Auberge du Soleil, Napa Valley, United States

What began as a California-French restaurant created by Claude Rouas, a leading San Francisco restaurateur, has evolved into one of America’s most sought-after small luxury hotels and a perennial recipient of the hospitality industry’s highest honors. Auberge du Soleil opened in 1981 as Napa Valley’s first fine-dining restaurant and the vision of French-born Rouas, who sought to recreate the sun-drenched ambiance of Provence in the California Wine Country.

Perched on the slope of Rutherford Hill overlooking Napa Valley, the Auberge quickly gained recognition as one of the leading restaurants in Northern California, not only for its superb cuisine, but also its spectacular views of the valley below. In 1985, responding to guest demand, Rouas and partner Robert Harmon opened the inn, a collection of sun- and earth-toned cottages housing 50 rooms and suites, each with French doors opening out to a terrace and sweeping views of olive groves and the vine-studded valley.