Want to take advantage of Hyatt Privé benefits, including a room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more, when booking a cash stay? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked.
We just wrapped up a two night stay at the 64-room Alila Napa Valley, which is one of my favorite Hyatt properties in North America. This is one of three Alila properties in California, with the other two being the amazing Alila Ventana Big Sur, and the sort of quirky Alila Marea Encinitas.
We were in town for a commitment, so didn’t actually have that much time to enjoy the area, but I was still happy to be able to check out this hotel.
I’ve actually reviewed this property before, though back when it was branded differently. Prior to 2021, this property was known as Las Alcobas, and belonged to Marriott’s Luxury Collection, prior to joining Hyatt’s Alila brand. I loved the hotel then, but like it even more now, given Hyatt’s superior loyalty program.
If you’re looking for a relaxing getaway, I can’t recommend this property enough.
In this post:
I love Napa Valley!
Before I get into the review of the hotel, I just want to briefly mention how much I like Napa Valley. While Napa Valley is known for its wineries, that’s not even what I really like about it, as I’m not a big drinker.
Rather I just adore the landscape (rolling green hills), the weather (foggy and crisp mornings and temperatures that get warmer throughout the day), the amazing food (there are so many great, local restaurants in the area), the small-town feel (there are several charming towns), and the people (most people seem to have a passion for living in the region).
If there’s one place in the United States that I think I’d eventually like to move to, the Napa Valley area is it. Now, maybe it’s one of those situations where a place seems nice as a visitor, but perhaps is less nice to actually live in. It’s not somewhere we’ll be moving anytime soon, but maybe a couple of decades down the road…
Booking Alila Napa Valley
I redeemed World of Hyatt points for our stay at Alila Napa Valley. This is a Category 8 World of Hyatt property, meaning that a free night award costs anywhere from 35,000 to 45,000 points per night. For our stay, the cost was 40,000 points, so it was right in the middle.
As a point of comparison, cash rates were right around $1,000, so I’d consider this to be a good deal. I value World of Hyatt points at 1.5 cents each, and was getting significantly more value than that per point.
Even if you’re not a Hyatt loyalist, earning World of Hyatt points can be pretty easy. In addition to being able to earn World of Hyatt points with the World of Hyatt Credit Card (review) and World of Hyatt Business Credit Card (review), you can also transfer over points from Chase Ultimate Rewards.
If you’re gong to book a cash stay at Alila Napa Valley, I’d recommend doing so through the Hyatt Privé program. Hyatt Privé rates cost the same as standard flexible rates (not member rates, advance purchase rates, AAA rates, etc.), and include additional perks, like daily breakfast, a $100 property credit, a room upgrade, a welcome gift, and more. Ford’s team can help with these bookings, and can be reached at [email protected].
Note that the Alila Napa Valley has a $65 nightly resort fee, though that’s waived for Globalist members on all stays, plus for all World of Hyatt members when redeeming points. This offers perks like spa use, bicycle rentals, shuttles to town, a sound bath meditation, shoe shine service, electronic car charging, and more.
Alila Napa Valley location & parking
Alila Napa Valley is located in the town of St. Helena, which is one of my favorite towns in the region. The hotel is just a short walk from the center of town, with lots of cute shopping and dining.
On top of that, the hotel has bikes available for guests, should you want to travel a longer distance and explore the area.
The property offers complimentary valet parking for all guests, which is a nice feature. I’d recommend renting a car if visiting the region, as there’s limited public transportation, and there’s so much to explore.
If you’re coming from Sonoma County Airport (STS), you can expect that the Alila will be a roughly 45-minute drive. Alternatively, you can fly into San Francisco Airport (SFO), but that’s more like a two-hour drive, give or take.
Alila Napa Valley lobby & check-in
While the Alila Napa Valley isn’t a huge property, I like how it’s spread out across multiple buildings. The centerpiece of the hotel is a Georgian-style farmhouse that dates all the way back to 1907, as this houses the hotel’s restaurant, Acacia House, as well as reception, plus half a dozen guest rooms (in the “historic farmhouse” category).
The indoor reception area is the size of a broom closet — it’s a tiny space with a couple of desks. Fortunately guests don’t have to spend much time there, as there’s also quite a bit of seating just outside the reception area. This seating also looks out over the hotel’s central courtyard.
