Shady Oaks Country Inn, St Helena

The location was good, the breakfast is at 9:00 am regardless of your schedule, the food was good but they didn't even have decaf coffee, the afternoon wine and cheese was very limited, most of the time there is no staff on site, the rooms were not clean, we couldn,t see out of the windows because they were so dirty, there were dead bugs on the windowsills, and we found bobby pins on the carpet ( they weren't ours), the ceilings were stained and the walls and baseboards were dirty. The place has a lot of potential but they need to fix it up and they need to be there for the guests.

This old homestead needs some TLC. The innskeepers should revise their brochure, because the grounds no longer look as good as the pictures. Rundown comes immediately to mind and, "truth in advertising". Save your money and if you must stay on Zinfandel Lane, consider The Zinfandel Inn, more bang for your buck.

We were guests at Shady Oaks 16 years ago and again this past September. The accommodations are so warm and comfortable. John & Lisa still own the Inn with Jenna overseeing the place. Fabulous breakfasts but, the afternoon wine and cheese under the arbor is the best. Friendly, inviting and so relaxing. We can't wait to return. The Spangler's

A place that is truly as comfortable and relaxing as home is harder to come by. My wife Denise and I loved the local yet just out of the way location. Information we gathered at the wine and cheese reception the first night went a long way in helping us choose local wines for tasting. The breakfasts were awesome!! Our compliments. Most of all we have to mention the stars. Just sit back on a clear night and let the stars bear down on you and dream. They are that impressive.

My girlfriend and I stayed at Shady Oaks on Aug. 23 for two nights and loved it. The owners (John & Lisa) new every thing about the wineries and restaurants in the valley and were happy to share with us. Our room was wonderfull and the breakfast on the patio was the best. We could not have been more centered in the valley. We could actully walk to two wineries. We will tell all our friends and be back for sure.

My husband and I just spent the weekend at Shady Oaks (Grandma's House). Everything about this place, other than the food, reminded me of Grandma's House. The service was great and the Inn Keeper was fabulous as she was very knowledgable regarding the area. The sit down champagne breakfast was a hit, something Grandma never did. They serve great crossiants - again, somehting Grandma never did. We met some great people from Virginia and Florida during this time. What fun and interesting conversations we had. I really didn't care for the shower saver shower. A great way to start my day is by having a wonderful shower. I would recommend that they change shower heads, however, they it may be CA code for that area to require them. The location was ok, but I think in the future we may stay in the downtown area. Overall, it was a nice visit.