We stayed for a weekend in September 2006. The property itself is absolutely stunning. It is cliffside over the sea, and it is extremely private. The walks are gorgeous, and it has so few rooms that it's like having the property all to yourself most of the time. The food was also fantastic, as was the chef, who gave a very enjoyable demonstration one day. I love that the menu changes daily so you can enjoy eating here every night. We also found the breakfast just fine, and the fires in the room, the bottles of wine, etc. were all great. The pool was gorgeous, as are the hot tubs, and it was an incredibly peaceful, relaxing place.
So why am I only giving it 3 stars? The biggest disappointment we had was that the rooms - as beautifully designed as the architecture is - were not designed very practically. We stayed in one of the butterfly rooms, which is part of a structure that has three rooms - upper, middle and lower. We were in the middle, and all evening and morning long, we could hear any sound at all from the upstairs unit. It was so poorly insulated that you would think that we had elephants stomping around in the upstairs unit. We didn't - I saw the very nice couple come out in the morning, and they were perfectly quiet and not boisterous at all. It was simply the incredibly poor insulation, which is actually the worst of any hotel at which we've ever stayed (I'm including Holiday Inns, etc.). We could simply hear every footstep. My husband could tell you when the couple came in, when anyone went to the bathroom, etc. - way more information than we wanted!
Am I just someone who's incredibly sensitive? No, I've stayed at numerous hotels all over the world, and this is the first one where I have ever had this problem. Also, one of the other guests who attended a cooking demonstration with me heard that we were in the middle butterfly room and made the same comment, telling me she would never stay in a room again unless it was either on top or standing alone. So I don't think it was just us.
I didn't complain, because there seemed little that the management could do about it. The place is designed the way it's designed, and it was no fault of the people above us. And we really did enjoy everything else. Even the beds have wonderful mattresses. But for $500+ a night, you really do expect to be able to sleep in and not hear every footstep!
The only other comments I would make is that the windows aren't terribly private in the rooms (you look straight into other rooms right across the way), and the spa massages were so-so. Of course, living in San Francisco and visiting Napa often, we may be very spoiled when it comes to massage. It did not compare to the spa services of a Four Seasons or Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay, for example. We did not try Ventena Inn, which is right across the road, but will on a future visit just to compare. We did visit Ventena's grounds and believe that the grounds and restaurant of the PRI seem much nicer and more private. I note, however, that Ventena was having a wedding that weekend, so that may have had things more confused than they normally are.
I feel somewhat guilty giving this review to PRI, because the management really was nice, but I do think people ought to know about it and maybe there is some renovation they could to make it a little quieter. Would we go back? Yes, definitely, but never to a lower or middle room. I would urge visitors to hold out for an upper or standalone room. If you have one of those, I think it would be paradise.