Our check-in process was quick and friendly. I was thanked for being a World of Hyatt Globalist member, and it was confirmed that I had used a suite upgrade award to secure an estate view suite for our stay. It was also explained that breakfast was included at Acacia House, and due to my Globalist status, we’d receive a $90 daily credit for that.
As part of the check-in process, we were also offered a glass of wine from a local winery. There was the choice between a pinot noir and a sauvignon blanc, and we chose the latter, and enjoyed a few sips while sitting outside.
Alila Napa Valley estate view suite
At Alila Napa Valley, rooms are spread across several buildings, with exterior hallways.
We were assigned room 121, located in the “100 block” building, which is the one right across from the driveway leading to the hotel.
Our room was located on the third (top) floor in that building. I know it looks like there are two floors, but there’s actually one underneath the one you enter on, as this area of the hotel slopes.
The estate view suite at the Alila Napa Valley is 948 square feet, so it’s huge. Upon entering the suite, there was a half bathroom to the left, with a bidet toilet and a sink.
Past that was a room with the bar area, which had a Nespresso coffee machine, kettle, plus quite a large selection of food and drinks for purchase, including full bottles of wine.
Past that was the living room, which had a large and comfortable couch and a sofa chair, both with an ottoman, facing a TV. There was a table with two chairs across from that, as well as a wall-mounted TV.
There was a welcome amenity on that table, consisting of a cheese platter, plus a bottle of Illumination Sauvignon Blanc 2022.
There were then two sliding doors separating the living room from the bedroom. The bedroom boasted a plush king size bed. There was an iPad next to the bed with all of the hotel’s amenities, the room service menu, etc. The one quirk I’d note is that there location of the chargers next to the bed wasn’t ideal.
There was a TV plus quite a bit of closet space across from the bed.
Then off the bedroom was the huge main bathroom, which was gorgeously appointed. It had double sinks, a soaking tub, a large walk-in shower with two shower heads, and a bidet toilet.
Toiletries were from Le Labo, and were in reusable containers.
Perhaps the best part of the room was the outdoor area, which included a dining table with four chairs, a fire pit, a bathtub, and a couch.
The estate view rooms here don’t have a full vineyard view, but rather look at the greenery around the property, which is nice as well.
Wi-Fi in the room worked great, and housekeeping was efficient and thorough. Nightly turndown service was offered, and even came with some sweet treats.
What an awesome room, and how cool that Globalist suite upgrade awards confirm into this “proper” suite.
Now, while I loved the room, I do have to say that in the future I’d probably prefer to be in one of the standard vineyard view rooms, rather than in an estate view suite. Immediately behind the Alila Napa Valley is the Beringer Estate vineyard, so the views from these rooms are simply magical. As someone who values views in hotel rooms more than just about anything else, I’d definitely prefer the view over the extra space.
I stayed in one of these rooms back when this hotel was known as Las Alcobas, so below is what the view from these rooms is like.
And below is a picture I took of the vineyard during this stay.
Alila Napa Valley Acacia House Restaurant
Acacia House is the Alila Napa Valley’s all-day dining restaurant (open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner), and this isn’t your average hotel restaurant. I absolutely love the food here, and can’t recommend eating here enough, even if you’re not staying at the hotel. You can find all the restaurant menus here.
The restaurant has a beautiful porch where you can enjoy a meal or drink. There are heat lamps, making it possible to enjoy this setting even on a chilly evening.
Then when you enter the restaurant, there’s first a lounge and bar area…
…then deeper in is the actual restaurant seating, which still feels intimate, as there are just over a dozen tables.
On weekdays, Acacia House serves breakfast from 7AM until 11AM, and then on weekends, brunch is served from 7AM until 3PM. The breakfast menu isn’t huge, but the quality is excellent. Meanwhile the brunch menu on weekends is quite a bit bigger (as you’d expect, most visitors to Napa Valley come for the weekend).
There were a variety of drinks to choose from, including cold brew, cappuccino, and french press coffee. The coffee was fine, but honestly not my favorite — it was a bit acidic-tasting for my liking.
The food, on the other hand, is exceptional. We tried the greek yogurt parfait, the avocado toast with a fried egg, the duck chilaquiles, and the two eggs any style. Across the board, the food was very good.
