A relaxing gem nestled amongst 21 acres of olive orchards in the Livermore Valley Wine Country you’ll find The Purple Orchid Wine Country Resort & Spa which features ten rooms and suites. As you enter the back of the resort, you’ll be greeted with a pool, their rose gardens and further in the rear, olive trees galore and a handful of sitting areas.
Purple Orchid was built in 1997 but the property has had a few owners over the years. The current owners are a husband/wife team who have added their own flare to the place over the past ten years.
Above and below: the decor and flavor of the Purple Orchid Inn
Below is the wine tasting room off the main lobby area where they hold smaller events but also meet for evening happy hour over wine, cheese and olives. They refer to it as “The Gathering Table” and their end of day gathering: Wine & Olive Oil Hour.
The Gathering Table at Purple Orchid.
Below, the natural beauty as you drive into the property from the main road.
The Rooms
Outside the rooms, there is a small patio area with a little table where you can enjoy a glass of wine from the region or a cuppa Joe in the morning. All the rooms are designed for two although there are some with pull out couches in case you want to stay here as a family. Ours had a king sized bed, fireplace, and soaking tub with jets for two.
Although we didn’t need it during our late May stay, they have air conditioning for the hotter months (it gets very hot east of San Francisco), complimentary WiFi and DirectTV. We were originally booked in their Wilderness Retreat King Suite, one of their larger rooms – lovely right? (below)
Above and below: Wilderness Retreat King Suite. Credit: Purple Orchid.
If you want to splurge, then go for their Celestial Moon Deluxe King Suite which is where ended up landing. It’s a great choice if you’re traveling with kids or quite frankly, just want the extra space; there’s a separate living room area which has a lovely gas fireplace, large coffee table, flat screen TV and round table with chairs.
The doors to our king suite.
Below, the king sized bed in the Celestial Moon Suite — we loved the nice touch with the wrought iron, wood combination.
Above: Celestial Moon Deluxe Suite. Credit: Purple Orchid.
Above and below, the sitting area in our suite.
Our room, with a spacious closet, artwork to the right and large wooden dresser.
One of the walls in our suite.
Below, the relaxing tub in the suites. There is of course a shower and double sink area as well in the very spacious and oh so modern bathrooms.
The soaking tub at Purple Orchid. Credit: Purple Orchid.
Each room style is unique — below, another room option to give you an idea of the diversity.
Inside another room at Purple Orchid. Credit: Purple Orchid.
Breakfast at the Resort
Breakfast is part of your daily stay and they give you the option to dine in your room, by the pool or in their dining room. We had the option of a omelet with spinach, mushroom and cheese topped with pico de gallo or a breakfast burrito with linguica and eggs, which they serve with sweet peppers, onions, havarti, cheese also topped with pico de gallo. For those who want to eat a little lighter, there are a la carte options as well such as cereal, toast, oatmeal, yogurt and English Muffins. The next day, they offered different options for a hot cooked plate, including traditional French toast with warm maple syrup which we tried as well.
Breakfast Omelet with Spinach, Mushrooms & Havarti Cheese
Below is the cheese and fruit board they offered during the late afternoon happy hour.
The Ambiance & Grounds
The ambiance of the grounds is by far the most welcome part of the Purple Orchid Inn given that it’s set in a more rural setting surrounded by olive trees and vineyards. The space is large enough to host weddings, which they do plenty of during prime season as well as retreats.
The front of the property by day. Photo credit: Purple Orchid.
A back/side view of the property by night. Photo credit: Purple Orchid.
For example, the back of the property faces rolling hills and there is a large space where weddings or other ceremonies and parties could be held. Additionally, there are gorgeous flowers (including roses) throughout the property as well as elegant Romanesque statues.
Above and below: the grounds at the Purple Orchid Inn.
The front area of the property has chairs where you can lounge as well as in the back, facing the pool and gardens.
This was the view from our room — note the covered canopy areas with soft couches where you can relax as well.
Then of course there’s the incredible pool with the waterfall, which has two overflowing areas into small hot tubs on opposite ends.
Two buildings alongside the main structure are home to spa treatments which includes a separate area for couples to have massages together. We didn’t have the opportunity to review the spa during our stay but perhaps on a future visit. In addition to massages, they offer a variety of facials as well. For those interested in having events here, there is a 225 square foot board room as well as 2,300 square foot room that can accommodate up to 135 guests.
The back of the property when it is green, aka the wetter months when the area gets more rain. Credit: Purple Orchid.
They are located 2.5 miles from the main gate at Lawrence Livermore National and Sandia Laboratories, less than five miles from downtown Livermore, and only a few miles away from over 50 wineries in one of California’s oldest wine regions. Be sure to read our write up of Livermore Valley Wineries and Vineyards as well as our foodie write up of some of the tastiest restaurants in the region.
DETAILS
Purple Orchid Wine Country Resort & Spa
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
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