New hotels in Kenwood

This guide tracks one confirmed project in Kenwood, California: Soho Ranch House Sonoma, Soho House & Co.'s first Northern California property and its first Ranch House format, planned on a 350-acre former ranch site at the foot of Hood Mountain. Kenwood itself is a small unincorporated community of fewer than 900 residents on Highway 12 in Sonoma Valley, known locally for its wineries rather than large-scale hospitality: this will be the first project of its kind to open here.

What to do around Kenwood

For a weekend

Kenwood sits at the northern end of Sonoma Valley on Highway 12 (Sonoma Highway), between the towns of Santa Rosa and Sonoma, in a stretch known for wineries clustered close enough together to visit several in a single afternoon. Chateau St. Jean, with its French-inspired château and gardens, and Imagery Estate Winery, which pairs tastings with an on-site art gallery of label artwork, are among the valley's most visited names here; several wineries on the west side of Highway 12 sit close enough together for a self-guided walking tour rather than requiring a car between every stop. A morning or afternoon spent moving between two or three tasting rooms, followed by a slower dinner in the town of Sonoma itself, about a 15-minute drive south, makes for an easy weekend built around wine rather than sightseeing.

For a longer stay

With more time, Kenwood's setting at the base of Hood Mountain opens up hiking in the surrounding hills, a contrast to the flatter vineyard floor most visitors associate with Sonoma Valley. Jack London State Historic Park, in neighboring Glen Ellen about 20 minutes south, preserves the author's former ranch and its hiking trails through oak woodland and vineyards: a good half-day for anyone who wants to pair wine tasting with time outdoors. Santa Rosa, the valley's largest city, sits a short drive north and offers a wider range of restaurants and shops than the smaller towns further south. The town of Sonoma itself, with its historic plaza, mission and additional wineries, rewards a full day on its own, and the broader Sonoma Valley, more laid-back and rural than either Santa Rosa or the town of Napa across the mountains to the east, suits a slower pace of touring than a typical wine-country day trip.

When to go

Sonoma Valley's best stretch generally runs from mid-April through late October, when dry weather and comfortable temperatures align with the fullest calendar of wine-country events. September and October, harvest season, pack in the most wine festivals and celebrations, along with the visual appeal of vineyards turning color and grapes being picked: worth planning around for anyone who wants to see the valley's wine culture at its most active, though also its busiest and priciest stretch. Sonoma Valley sits roughly 45 miles, about an hour, north of San Francisco, making Kenwood a realistic day trip from the city even before Soho Ranch House Sonoma opens as an overnight option.

Where to stay in Kenwood

The Kenwood Ranch site

Soho Ranch House Sonoma is planned on Campagna Lane in Kenwood, on a 350-acre site long known locally as the Kenwood Ranch. The site has an unusually long development history: Sonoma County approved a use permit for a 50-room inn, spa, restaurant and winery back in 2004, more than two decades before Soho House's involvement. Private equity firm Yucaipa Companies, founded by Ron Burkle, bought the property in 2020 and is leasing it to Soho House & Co., which confirmed the project in December 2025 as its first Ranch House format and first Northern California location. The "Ranch House" label itself is new to the Soho House portfolio, distinct from the group's city-based Soho House clubs and its country-house-style Soho Farmhouse properties in the UK: a format built specifically around a large rural site rather than an urban building or an English farmhouse estate. The plan calls for roughly 50 cottages and villas, a house kitchen and bar, a health and wellness club, and an infinity pool overlooking Sonoma Valley from the base of Hood Mountain, with an opening targeted for 2027. As with other Soho House properties, it is expected to operate as a private members' club rather than a hotel open to the general public. This is currently the only tracked hotel project in Kenwood: the community's small size and its focus on wineries rather than lodging mean no other hotel opening has been identified here to date, and this guide will expand as soon as a second project is confirmed against at least two independent sources.

Which hotel for your trip

Wine-country travelers who are Soho House members

Once open, Soho Ranch House Sonoma will give Soho House members a Northern California base inside wine country itself, rather than in a nearby city: a genuinely different proposition from the club's usual urban locations, built around an infinity pool, wellness club and Sonoma Valley views from the base of Hood Mountain.

Travelers drawn to a long-gestating project

The site's history (a use permit approved in 2004, two decades of limited progress, and Soho House's confirmation only in December 2025) makes this one of the more closely watched hospitality projects in Sonoma Valley for anyone following how long-delayed sites eventually get built out, and worth checking back on as 2027 approaches. Few wine-country projects of this scale carry a paper trail this long before breaking ground.