In the mornings, the bar at Acacia House has complimentary coffee that you can help yourself to, which is a nice feature. This is great if you want to grab a cup of coffee when you wake up, and then you can come back later on for a proper breakfast.
We also had dinner here one evening, which is served daily from 5PM until 9PM. To drink, I had a dirty martini, while Ford had a mocktail named “the hummingbird,” with Italian orange, non-alcoholic sparkling, hibiscus, and lemon.
The meal started with an amuse bouche, consisting of a chickpea tart with goat cheese, as well as a consommé with veggies and duck fat.
To eat, we split the beets and burrata, the prime beef carpaccio and squash argo dolce, the ricotta cavatelli with walnut, and the halibut with roasted grapes.
This was a phenomenal meal, and we enjoyed all of the dishes.
Alila Napa Valley Terrace Social Bar
Here’s something that’s new since the last time I visited this property. In the courtyard, the Alila Napa Valley has Terrace Social Bar, which is open in the evenings from 3PM until 7PM. However, at the moment it’s only open on Thursdays through Sundays, I imagine reflecting when the hotel is busiest. Since we were staying midweek, we didn’t have the chance to actually check this out, but it was a nice space.
Alila Napa Valley pool
The Alila Napa Valley has a pool just off the vineyard. It’s not a huge pool, by any means, but the pool deck is picturesque, and has plenty of lounge chairs, a cabana area, and a large fire pit. In summer (from Memorial Day until Labor Day) there’s also food and beverage service out here.
Alila Napa Valley gym
The Alila Napa Valley has a 24/7 gym, which is located in the same building we were staying in, on the first floor. The gym is surprisingly large for a resort with relatively few rooms. It had a great amount of equipment, including for weights and cardio, and it also had a yoga room.
Alila Napa Valley spa
Spa Alila is the Alila Napa Valley’s spa, and it’s located in a building across from reception. The spa is open from 9:30AM until 6PM.
The spa reception area feels a bit like a boutique, and I love the architecture of the spa.
The spa has a relaxation area, a steam room, a hydrotherapy shower, and several treatment rooms.
You can find the spa menu here. There are a variety of treatments to choose from, including several holistic ones.
Alila Napa Valley service
I found the service at Alila Napa Valley to be very good. The hotel definitely has more of a casual vibe in terms of service, which I like (and find to be the standard for Alila). The front office staff were great, and the restaurant servers were friendly and knowledgable.
Bottom line
I’m a huge fan of the Alila Napa Valley, and am so happy the property belongs to World of Hyatt nowadays. The Alila is a great hotel, with a central location in the town of St. Helena, beautiful vineyard views, an amazing restaurant, and a solid gym and spa.
But even beyond the property itself, I just love being in Napa Valley. It’s such a beautiful and charming part of the country. So I don’t view the Alila Napa Valley as a traditional resort, in the sense that I wouldn’t go here to sit at the pool all day. Rather it’s a good spot from which to explore the area, all while enjoying what the property has to offer.
I’m so happy this hotel belongs to Hyatt nowadays, and has good World of Hyatt recognition and award availability. If you’re like me and love great views, I’d recommend doing what you can to secure a vineyard view room.
What’s your take on the Alila Napa Valley?
Alila is one of a kind. From the initial reception at valet parking to the check-in at the hotel concierge station, everything was five star. It is unfortunate that many of you had negative experiences, but can anyone match what Alila has done to create such a serene environment, and a lavish place to stay in St. Helena. I applaud this property and I’ve stayed there multiple times. It is what most hotel resorts are...
Alila is one of a kind. From the initial reception at valet parking to the check-in at the hotel concierge station, everything was five star. It is unfortunate that many of you had negative experiences, but can anyone match what Alila has done to create such a serene environment, and a lavish place to stay in St. Helena. I applaud this property and I’ve stayed there multiple times. It is what most hotel resorts are trying to accomplish. What cannot achieve what Alila has done. Unfortunately, for all those haters out there, this property is one of the best in the country. The spa is wonderful, the restaurant is quaint, the bar is unassuming, but appropriately, glorious, and the staff makes the stay very exceptional.
I absolutely love Napa & Sonoma. Great weather, gorgeous to drive around and amazing food.
