The Ink House Bed & Breakfast, St. Helena

I wanted to share an extraordinary experience my wife and two children had at a most elegant Bed in Breakfast in Napa Valley. Based on several recommendations from friends that frequent the wine country, we stayed at the Ink House in St. Helena. My wife and I have stayed in more B & B's than I can remember; it's just the way we prefer to travel. Our stay at The Ink House was by far our best experience yet! In fact, we aren't people that write reviews very often; only when our experience is extraordinarily good or bad. From the time we set foot on the 4 acre property with vineyard, walked into the gorgeous 1884 yellow Italian style ranch house, and stayed the night in the "French Room" where Elvis Presley stayed in the 1960's while filming "Wild in the Country, the Ink House delivered! The Ink House is indeed unique. Unlike many B & B's in Napa that are on smaller properties amid other homes, the Ink House stands apart, proudly standing between two prestigious wineries in "power alley" of highway 29; home to Cakebread Cellars, Grgich Hills, and Niebaum-Coppolla. The Inn Keeper, Kevin Outcalt had the character and passion that matched the beautiful home. When we entered the Ink House, Kevin was in the middle of a story recalling some of the rich history of Napa for 6 enthralled guests. Even though it was an hour before the official "happy hour" began, the fun had already begun and we quickly found ourselves "fast friends" with a lovely couple from Denmark, a couple from Shanghai (who had heard about the Ink House from a friend in China!), and a mom and daughter who was just celebrating her 21st birthday. Kevin's engaging personality and ability to create a "magic environment" had everyone laughing and having the time of their lives. When Kevin gave us a tour of the house and grounds, it was unlike anything we had seen. On top of the grand house is an observatory, an approximately 15 x 20 room with windows on all sides and a fantastic view of the vineyards in all directions. We later discovered that this was where Theron Ink who build the house in 1884, would keep an eye on his vineyard workers tending the grapevines on his 400 acres. It's a beautiful room, full of light, for visiting with other guests or just reading a book and enjoying the cool breeze. One of the best parts of the trip was listening to Kevin's fascinating stories about the Napa Valley and its history. We also enjoyed learning many facts and tips about the valley that not only enriched our visit, but saved us money enough to pay for our stay! I know this is running long - just a sign of the excitement that my wife and family still have after staying at the Ink House. I recommend the Ink House to anyone visiting the valley (locally or Internationally). We also learned that the Ink House organizes murder mystery parties which my wife and I have already started planning for October! Happy Travels! Hardy and Mary Lipscomb

My husband and I stayed at the Ink House and had a wonderful experience. I do not know if it was the beautiful vVctorian House, The french Room (where Elvis stayed in whle he made the movie "Wild in the Country" or the wine I was consuming.. It made my "head spin" with happiness.. The ambiance is of another ear. You are literally right down the street from all the famous wineries. The house has amazing Antiques. I loved the Observatory on the third floor where you can see for 50 miles. You can take some great photos. We enjoyed the town of St. Helena. We had a delicious meal at Cindy's Backstreet. Go to the Sunshine Grocery or Dean and De Lucca for a pick up picnic lunch. If you are an Elvis fan.. you have to go... The Breakfast was Gourmet! Wine tasting is fun but a stay at the Ink House makes it a perfect vacation!! P. Kaval

Location, Value, and Comfort Can't Be Beat! We had a great stay at the Ink House and can't say enough about this wonderful historic inn. It's location is perfect for visiting the Napa Valley. Right in the middle of the real wine country with wineries, quaint little towns, and fabulous restaurants all around you. You can walk right across the street to Whitehall Lane Winery or Franciscan Winery or Rutherford Grove Winery, plus the Ink House has lots of VIP winery passes for complementary tastings -- we used ones for BV Winery, Ballantine, Girard, V.Sattui, Markham and Whitehall Lane during our stay. The grand old home is on a large parcel with it's own vineyard and huge lawns and gardens. Since it is on the National Historic Registry, it is kept in period furnishings but still has modern amenities such as luxurious king beds, flat screen TVs in most rooms, mini-bar fridges in Victorian cabinets, and wireless internet access as well - plus a bathroom in every room, no going down the hall. The breakfasts are great as we had the Artichoke Frittata, Bella Torta (our favorite -- an egg/cheese souffle topped with layers of sun-dried tomato, spinach, and pine nuts and we now have the recipe...), and Death By Cheese (eggs and five cheeses baked to perfection...) we were also served home baked breads and muffins, lots of fruit and tea, coffee, orange juice, and champagne. Filled us up to go out for a great day of wine tasting. In the evenings there is a happy hour with wine and appetizers, we had Markham Winery come pour one evening and set up a special tour for the next day, where we figured out our restaurant for the night and also heard great historical stories from the owner regarding Elvis Presley's stay in the house and the fascinating Ink House Stradivarious tale. We stayed in the Torino Room which was large and comfortable with a good sized bathroom for a Victorian with a shower/tub combo. Hot water on demand, king-bed, spotlessley clean, plasma TV, and overlooking Whitehall Lane's vineyard and the grand lawn in the back. We could have stayed forever -- also we did take advantage of the Breakfast-In-Bed option one lazy morning for a very reasonable $10 service fee. The Innkeepers, Rachel and Andrea helped us make dinner reservations, arranged a limo for wine touring one day, and convinced us to try hot air ballooning which was the highlight of the trip. They are friendly, knowledgeable about just about everything in Napa, and always very helpful. And finally, we couldn't be more pleased with the value. After being quoted room rates all over Napa in the $300 to $900 per night range (!), it was great to find such a nice place in the low $200s. Also, no nickel and diming for internet access or telephone or bike rental (two great bikes at no charge), etc. You can find 5-Star accommodations at Napa Resorts that are wonderful to stay at, but for an intimate Napa experience in a unique lodge with a fantastic location and superb service at a reasonable price, this place can't be beat!

