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12.09.05 - Time heals all wounds, at least when coupled with a strong economy and proximity to the Bay Area.

Local hotels, both large and small, have seen one of their busiest seasons since the drop-off in travel after Sept. 11. Although travel has not quite reached pre-Sept. 11 levels, hotels have had a good number of vacationers and are hosting more business conferences. Hotel occupancy is typically high until after crush, then drops like the winter temperatures.

"This is typically a quiet and slow time for us, but this year it's not," said Michelle Heston, regional director of public relations for Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa. She said demand has been more consistent, and she's again spotting more out-of-state and international travelers. The Sept. 11 attacks didn't just change how much people travel, but how they travel, with many seeking restorative vacations, which favors a rural, spa-savvy locale like Sonoma. For many from the Bay Area, an hour's drive is enough to get away.

"We've found that the traveler today is pretty savvy. They don't want just a nice hotel and a nice meal. They want an experience," Heston said.

Local hotels answer that desire with themed packages playing on food and winetasting, golf outings, racing classes and spa services. A number of hotel managers have noticed they are attracting a lot of groups of women, both young and old, who are ditching the hubbies for a weekend with the girlfriends, a reunion with old friends or a bachelorette party.

The Sonoma Mission Inn offers a "Girls Getaway Package," and a similar "Girls Getaway" spa package at the Lodge at Sonoma has been the top seller since it was launched in November.

"We all work hard and we value taking time for ourselves," said Connie Hagston, director of sales and marketing at the Lodge. She said that guests still largely hail from the Bay Area, where the hotel focuses its marketing.

She said demand for business conferences has been strong - such corporate gatherings and events account for nearly 50 percent of the Lodge's sales.

Bill Blum, general manager at MacArthur Place, said he's definitely seen a rebound in group business in the past six months.

"Maybe there's some pent-up demand for meetings," he said.

He's also seen more longer-staying guests, a group to which the hotel has marketed with deals and additional amenities.

"More men are having spa treatments," he said. "That's been a nice trend."

This year, the spa started offering a male-oriented treatment called "Adam," trading in floral scents for more robust rosemary, peppermint and eucalyptus. There is also a men's facial.

Sonoma Valley Inn is going after group conferences and seminars as well, but with a different angle suited to its smaller facility.

"We're going to focus more on the feel-good. There are plenty of corporate hotels in this area," said James Soule, who has been general manager at the Sonoma Valley Inn for eight months. He is going after life coaches, therapists and yoga instructors to bring their seminars to the inn. He has already struck a deal with one life coach, who will be offering between five and seven seminars in coming months.

"I thought this would be a niche to go after," Soule said. "We think mom and dad getting away is a good thing. If there is a person out there who can teach a couple relationship techniques, that's great. Maybe it's tantra, maybe it's yoga, maybe it's Pilates."

The hotel is also "greening up," with plans for a conversion to non-gassing paint and carpeting, as the rooms are redecorated with new duvets. The hotel will also install a new self-contained saltwater pool cleaning system, which eliminates the need for chlorine and other chemicals.

The hotel is adding a spa with massage services at the end of January, which Soule said won't substantially increase revenue, but will, crucially, cause the Sonoma Valley Inn to pop up more often when potential visitors cruise the Internet.

The Sonoma Valley Inn also has a new logo and is redoing its Web site.

"We all have to reinvent ourselves every few years," Soule said.

This year's upswing in the hotel business is not isolated to the goliaths - bed and breakfast spots tucked throughout the hills also had a good year, according to Michele Tovar, vice president of the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau and past president of the Bed and Breakfast Association of Sonoma Valley. She runs Hannah's House and Cottages, on Carriger Road.

The association is 23 members strong, representing about a third of the B&Bs in the Valley.

"It started as just a few mom-and-pops looking at a way to join their money. All that has changed. We've grown up," Tovar said.

The association's rising sophistication includes a sexy makeover of its Web site this year.

The availability chart on the site is updated two or three times a day, and potential visitors can book online or catch a live person on the association's 800-number during waking hours.

Tovar said B&Bs are going full-service all the way, offering packages like many of the big hotels and booking a wide range of services for guests. At Hannah's House and Cottages, she books everything from wine tours to hair appointments.

"I'm like a concierge service for my guests," she said.

The B&Bs are helped by a friendly relationship the association has built with Sonoma's biggest hotels over the years. The big hotels refer customers and those with day spas often allow B&B guests to use the facilities.

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