It's unfortunate Napa wineries have gotten so expensive to visit and have become so "serious" as a big business. Gone are the days when you could meet the owners in the tasting room. Plus it seems you need to book everything now in advance and get the hard sell when done...hey after all, it's just good grape juice! Sonoma...
I absolutely love Napa & Sonoma. Great weather, gorgeous to drive around and amazing food.
It's unfortunate Napa wineries have gotten so expensive to visit and have become so "serious" as a big business. Gone are the days when you could meet the owners in the tasting room. Plus it seems you need to book everything now in advance and get the hard sell when done...hey after all, it's just good grape juice! Sonoma seems a little more relaxed at the wineries and a little less pretentious.
I am sad this property is no longer in my Marriott world. Your photos have made me outright hungry.
We are currently stay at the Alila Napa Valley and also Globalist. This is our third stay, no upgrade available and no welcome amenity. Guess it pays to be Lucky!
@ Kathy -- I used a confirmed suite upgrade, and I got exactly the room I had confirmed. Perhaps the hotel offers welcome amenities to guests in suites, but not those in standard rooms? That's a pretty normal practice. Please don't suggest that me getting exactly the room I had confirmed equates to some sort of special treatment, as that's not accurate or fair.
Vineyard views are the only way to go!!Tried booking one with points but system would not let me do so...
As Ben noted, rates in Napa are over the top. I prefer Sonoma, but even Sonoma is getting crazy now. And I won't even tell y'all where I've moved on to from there for a more reasonable CA wine country experience.
Regarding relocating, if you live in or near Napa everyone you know will work in the industry. And you'll have the joy of CA income taxes and high cost of living which were shocking...
As Ben noted, rates in Napa are over the top. I prefer Sonoma, but even Sonoma is getting crazy now. And I won't even tell y'all where I've moved on to from there for a more reasonable CA wine country experience.
Regarding relocating, if you live in or near Napa everyone you know will work in the industry. And you'll have the joy of CA income taxes and high cost of living which were shocking to experience (knowing and experiencing are two different things) after moving from a no income tax state, as I did and you would be. You can't beat the NorCal climate, but you might want to consider someplace a little away from Napa... in 20 years or so when Miles is all grown up.
What does this have to do with his hotel review??
I agree the TAXES are killer and they are on any dividends you earn,your pension.and your Social Security. Many states with state income taxes are lowering them for people to stay and not including the above income...but not Calif ..Also the COL is nuts..Try to buy a house even a fixer upper for under 1 million.....
We stayed there a couple of times after it became a Hyatt because our son was studying at the CIA next door (he couldn't wait to leave Napa -- ironically, he moved to Miami and loves it). All our stays were on points and pleasant, but I'm not sure I'd pay $1,000+ per night. For breakfast we were told we could order anything off the menu, and our bill was definitely over $90. If you...
We stayed there a couple of times after it became a Hyatt because our son was studying at the CIA next door (he couldn't wait to leave Napa -- ironically, he moved to Miami and loves it). All our stays were on points and pleasant, but I'm not sure I'd pay $1,000+ per night. For breakfast we were told we could order anything off the menu, and our bill was definitely over $90. If you haven't yet been there, you may enjoy a meal at Gatehouse -- run by CIA students and gets you an amazing meal at a fraction of the cost of other restaurants in the area.
How did you have a bill of globalist and followed breakfast ordering rules ?
Napa Valley hotels are universally over priced and less than luxurious. The visits to the wineries that are top shelf and cult are truly over the top and a lifetime experience. So Ben if you are coming to Napa Valley and focusing on the hotel and not the wineries you really should just stay in San Francisco and leave the rooms to winery guests who understand what is valuable in this area.............
it sounded as if he was speaking at a conference or meeting someone for a business purpose.
Ben-was your $90 credit for EACH of you or total for 2 people? If it's the latter, then it doesn't really cover everything if you wanted a starter or side, main, juice and coffee.
I've stayed at this property when it was Las Alcobas, and also recently as an Alila, and I've had a great time both times.
However, I can't stress how important it is to stay away from any rooms or suites in the "Farmhouse" (the white building where the Acacia House restaurant is).
There is zero privacy because all windows of all rooms face the parking lots, so there's always cars going by. The Farmhouse Suite...
I've stayed at this property when it was Las Alcobas, and also recently as an Alila, and I've had a great time both times.