My wife and I travel quite frequently and I cannot recommend this place more. The location is perfect the service and ambience are exquisite. The perfect getaway.

As an avid wine enthusiast, I loved having such a beautiful place to start my day of wine tastings. The location, decor and hospitality are perfect.

We had a blast at the Ink House during a long weekend stay in December. This place runs like an elegant historic inn, no family underfoot, and is located right in the middle of some super wineries and vineyards. We had a king bed in the elegant Turino Room that had a full bathroom and even a plasma TV and internet access. The breakfast was great with something different each morning and really filled us up. We had V.Sattui and Rutherford Grove Winery show up two nights during wine and cheese happy hour in the parlor and poured for free! The home is historic but it's clean, charming, with first class staff that made hot air balloon and restaurant reservatons for us and got us into some tough appointment only wineries. The grounds are four large acres to explore and it's a great walk up Whitehall Lane in the morning. You are really in the Napa Valley here as vineyards are all around and you can walk to many wineries cutting through neighboring vineyards. A great experience and this will be our place in the future. Only complaint is that we gained about 10 pounds each during our four days. Thanks Ink House!

I got married there in July. The setting was perfect for a wedding and the staff were friendly and helpful. My family and friends were able to stay at the Ink House and the neighboring carriage house. It couldn't have been better.

As my girlfriend's birthday neared, I finally decided that a trip to wine country would be a perfect romantic getaway. That decision was only the first step. Being that I had never been to the Napa Valley, I was clueless as to where the hot spots were, so I turned to some co-workers for help. After asking around, it seemed to be pretty clear that everyone was high on the Ink House. Many had been there and raved about the incredible authencity of the bed and breakfast and how much it added to the Napa experience. So I decided to check it out for myself and see what the hype was about. All I can say is that the Ink House was everything and more. From the moment we arrived we were greeted with a friendly face and shown around the spacious property. Once we settled into our comfortable room, it was back to the drawing board, as neither one of us had ever been to Napa. The innkeeper was glad to help, offering many suggestions and tips on wineries and restaurants, all of which we followed. We couldn't have asked for a better experience. All of the places that were recommended were exactly as advertised and we were so grateful for all of the help. She even offered to make dinner reservations for us. The next morning we awoke to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods. We were only disappointed in the fact that we could not stay longer!! All in all, we really enjoyed our first trip to Napa, and I give all the credit to the Ink House and it's staff and we will definitely be BACK!!!

The Inn is beautiful, and very clean. The surrounding grounds and vineyard are a slight to see and enjoy. We stayed in the French Room. However, there is no resident inn keeper, and we were left there alone on our first night, as there were no other guests in the Inn. The morning cook, if you can call her that, was not friendly or warm, the breakfast was just a little bit of fruit, scrambled eggs and some potatoes that tasted like frozen potatoes. The breads were cold, and the coffee was terrible. The afternoon staff was different, helpful and warm. The next day there were two more couples and the food improved, but not enough to live up to the website description of a champagne gourmet breakfast, and still the unfriendly cook was there again. She never even told us her name. There were no inviting smells from the kitchen. It seems the owners do not even live in St. Helena, we were also told not to call the local innkeeper unless the house was on fire. We also did not realize that the inn is located right next to the highway and you can hear the traffic all night and in the early morning rush it gets louder. We were also told that The Inn is up for sale, maybe the new owners will pay more attention to details and hire a new cook.

Our Stay at the Ink House was great! The house is beautiful and located right where the train tracks cross HWY 29...Making it easy to find. They had many comps at some our favorite local wineries. We arrived late but check-in was easy. The house was toasty warm. Bedroom was comfortable and clean with nice bathroom. The observatory located at Top of house provides great views, especially at sun-up and sun-down. Breakfast was very good, especially enjoyed the Artichoke Frittata. I would stay again and Highly recommend!