El Dorado Hotel sits on the corner of First and Spain on the historic Sonoma Plaza, occupying the 1843 Salvador Vallejo building — one of the oldest standing structures in California. Twenty-seven boutique guest rooms pair with the acclaimed El Dorado Kitchen led by Executive Chef Armando Navarro.
Plaza-facing boutique hotel anchored by El Dorado Kitchen and Chef Armando Navarro.
El Dorado Hotel occupies one of the most coveted corners of the Sonoma Plaza — First and Spain — inside the Salvador Vallejo building, built in 1843 for the brother of Sonoma Valley founder General Mariano Vallejo. The adobe foundations and original beams remain intact, making this one of the oldest standing buildings in California. The current hotel pairs 27 understated boutique guest rooms with El Dorado Kitchen, an all-day dining destination led by Executive Chef Armando Navarro that has been one of Sonoma's most consistently praised restaurants for two decades. The culinary program includes the main restaurant, the EDK Cantina taqueria on Spain Street, and a Chef's Experience program that takes guests through the Sonoma Farmers Market and Vella Cheese Company before a private six-course tasting menu.
Each of the 27 rooms has either a semi-private balcony or patio with seating for two, looking out over Sonoma Plaza or the interior courtyard with its solar-heated saltwater pool. Complimentary cruiser bikes are available for guests at the front desk. Most guests stay because they want to walk to dinner — and at El Dorado, they don't even have to leave the building. The location puts every other major Sonoma Plaza tasting room and restaurant within a three-block radius. For travelers building a Sonoma Valley itinerary that prioritizes the historic town center, El Dorado is the most editorially significant boutique address on the Plaza itself.
Justin Sterling is General Manager of El Dorado Hotel & Kitchen, the 27-room boutique property anchored at the corner of First Street West and Spain on Sonoma Plaza. The hotel is part of Mosaic Hotel Group's portfolio under parent company Palisades Hospitality, founded by Tim Harmon, and Sterling oversees the day-to-day at the historic 1843 Salvador Vallejo adobe building — coordinating with Executive Chef Armando Navarro at the on-site El Dorado Kitchen and EDK Cantina, and keeping the property running as one of the most central, long-tenured stays on the Plaza.
Tim Harmon bought the historic 1843 El Dorado Hotel in 1995 and is the founder and CEO of Mill Valley–based Palisades Hospitality Group, the parent company that today operates more than 35 hotels and restaurants across the western United States. He led the multi-phase $6 million renovation completed in 2025 that fully redesigned the hotel's 27 rooms and reimagined the public spaces. The El Dorado is the anchor property of his portfolio, which also includes The Madrona in Healdsburg, North Block in Yountville, and Olema House on the coast.
Update your editorial to go live.
UpdateReview your current editorial on the left. Submit changes in the matching fields on the right — leave any field blank if no change is needed.
1. Update one section at a time using its SEND button.
2. Each SEND creates a provisional draft — your live page is not updated yet.
3. Complete the final submission at the bottom to approve and publish.
Your editorial page and submission form are always accessible through this page — and only to you. Update anytime.
El Dorado Hotel occupies one of the most coveted corners of the Sonoma Plaza — First and Spain — inside the Salvador Vallejo building, built in 1843 for the brother of Sonoma Valley founder General Mariano Vallejo. The adobe foundations and original beams remain intact, making this one of the oldest standing buildings in California. The current hotel pairs 27 understated boutique guest rooms with El Dorado Kitchen, an all-day dining destination led by Executive Chef Armando Navarro that has been one of Sonoma's most consistently praised restaurants for two decades. The culinary program includes the main restaurant, the EDK Cantina taqueria on Spain Street, and a Chef's Experience program that takes guests through the Sonoma Farmers Market and Vella Cheese Company before a private six-course tasting menu.
Each of the 27 rooms has either a semi-private balcony or patio with seating for two, looking out over Sonoma Plaza or the interior courtyard with its solar-heated saltwater pool. Complimentary cruiser bikes are available for guests at the front desk. Most guests stay because they want to walk to dinner — and at El Dorado, they don't even have to leave the building. The location puts every other major Sonoma Plaza tasting room and restaurant within a three-block radius. For travelers building a Sonoma Valley itinerary that prioritizes the historic town center, El Dorado is the most editorially significant boutique address on the Plaza itself.
Justin Sterling is General Manager of El Dorado Hotel & Kitchen, the 27-room boutique property anchored at the corner of First Street West and Spain on Sonoma Plaza. The hotel is part of Mosaic Hotel Group's portfolio under parent company Palisades Hospitality, founded by Tim Harmon, and Sterling oversees the day-to-day at the historic 1843 Salvador Vallejo adobe building — coordinating with Executive Chef Armando Navarro at the on-site El Dorado Kitchen and EDK Cantina, and keeping the property running as one of the most central, long-tenured stays on the Plaza.
Tim Harmon bought the historic 1843 El Dorado Hotel in 1995 and is the founder and CEO of Mill Valley–based Palisades Hospitality Group, the parent company that today operates more than 35 hotels and restaurants across the western United States. He led the multi-phase $6 million renovation completed in 2025 that fully redesigned the hotel's 27 rooms and reimagined the public spaces. The El Dorado is the anchor property of his portfolio, which also includes The Madrona in Healdsburg, North Block in Yountville, and Olema House on the coast.
Please submit your images separately — they're handled by a different department and will be processed alongside your editorial update.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form
