mansion, Conference Center, The Silverado Spa, The Silverado Market & Bakery, The Pro Shop, The Clubhouse and The Grill. And while today it’s possible to spot minor signs of the fires in the burnt hillsides, the resort is fully functioning in all its glory.

At its epicenter is the iconic Mansion, a California landmark for nearly 145 years, and to many, a symbol for Napa itself. The view, as you drive into the property, never gets old. One need not be a golfer to appreciate the serenity of the two championship courses that surround the 1,200-acre property and its vast open spaces, expansive grounds and large inviting patios and porch settings. And while guests are likely tempted to step off-property to explore the Valley and its winery and restaurant offerings, Silverado’s 17 plexi‐paved tennis courts, ten swimming pools, three restaurants, a 16,000 square foot spa, exercise facilities, and salon ensure that one need not explore further in order to experience the best of Napa Valley.

Silverado’s one-bedroom condominium suites are clustered around hidden courtyards, secluded swimming pools, and line the golf course fairways. Each has been remodeled over the years to reflect current trends; the latest design juxtaposes Silverado’s history with modern luxuries: open kitchen design, redesigned fireplaces, stone vanities, luxurious showers, crisp Spartan bedding, and additional modern fixtures that lend an air of warmth and luxury to the rooms. (You’ll be hard pressed to find any hotel or resort in the Valley with rooms as large, and with fully functioning kitchens.)

Despite the current proliferation of luxury resorts, inns, and B&B’s throughout the Valley, Silverado is and will always be the epitome of genteel Napa hospitality, and a celebration of the Valley itself. And it doesn’t take a personal history with a trove of warm memories to ‘get it.’ One visit, and you too will be hooked.  

Silverado Resort and Spa, 1600 Atlas Peak Rd., Napa