However, I can't stress how important it is to stay away from any rooms or suites in the "Farmhouse" (the white building where the Acacia House restaurant is).
There is zero privacy because all windows of all rooms face the parking lots, so there's always cars going by. The Farmhouse Suite is the worst room in the entire property, so definitely don't use a Suite Upgrade Award for that. It's surrounded by the main driveway, so there's constant traffic, and it faces the main road, and has exceptionally poor noise insulation. Absolutely refuse any upgrades, even complimentary ones, to the "Farmhouse."
The other rooms, however, even the standard estate view ones, are a really great experience. The rooms closest to the road probably have a lot of traffic noise while on the balcony, but the rooms further back in the property (near the little bridge to Beringer) don't. And inside the rooms the noise insulation is great, unlike in the Farmhouse rooms.
I'll also give a shout-out to the concierge, they were awesome at making great bookings for us, even last minute.
Stayed here last year when it was 30k/night and got upgraded to a Vineyard View - was absolutely amazing. If you can swing this and Ventana on the same trip, which I did, I'd highly recommend it. Was a bucket list trip of serenity.
Stayed there earlier this year. Really liked it. To others comments, the vineyard view is definitely the best option, particularly with outside seating, fire table etc. All that said, we found the service ok, not great, and I think the rates are somewhat ridiculous for what you get, especially compared to similarly priced properties e.g., Alila Ventana is the same 40k redemption cost and is way better.
I’ve stayed in the vineyard view suite. Very nice. Unfortunately not enough power outlets and those that were there were by and large hard to access. Overall a great experience. The highway was quite crowded on weekends.
Sounds charming but for 1000 or 40k I would expect some serious over the top.
This is an adults only resort. Did Miles sleep in the car??
Stayed here 4 or 5 times over the past few years, agree the Acacia House is not good compared to the options in the valley. Brasswood just down the street (north) is 10x better.
And just to follow up for comparison, we loved the Ventana Big Sur - now that's a worthy destination in our view.
We stayed in a vineyard view room - it's nice but not a wow for us. The room felt hard and cold with grey surfaces lacking vibrancy. St Helena is a fun little place, but I guess de gustibus non est disputandum - this property while nice for the area to be bookable with points just didn't quite do it for us.
Rooms look nice and good point value but the common area design looks so cold and grey.
We stayed there last week - agree that it’s an amazing facility with a great location. Brings big value to Hyatt for sure.
One compliant though is our meal at the Acacia House was honestly pretty bad. Aside from some service snafus (which were corrected), the food was not good at all. Lamb chop served raw and some very fatty cuts of beef were the low points, but among the other edible dishes nothing stood...
We stayed there last week - agree that it’s an amazing facility with a great location. Brings big value to Hyatt for sure.
One compliant though is our meal at the Acacia House was honestly pretty bad. Aside from some service snafus (which were corrected), the food was not good at all. Lamb chop served raw and some very fatty cuts of beef were the low points, but among the other edible dishes nothing stood out as even average. Was a marked decline in quality from our last visit in 2021. Disappointing.
My guess is people want pool views or they may have designed the hotel in a totally different way
Hope on a luxury property they don't just slap together a design
At same time this highway view seems like they should be at a budget price loli
We stayed in the same building, but much closer to the highway (and someone on Flyertalk roasted me for referring to it as a "highway", even though that's the terminology, but whatever). It was certainly detracting from the idyllic quality of the hotel. Whereas the picture in ever ad is the vineyard view, in reality my view was the cars driving by on 128 all the time.
I found Acacia House hit or miss, and the bar was just meh.
Ben, you should note for your readers that you lucked into a premium suite when you used a SUA. at least when I visited in August 2023, the standard suite was the historic farmhouse studio, which is NOT a "proper" suite and does not have a vineyard view.
@ evan -- I believe the hotel recently changed what the standard suite is? I just contacted Hyatt like anyone else to apply the suite upgrade, and the agent confirmed that's what it confirms into at this property. There are similar recent reports on FlyerTalk.
Ben - similar experience to Evan. I booked in Aug for a Sept stay and was told they were adjusting their suite categories. They booked me into the room you stayed in as a one time accommodation. Seems like some Hyatts may be gaming the standard suite categorization.
