AutoCamp Sonoma — Hotel in Guerneville

We booked an Airstream Suite at AutoCamp Russian River for a 1 night stay via the Hilton app. We were particularly curious about the iconic Airstream trailers in a glamping arrangement. We hadn’t been to the Guerneville area for more than 15 years. We haven’t been camping in about 10 years. What a great way to catch up on both.||HURRAY! HURRAY!|- The Airstream trailer impressed at first sight.|- The bed was amazingly comfortable. Casper pillows. I think the mattress and mattress (both cushiony soft) were also Casper; perhaps the duvet as well. 60% cotton 40% polyester bedding from A Simple Better Sheet.|- Complimentary WiFi was speedy with SpeedTest results of 41.8 Mbps Download/15.0 Mbps Upload. Connectivity was strong inside the trailer as well as in the private outdoor space.|- The LOCATION near Guerneville, the river and the coast was great.||IMPRESSIVE|- “Private” outside area next to trailer with campfire ring, adirondack chairs, side table and patio dining table with umbrella. Ours was truly private because the next unit (a tent) was not occupied.|- The kitchenette was compact yet had enough surface space for food prep.|- The bathroom was also compact yet arranged well so it didn’t feel cramped. Luxury-level AutoCamp-branded shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion and hand wash, pleasant scent and paraben-free. Hotel-quality 100% cotton bath towels, hand towels, wash cloths and bath mat.|- Hot water arrived to shower in around 15 seconds. Water pressure was low, but adequate.|- Clean mini-fridge and microwave oven.|- One of the cabinets in the kitchenette area had a folding tv tray table and several clothes hangers.|- Also appreciate the Blackout Buddy emergency light/night light.|- Excellent lighting inside and outside. The trailer number was well-lit and path lighting made it easy to walk around at night. Bright bedside lighting with easy-to-reach switches. The bathroom entry had a frosted lighting panel that was a chic touch. The retro click-y light switches were cute.|- Lots of electrical outlets throughout the trailer. We used the bedside, kitchen, bathroom and sofa area outlets; all worked. Sofa-side there were two USB charging outlets and a Pyle panel to connect for music from your own device over Bluetooth.|- There was a 28” Samsung 720p television in the bedroom with about 120 channels of programming. Adds to the “glamping” atmosphere without going overboard.|- Super front desk staff. Late check-out request granted. We chatted with Laurel the first day and Blythe the next. I had also called before making reservations with questions, and was impressed with the staff even at that point.|- Easy access to Pacheco Park tennis/pickleball courts and playground (next door), Russian River (across CA-116) and Guerneville (2-3 minute drive).|- We spent a little time beside the fireplace in the lobby. Comfortable and airy area.|- Great property grounds. Swings. Camp fires. Herb garden. Hammocks. Grassy area. Walking path.|- Very thoughtful to provide bicycles (for riding around the neighborhood) and wagons (for transporting luggage).|- Folding sofabed afforded comfy lounging space inside the trailer.|- Overall everything was clean and well-maintained. Cabinets showed a little wear and tear, but that contributed to the charm of the camping-side of glamping.|- Easy parking.||THE WISHLIST|- Spa robes and slippers should be provided to support the “spa-like bathroom” claim.|- Muffins would be a nice addition to the free breakfast of granola, bagels and coffee.|- Only things that needed a little TLC were the window levers (a few were finicky to open and close), and the toilet flush lever (sometimes needed extra effort).|- Live music and yoga were not scheduled during our stay.||A SIDE NOTE|- The name of the place got changed to AutoCamp Sonoma while we were there which seems like a marketing mis-step since the city of Sonoma is around 45 miles away (AutoCamp website lists “Sonoma, CA” which is a reference to the city), and that does not connect with the promise and expectation of a woodsy glamping theme. “Sonoma Coast” may be more appropriate, but “Russian River” is still more endearing and authentic.||Great hybrid glamping-hotel experience. Also has a “lodge” feel. Pretty good location for calming forest bathing. High praise for the thoughtful service, ambience and accommodations. Enjoyed the stay so much, I even bought an...