Visitors planning a Kenwood wine-tasting day

Even before the hotel opens, Kenwood itself remains a valid stop for anyone building a Sonoma Valley wine-tasting itinerary: Chateau St. Jean and Imagery Estate Winery, among others clustered on the west side of Highway 12, are close enough together to visit on foot rather than requiring a car for every stop.

Travelers who prefer a public hotel over a members' club

Given that Soho Ranch House Sonoma is expected to operate as a private members' club rather than a hotel open to the general public, travelers without Soho House membership should plan on Santa Rosa or the town of Sonoma, both a short drive away, for publicly bookable accommodation until another project opens directly in Kenwood.

Hikers and outdoor-focused travelers

Kenwood's position at the foot of Hood Mountain, at the northern edge of Sonoma Valley, gives it a more rural, hillier character than towns further south on Highway 12: a detail worth factoring in for anyone weighing a stay here against a flatter, more vineyard-dense base closer to the town of Sonoma. Jack London State Historic Park, about 20 minutes away in Glen Ellen, adds a further hiking option for a trip that mixes wine and time outdoors.

Travelers timing a trip around harvest season

September and October, Sonoma Valley's harvest season, bring the fullest calendar of wine festivals and celebrations, along with vineyards turning color across the hills around Kenwood: a strong window for anyone who wants to see the valley's wine culture at its most active, balanced against the trade-off of higher demand and prices during these same weeks.

How we verify openings in Kenwood

Every listing is checked against at least two independent sources before publication: official announcements from the hotel group and site owner, plus independent business and travel press. Status labels (Announced, Open) reflect the most recently available information. A project this long in gestation, like the Kenwood Ranch site, is tracked from the point of a confirmed operator and plan rather than from an early-stage permit alone.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a new hotel opening in Kenwood?

Yes: Soho Ranch House Sonoma, Soho House's first Northern California location, is planned to open in 2027 on a 350-acre former ranch site at the base of Hood Mountain.

What is Kenwood known for?

A small Sonoma Valley community along Highway 12 known for its wineries, including Chateau St. Jean and Imagery Estate Winery, and rural character, with a population under 900 and no prior large-scale hotel or resort development before this project.

Is Soho Ranch House Sonoma open to the public?

No. As with other Soho House properties, it is expected to operate as a private members' club rather than a public hotel, though details on any day-guest or event access have not been confirmed publicly.

Who owns the land where Soho Ranch House Sonoma is being built?

Yucaipa Companies, the private equity firm founded by Ron Burkle, which bought the 350-acre Kenwood Ranch property in 2020 and is leasing it to Soho House & Co. for the project.

Why did it take so long for this site to be developed?

Sonoma County approved a use permit for a 50-room inn, spa, restaurant and winery on the site back in 2004, but the project did not move forward under a confirmed operator until Soho House & Co. announced its involvement in December 2025: a gap of more than two decades.

How many rooms will Soho Ranch House Sonoma have?

Roughly 50 cottages and villas, according to Soho House & Co.'s December 2025 announcement, along with a house kitchen and bar, a wellness club and an infinity pool.

What wineries are within walking distance in Kenwood?

Several wineries cluster on the west side of Highway 12 in Kenwood, including Chateau St. Jean and Imagery Estate Winery, close enough together for a self-guided walking tour between tastings rather than requiring a car for every stop.

How far is Kenwood from the town of Sonoma or Santa Rosa?

About a 15-minute drive to the town of Sonoma to the south, and a similarly short drive to Santa Rosa, Sonoma Valley's largest city, to the north.

How far is Kenwood from San Francisco?

Roughly 45 miles, about an hour by car, making it a realistic day trip from the city even before Soho Ranch House Sonoma opens as an overnight option.

When is the best time to visit Kenwood and Sonoma Valley?

Mid-April through late October generally offers the most reliable weather. September and October, harvest season, bring the fullest calendar of wine festivals but also the highest demand and prices.

What is Jack London State Historic Park?

A state park in neighboring Glen Ellen, about 20 minutes from Kenwood, preserving author Jack London's former ranch along with hiking trails through oak woodland and vineyards.

What is a Soho House "Ranch House"?

A new format for Soho House & Co., distinct from its urban Soho House clubs and its English Soho Farmhouse properties: built around a large rural site, in this case the 350-acre former Kenwood Ranch, rather than a city building or a UK country estate.