@ Zach -- Interesting. For what it's worth, if you go directly to Hyatt's website and try to redeem points for a standard suite, the estate view suite is what's bookable.
Great review, Ben! It's such a beautiful property. We had first visited shortly after it rebranded as a Hyatt, and unfortunately had service failure after service failure, but we recently gave it another shot and we were blown away by the transformation. The property is beautiful as ever, and this time the service was spectacular and polished on all fronts.
It's especially nice to have a place like this in the St. Helena area given...
Great review, Ben! It's such a beautiful property. We had first visited shortly after it rebranded as a Hyatt, and unfortunately had service failure after service failure, but we recently gave it another shot and we were blown away by the transformation. The property is beautiful as ever, and this time the service was spectacular and polished on all fronts.
It's especially nice to have a place like this in the St. Helena area given that it's nearby many of the best "big red" wineries (which can be a pain to get to from Napa proper). Also, IMHO it is commendable that they keep cold water bottles stocked in the gym, and the gym itself is kept at reasonably cool temperatures, both of which are simple but very welcome conveniences too often neglected by many properties.
Next time you're staying there, consider walking over to Himalayan Sherpa Kitchen in St. Helena - terrific Nepalese/Indian food at very reasonable prices.
What service was so much better at a hotel that charges 1000.00 vs perhaps a decent hr or gh in San Francisco for example.
I love hotels and travel but at same time for cash or points redemption would need "beyond"
Everyone has different service elements that they value, but for me, it's (1) responding to requests promptly and not dropping the ball, plus (2) being willing to proactively problem-solve rather than just say "sorry, we can't do that."
At this property during our recent stay, when we called the front desk, we they picked up immediately (no interminable ringing/hold music like at some properties). When we asked for housekeeping or a delivery to the room,...
Everyone has different service elements that they value, but for me, it's (1) responding to requests promptly and not dropping the ball, plus (2) being willing to proactively problem-solve rather than just say "sorry, we can't do that."
At this property during our recent stay, when we called the front desk, we they picked up immediately (no interminable ringing/hold music like at some properties). When we asked for housekeeping or a delivery to the room, it was done very quickly upon request. When we asked the house car to drive us to various wineries, a few of which were outside the stated radius, they made it happen.
It's a solid property and much better, imo, than Encinitas. You were lucky on rooms as it appears you had more of a private view. Many of the suites, which I was upgraded to as a Lifetime Globalist, are surrounding the courtyard pool where you literally look into the rooms and terraces of others. One small side views the vineyard, but most of your room, unless shades are closed, are fully exposed to others at...
It's a solid property and much better, imo, than Encinitas. You were lucky on rooms as it appears you had more of a private view. Many of the suites, which I was upgraded to as a Lifetime Globalist, are surrounding the courtyard pool where you literally look into the rooms and terraces of others. One small side views the vineyard, but most of your room, unless shades are closed, are fully exposed to others at the pool or opposite rooms. It's far from private. It's almost voyeurish (don't ask me how to spell it).
Restaurant is indeed really good. Service as well. I would stay there again, but not at the rates they are often getting...$2000K a night some weekends. Which leads me to Napa Valley, you have a very small view of the lifestyle there and a desire to live it. Natives love it who bought homes 30 years ago, but most can't afford it as real estate is insane. And places like Napa itself turns into a weekend party city that is like a mini Las Vegas, complete with low riders and full on street parties. It is not as quaint as most people think. Spend a week at the Andaz in Napa and you will quickly get a feel for what it's becoming.
Is the folly of the property, IMO. We lucked out, because on our sole visit we locked in a Premium Suite (which is now a standard suite), and the room they assigned us was likewise private. But I definately noticed the less private outdoor tub at a suite overlooking the valet area. I wouldn't return here, because if by chance that was the room I was assigned, it'd be a waste.
My guess is people want pool views or they may have designed the hotel in a totally different way
Hope on a luxury property they don't just slap together a design
At same time this highway view seems like they should be at a budget price lol
I've stayed here twice and absolutely love it. It's phenomenal. Both times I stayed there I stayed in vineyard facing rooms. They are spectacular. Your suite definitely looked great, but honestly, I'd rather take the vineyard view than an upgrade to a suite. The rooms with their terrace/ fire pits are very spacious, and the experience of sunset and sunrise overlooking the vineyard is simply magical.