Sometimes you go to a hotel and maybe check out the area while you’re there. Other times you go to an area and maybe stay in a hotel while you’re there. Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Napa Valley is definitely the latter sort of place, but sometimes that’s exactly what you’re looking for. Customer reviews praise the friendly service (if you don’t like the Hawthorn Suites’ fitness center, the people at the front desk will help you arrange a guest pass at another in town), the large rooms and comfortable beds, and the hearty, complimentary breakfast. Posh this isn’t, but who needs posh when you can spend your day exploring the Napa Valley? And the price is right for squeezing in a nice little vacation even at the height of the season when other hotels may be priced out of reach or just not available at all.

For most intents and purposes, this is a motel; a decent place to sleep. There are some interesting extras, however. Some rooms have whirlpool jets in the bathtub, a welcome perk after a long day of travel. There is an indoor pool and hot tub, wireless internet access, and a 24 hour business center. Some rooms have an “Ergonomic Executive Chair,” which sounds comfortable, whatever it is. Cots are available for a fee, and cribs are free. The entire facility is non-smoking, and carries a respectable three-diamond AAA rating, out of a possible five. Since not all hotels or motels merit even a single diamond, three are not to be sneezed at. The list of amenities includes free fax and copy service, free local calls, free newspaper, free outdoor parking, free use of PC with high speed Internet—nothing extravagant, just simple, quiet convenience. You can read the paper, check your email, and make a couple of calls to plan your day before heading out to explore Wine Country. What more do you really want?

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Napa Valley can and does boast of its location. Situated in the town of Napa itself, the hotel offers guests easy access to several golf courses, hiking trails, both white water and flat water paddling, and miles of quiet, scenic roads for cycling. Of course, there is fine dining at the many fine restaurants in the area, plus many world famous wineries, the Napa Opera House, the Oxbow Public Market, the Carolyn Parr Nature Museum, the Lincoln Theater, and the Napa Symphony. You could float over the countryside in a hot-air balloon, or take in a cooking demonstration at the Culinary Institute of America. Check out the diRosa, nearby; part art museum, part preserve, the conceptual installations indoors and the brightly colored outdoor sculpture gardens are equal parts beautiful and “huh?” in the most charming and thought-provoking way. Go a little farther afield, to Yountville and the Napa Valley Museum, if you like history with your art; their exhibits even include some geology. Or head into the town of Calistoga and check out the hot springs and a petrified forest. This diverse region even boasts an amusement park.

The Napa Valley is its own destination, and your decision to come here shouldn’t be affected by whether you can, or even want, to pay hundreds of dollars a night simply for the privilege of sleeping somewhere. No, you just want a safe, quiet place with good service, a safety deposit box, laundry facilities and an ironing board, and a nice, soft, comfortable bed. A good breakfast, on the house, and a fridge in your room for the leftovers from all those multi-star restaurants you’ll be dining at wouldn’t hurt, either. Oh, and a newspaper, so you can read the funnies while you eat your bacon and eggs. You can find all that here.