Sonoma’s oldest B&B, the Chalet, sold

The Sonoma Chalet bed and breakfast has been sold to new owners for $2.9 million. Listing agents Tom Wurst and Nada Rothbart of Engel and Völkers Sonoma secured a buyer on the first day that the 1940s Swiss-style farmhouse hit the market.

The Chalet is located at 18935 Fifth St. W., down a driveway at the bend of Verano Avenue.

The property was once owned by one of the past owners of Sonoma’s “Little Switzerland” dance hall, according to Wurst. The Chalet parlor features hand-painted Alpine scenes, painted in 1940 and the barn on the property was used for barn dancing, dating back to 1937.

“We feel really honored to have bought this piece of Sonoma history and it’s a really special spot,” said new owner Beth Dunaier. “We intend to run it as a B&B although we’re still working through the logistics of that.” She noted that her husband Howard has a background in the hospitality business.

There are a total of eight bedrooms and eight baths between the farmhouse and the two cottages on the 1.8 acre property. The Chalet is currently permitted with the County of Sonoma as a seven-room bed and breakfast. The 1930s barn has been converted into the main innkeeper’s house. The two-story “Chalet” house has four guest rooms and a large deck with views of the Montini Ranch hills.

The Dunaiers have been searching for a property since their Kenwood home was destroyed in the October 2017 wildfires.

The Chalet last sold in March, 1989 for $585,000, according to MLS. The owner and innkeeper since that time has been Joe Leese, who did substantial renovations to the property, according to the listing agents.

sonomachalet.com.