MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa

What the classifiers highlight

Six acres in downtown Sonoma hold secret gardens, flowering trees and fire pits around freestanding cottages, eleven room types in all, several with private patios, wood-burning fireplaces and outdoor showers. Forbes rates the property Four Star and singles out Layla, where Chef Jordan Hoffman serves shrimp empanadas with saffron aioli and lamb meatballs in spicy tomato sauce.