Guide to Meeting & Event Planning in

Sonoma County

Learn why you should host your next meeting, event or conference in Sonoma County, Calif. 

Why Sonoma County for Your Next Meeting or Events?

Travel Essentials
Taxes: Room tax, 9-14% depending on the city; sales tax, 8.5-9.5%; Sonoma County Business Improvement Assessment for properties with revenue over $350,000, 2% (except for properties in Healdsburg and Sonoma); other Business Improvement Assessment, 0-3%; total tax on hotel rooms 12-16%.

Contact: Sonoma County Tourism (800) 576-6662, (707) 522- 5800

This expansive Northern California county, located just 30 minutes from San Francisco, offers 6,600 hotel rooms, unique meetings and event venues, natural beauty and a wealth of attractions and group activities.

Only in Sonoma County

Sonoma County is world-renowned for its 400-plus wineries; the 150-square-mile county is also home to majestic redwood forests, 55 miles of stunning Pacific Ocean coastline and more than 40 spas and wellness centers. 

Transportation In & Around the Area

Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa is the local airport. Transportation costs from the airport to Santa Rosa, the county’s largest city, is approximately $20 by Uber and Lyft.

For longer direct domestic and international flights, attendees can fly into San Francisco International, Oakland International Airport or Sacramento International Airport. Shuttle service costs from the three international airports to Santa Rosa, from $38; by taxi, Uber and Lyft, from $98.

Meeting & Event Venues

New & Coming Soon to Sonoma County 

Rodney Strong Vineyards in Healdsburg has opened a new tasting room and reopened their terrace and concert green. Designed with an elegant, Sonoma County-farmhouse ambience, the tasting room can host groups of up to 50 people and offers three tasting-flight experiences that can be paired with food from local purveyors. Upstairs, a new self-guided tour overlooking the barrels features images illustrating the historic timeline of Rodney Strong. Larger gatherings can be accommodated on their outdoor terrace or expansive concert green, which can host up to 300 people.

Bacchus Landing has opened at the crossroads of three of Sonoma County’s leading wine regions in Healdsburg. Featuring an open-air piazza surrounded by tasting rooms for some of the area’s boutique wine producers and offering 25,000 square feet of meeting space, the event center can accommodate groups of up to 250 attendees. Options for private events on the three-acre property include the Vintners Room and Wine Lab for small meetings and workshops; the Rooftop Terrace and Harvest Room for receptions and sit-down dinners; and Frank’s Place, an outdoor setting with bocce courts, gardens, a redwood grove and vineyard. All of the spaces are supported by a fully equipped commercial kitchen, and are outfittedwith furniture, Wifi and state-of-the-art AV equipment.

• The private event space at The Barlow, the 12-acre open-air marketplace in Sebastopol that is home to more than 30 local food, wine, beer, spirits and crafts vendors, has reopened under new management from Blue Ridge Kitchen. Now known as Blue Ridge Kitchen Events, the venue can host up to 300 people in its renovated warehouse and adjacent terrace. Also available is an 8,000-square-foot lawn area with a 100-year-old oak tree and a “living fence” filled with fragrant jasmine. Blue Ridge Kitchen will provide seasonal chef-inspired menus and a selection of libations from the local vintners and brewers.

• The Flamingo Resort in Santa Rosa recently unveiled an extensive renovation of the entire 10-acre property. The iconic 1957 resort features a new entrance, 170 updated guest rooms and the new Lazeaway Club restaurant. The Flamingo also added wellness, culinary and libations programming that can be incorporated into meetings held in the resort’s 20,000 square feet of event space.

• Centrally located in the city of Rohnert Park, the new Cambria Hotel Sonoma Wine Country offers 132 guest rooms and space for small banquets, executive board meetings and business training sessions. Amenities include Sam and Mary’s Restaurant and an outdoor heated pool.

• The 100-room Fairfield Inn & Suites Santa Rosa Rohnert Park recently debuted. Amenities include a fitness center, heated outdoor pool and fire pit.

• The new Courtyard Petaluma Sonoma County provides 122 guest rooms and meeting space for groups of up to 70 attendees. The hotel is located near Petaluma’s Historic Downtown, Petaluma Golf & Country Club and Shollenberger Park. The hotel offes a fitness center, outdoor pool and a Courtyard Bistro with Bar.