I wanted to give this an honest and fair review. To start, this is not what we were expecting. Had we gone into this with a better understanding of the property, amenities, and location we would have chosen differently. Heres the whole deal. We decided to take a 5 day girls trip staying in an airstream at the Russian river. We are from MN so this was going to be a bigger trip, flying into San Fran then renting a car and driving up for the 4pm check in on Friday and staying through Tuesday. I had planned and called well in advance to ask questions. I had asked about the location, it's "on the Russian River" is what we were told (it is not) and I asked specifically if there was kayaking and paddle boarding which I was told there was as well. Needless to say we arrived Friday evening and were totally stunned to drive through a dilapidated town that was very busy and end up off a main road by a preschool and chain link fence. The trailers back up to other homes that are incredibly close. It was not the scenic, off the beaten path hidden gem in the woods we imagined. Then we realized, where are the kayaks? How would we access the river? What we were told by the front desk when we asked why we had previously been informed there was is that there is kayaking just on site but in the area. So I guess you have to make sure you ask VERY SPECIFIC questions. The location we were suggested to go is Johnson's beach. Now, everything we had seen noted this was this is more of an adult glamping experience. Autocamp clearly states how its geared towards adults with well behaved dogs and well behaved children are allowed. Johnsons beach was packed full of families, drunks, and yelling. We kept stating how we were looking for a serene, calm, moms away experience. You have to pay $7 to park there and it was $20 PER kayak per person PER HOUR! Insane. It was not enjoyable. After our first night there we were planning to have a picnic in the common area under the string lights that are so often photographed on instagram only to find that 3 of the days we were there the common area was reserved! Like for 48 hours for one group. We were not made aware and when we addressed our frustration the woman at the front desk said "thats a bummer for us" in a sarcastic tone which certainly didn't aid in the frustration we were feeling. She also was less than kind when addressing us about using the Bikes for a travel blog to take a few photos. She talked down to us and no one likes to be made to feel stupid. The other big issue is there is no way to get more towels, fire starting bags (without paying a 7.50 per bag that only lasts 30 min) if you are staying more than a night or two. When I asked for more towels and where to put our dirty ones I was told I could go to the clubhouse area, which of course, didnt have any towels and was overflowing with dirty ones. The fridge is also TINY like half the size of a hotel fridge so dont think you can grocery shop unless you have some major coolers which we didnt since we were flying across country.

Overall - the property its self (not including the surroundings) is super cute. Great concept. Love the coffee station in the morning sitting by the fire, the swing to sip wine, or the area with bags boards. The wagons and bikes are adorable and the ease of having plates and glasses is amazing. This would have been a 5/5 star trip for me things had been more transparent about the location and what is actually available. We likely would have chosen another location, perhaps yosemite, assuming its not also in a town. Do your research before staying so you aren't blindsided before going. So cute, so much to offer but we felt duped. Plop this idea further down the river and actually ON the river and its a slam dunk! My personal suggestion is to provide location transparency, provide the fire starter bags for more than one night, and offer to...

I was really looking forward to this 3-night "touch grass" break. I've been a camper since a young age, but I'm also no stranger to traveling alone and treating myself to a bougie resort spa. This was neither a resort nor a serene spot to commune with nature. Based on the description, I was expecting a very nicely appointed airstream in a quiet, restful location away from civilization.||The unit was pretty barebones in a closely packed pod of about a dozen other trailers. The full kitchenette amounted to a minifridge and a tiny microwave that could accommodate a frozen dinner. Not sure what the cast-iron pan was for. Maybe for use on the outside grill? Unclear. The "airy sitting room" was a stifling oven as it was 90 deg outside and required the air conditioner to be running nonstop at a deafening roar. No water pressure in the shower. I made the mistake of washing my hair, and it took forever under the trickle to get the shampoo rinsed out. While this was intended as a chill-out mini vacation, sometimes you need to stay in touch. The free wireless was sketchy at best (clocked at 18.30 mbps and 174 ping). Unfortunately, it's a Verizon deadzone (0-1 bars most of the time) so hotspot is not an option. Had to drive a couple miles down the road to the Safeway parking lot. Definitely not "Your refuge in the redwoods" as headlined on the webpage. The site is just outside of town directly on the road in a dense residential neighborhood. At least there was a privacy fence separating it from the main road.||The gourmet food was free coffee and granola in the morning. A self-serve bowl of fresh fruit was also provided on the first day, but on the second day, I didn't get there until about 8:15, so it was gone. The morning of the third day I decided that life is too short and there are better things to do. They would not refund the third night, but offered to remove the $35 amenity fee. Would have been nice to remove it for the other 2 days as well...for one, I'm not into cornhole. So basically I'm out $1460 for 2 nights. I left on a Tuesday morning, but had to email them on Thursday to get a copy of the receipt as they didn't give me one when I checked out. Would have been better off in a Holiday Inn Express with a few trees in the parking lot. At least they have bigger microwaves and free stale bagels for breakfast. Could really have spent that money on something else.||2-star rather than 1-star because the bed was comfortable and parking was free.||If this is what you're into, that's fine. You do you. However, I am providing a description I wish I had before shelling out that much money and wasting my time off. You...