By Michael McCarthy By Michael McCarthy | September 23, 2021 | Lifestyle,
The new Montage Healdsburg unveils an astrotourism package, taking the luxe hotel’s guests into the cosmos.
The magnificent setting captured by Rachid Dahnoun, who hosts a photo session with Montage guests
In the wide-open luxury hospitality marketplace, amenities and experiential charms are endless. Some are even out of this world. The recently opened 130-room Montage Healdsburg, which sits on 258 acres in Sonoma wine country, unveiled a package earlier this fall that marries its dreamy, star-filled setting with the discoveries of science.
The Guest House, which sleeps up to six, is part of the new Sky’s the Limit package
The Sky’s the Limit package includes two nights in the resort’s three-bedroom, 4,600-square-foot Guest House, which offers exceptional views of Mount Saint Helena and the vineyards of the Alexander Valley. The house sleeps up to six guests and features a wraparound balcony with daybeds and lounges, outdoor hot tub and a sprawling living room.
The Guest House offers three private suites.
As the light fades from the sky and stars begin their shimmering procession, the resort’s culinary team curates a private dinner for up to six in the Guest House. The evening will feature local wines (the resort practices a brilliant terroir-to-table philosophy) and French-inspired California cuisine. The menu at the property’s signature restaurant, Hazel Hill, provides a snapshot of what the kitchen can pull off . Standout dishes include wagyu beef tartare; saffron chittara (roasted shallot, garlic chips, bone marrow toast); Alaskan halibut (tarragon, grapes, sauce Véronique); Liberty Farms duck breast (Bing cherries, fennel, almond); and wild king salmon (picholine, green tomato, sumac).
As part of the Sky’s the Limit package, the Montage culinary team will prepare a private dinner for six featuring locally sourced fare and valley wines
Following dinner, guests will take a private tour of the Robert Ferguson Observatory in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in nearby Santa Rosa. The observatory, the largest in the western United States, offers a stunning vantage point for stargazing.
Opportunities for relaxation abound, including poolside.
There’s little to no light pollution, as the space is surrounded by a protective ring of hills. Guests can view galaxies light-years away by using several tools of the astronomy trade—including a 40-inch reflector telescope and a 2-meter-long refractor telescope with an 8-inch front lens.
A balcony in the Guest House at Montage features a two-sided fireplace, perfect for staying cozy on chilly valley nights
Next, guests will embark on a two-hour photography session with acclaimed astrophotographer and director Rachid Dahnoun. His work has appeared in hundreds of publications, including Forbes and Outside. Perhaps the photographer’s most famous photo is a dazzling image of the Milky Way galaxy, which graced the cover of National Geographic.
The Guest House’s main outdoor space boasts fire pits, lounges and comfy daybeds for taking in the views of the Alexander Valley.
During the Montage special-package session, Dahnoun will create limited-edition night sky images, including a photo featuring guests. And for Bay Area residents with friends in other parts of the country who’d love to join in the celestial fun, the package includes private, round-trip flights with Jet Edge—one of those cherry-on-top perks that truly give this package star power. Price upon request, 100 Montage Way, Healdsburg, 707.979.9000
Photography by: Photo by Rachid Dahnoun;
Photo by Christian Horan