• Already a certified green hotel, the Vintners Resort in Santa Rosa recently achieved "environmentalist level,” the highest offered from the California Green Lodging Program. The 78-room property provides 6,200 square feet of indoor space and 10,000 square feet of outdoor space. In addition to its sustainability programs, the property offers a walking path through the surrounding the vineyards, vegetable gardens and olive orchards that supply products for its restaurants.

More Meeting & Event Venues

• Located in downtown Santa Rosa's Historic Railroad Square, the Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country features 253 guest rooms and 40,000 square feet of meeting and event space that includes 15  meeting rooms and outdoor space highlighted by an 80-foot-long water wall.

• The DoubleTree by Hilton Sonoma Wine Country in Rohnert Park is adjacent to two golf courses and offers 245 guest rooms, 18,000 square feet of indoor meeting space and more than 30,000 square feet of outdoor event space.

• A Sonoma County historic landmark, the 226-room Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa offers 12,380 square feet of indoor meeting space and 25,000 square feet of outdoor event space. The property also has a legendary golf course, which was designed in 1928 by Sam Whiting and considered a classic from the golden age of golf architecture. The course winds its way through 177 acres of rolling hills highlighted by oaks, lakes and vineyards.

• A certified Sonoma Green Business, the Sheraton Sonoma Wine Country Petaluma provides 184 guest rooms and 10,000 square feet of flexible meeting space with natural lighting and marina and wetland views.

• Home to vineyards, olive groves and a honey farm, Bricoleur Vineyards can host events for up to 200 guests in their Wine Barn. Groups can also enjoy strolls through the rose garden and fruit orchards, rowing or fishing on their pond, competing on the bocce courts or relaxing on their Pavilion lawn.

Paradise Ridge Winery accommodates events ranging from small dinners and meetings to large receptions for up to 250 guests. The private 155-acre estate overlooking the vineyards of the Russian River Valley is located minutes from downtown Santa Rosa.

• The 1,300-acre Chalk Hill Estate features expansive vineyards and wilderness areas, along with a winery, hospitality center, culinary garden, stables, equestrian pavilion, sports fields, fishing and swimming ponds, and guest houses. The venue is located in the rugged foothills of the Mayacamas Mountain Range that divide the Napa and Sonoma Counties.

Things to Do in Sonoma County

Groups can enjoy Sonoma's outdoor beauty with off-site activities as adventurous as ziplining through redwood forests or as bucolic as touring a local farm on a culinary tour. Popular activities also include teeing off at one of the county's 22 golf courses, horseback riding and hot-air ballooning.

• Groups looking to add more sustainable touches to their meetings will find a number of new options in Sonoma County.  At MacArthur Place, their Mindful Meetings program was designed for executive retreats of up to 30 people and includes activities such as kombucha workshops, tea tastings and mindful seminar coaching. And for groups that want to really get their hands dirty, Farm to Pantry offers attendees the ability to help harvest produce that will be used to create nutritious kits for families in need and then enjoy a post-harvest event.

Getaway Adventures offers a variety of biking, hiking and kayaking adventures throughout the county. Sample adventures range from Sip 'n Cycle guided bike tours of local wineries to kayaking on the Russian River.

• For those groups that want to add a new twist to a vineyard gathering, Sonoma Cutrer offers a "chardonnay & croquet" activity. Guests are greeted with a keepsake glass and a splash of wine and then guided through a golf croquet tournament. Following the competition, participants are treated to a gourmet sandwich and wine lunch.

The Epicurean Connection features a unique cheese-making class that can be hosted for groups at wine-country venues including Sonoma Fairmont Mission Inn, The Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance Resort & Spa and private homes and estates. As part of the class, guests are welcomed with a wine-and-cheese tasting and then led through the interactive process of making ricotta that is ready to serve and enjoy within 90 minutes.

• Located at the Sonoma Raceway, the Sears Point Racing Experience designs activities for up to 400 attendees. Participants can speed along California's longest track in anything from a 125-cc racing kart to a top-end McLaren to a Formula 3-derived race car. 

Top Restaurants in Sonoma County

The following dining outlets represent Sonoma County's wide variety of epicurean options:

  1. Barndiva – Farm-to-table
  2. Boon Eat & Drink – California Cuisine
  3. Brewster's Beer Garden – Modern BBQ 
  4. Catelli's – Italian 
  5. Hopmonk Sonoma – American
  6. John Ash – Fine Dining
  7. Sante – French 
  8. Seared – Steak and Seafood
  9. Union Hotel – Italian