The Chablis Inn is last place on our list of Napa hotels—meaning it is by some measure the least popular. Since plenty of beloved places are near the bottom of the list, we figure there must be something funny about the ranking. So we were hoping that the last hotel would be the subject of wild raving by grateful customers—it would have been deliciously ironic.

Well, there are no raves—but there are few complaints, either, just measured, solid praise. The Chablis Inn is a motel, but it’s a good motel, and they offer some services and perks that no one else does.

The location is good, of course; this is Napa, after all, and even within Napa it’s pretty well-placed. The hotel is just a mile from both Napa Valley Drifters Hot Air Balloon and California Wine Tours, and only two miles from the Napa Valley Opera House. Two miles isn’t really very far. Imagine walking back to the hotel some evening, arm in arm, perhaps, with your beloved, the soaring tunes of the opera still ringing through your head….

There are certainly places that mostly offer a place to store yourself while you sleep, and in the Napa Valley, where there are so many interesting things to do (and spend money on), cheap and basic definitely has its charms, but we wouldn’t put the Chablis in this category. It is cheap, certainly, but we don’t think you’ll find a stay here unpleasant.

Amenities start out simple enough. There’s an outdoor pool, and all rooms have free wireless Internet, coffee maker and complimentary gourmet coffee, a wet bar with mini-refrigerator, iron and ironing board, hair dryer, cable TV, and a telephone with data port, voicemail, and TTY capabilities. Some rooms also have whirlpool tubs with massaging shower heads. The hotel is non-smoking, and parking is free. So far so good.

But the Chablis is also rated two out of five possible “eco-leaves,” although they don’t specify which environmentally responsible practices have earned them this rating. If two out of five does not sound especially good, bear in mind that the vast majority of lodging options in Napa do not claim to have any environmentally responsible programs at all.

And the Chablis is pet-friendly, or at least dog-friendly. Call ahead to reserve a spot for your dog, and remember there’s a twenty five dollar fee for canine guests. It is the dog-friendliness that suggests the Chablis might be a bit different from most hotels; if you want to go out without your dog (which not all pet-friendly places will let you do), they may ask permission to take your dog into their office, so he or she won’t get lonely while you’re out. They’ll also give you the contact information for local animal hospitals and the nearest emergency vet. Now that’s service!

They also provide a suggested “Dog Lover” itinerary, listing parks, restaurants, and wineries where both you and your dog will be welcome. There are four other suggested itineraries with themes; the Frugalista, the Napa Native, the Sipper, and the Thrill Seeker. The Frugalista, in case you are wondering, is for visitors who want to have a good time without spending a lot of money—it is possible, even in Napa. There’s a trip adviser you can talk to as well, if you want to brainstorm ideas for your trip one on one. It’s a little, simple thing, to offer targeting trip advice, but it is such little things that make the difference between just any old motel and a nugget of low-key awesomeness.

So if the Chablis doesn’t quite receive raves, maybe it should. And last but not least…the Chablis is last but not least.

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