Hip Hotel in the Heart of Solvang

Somewhat hidden but right in the charming center of Solvang is a hip boutique hotel just steps from Solvang Park, and an easy walk to the Solvang Theaterfest, the Elverhøj Museum, California Nature Art Museum (formerly the Wildling Museum), and a whole slew of tasting rooms, shops, and restaurants.

The 14-room Winston Solvang hotel looks like pretty standard Danish-style Solvang architecture from the outside, but once we stepped inside our king-sized suite, I was quite impressed by both the spaciousness and the stylishness of our room. Each room has individual art and decor to appeal to design lovers. For this particular room, the fashion-forward red walls and unique butterfly paintings in the sitting room greeted us, along with a bottle of local wine at the ready. There was also a nicely stocked honor bar available.

The spacious bedroom had a more bohemian style, with a stunning needlepoint headboard surrounded by neutral, more restful colors, textured wallpaper, and still more interesting art on the walls, made from natural materials designed to bring the outdoors into this upscale indoor haven. Along with a very comfortable king-sized bed, it had a 50-inch flat-screen TV and a new-to-me white noise machine with a whole menu of options (waterfall or wind sounds — decisions, decisions?).

The room was also surprisingly large, with a desk and sitting area opposite the bed, a nice addition to the separate sitting room and bar area in the other room. The bathroom was also huge, with a lovely long counter to spread everything out, a spa shower, and full-sized, spa-inspired Malin + Goetz bath products to indulge in as well.

The communal areas of the Winston, which were on the other side of the building, included a comfortable library stocked with everything from novels to travel books, historic volumes, and games; several seating areas with comfortable stylish couches and chairs, a separate conference room with a nice-sized boardroom-style table, as a well as a smaller circular table and very well-stocked honor bar with all kinds of local wines, libations, and snacks.

One unique part of the Winston is a contactless check-in/check-out and service with a text concierge, which means no real lobby, no keys, and no round-the-clock staff on site.

The Winston is part of Highway West Vacation properties, whose sister properties in the area include The Vinland, Flying Flags, and the Sideways Inn. For a complete list of their properties, click here. Room rates at the Winston range from $160 to $600; for more information, see thewinstonsolvang.com.