Crista Luedtke and Jill McCall threw a party recently for a couple hundred of their best friends at the swanky refurbished Russian River resort they have named for their dog, boon.
That's boon with a small "B" as in boon hotel + spa, with a logo that looks like a perfectly symmetrical Valencia orange, minimalist decor, environmentally safe accoutrements, and a child and dog friendly policy.
The 16-room resort, formerly Paradise Cove and most recently Retreat Resort & Spa, started life as a gay resort and, until two years ago, was the site for the Pinot on the River Festival.
Luedtke and McCall, both 34 and partners in life as well as business, are still going after the wine country crowd – boon is an official host hotel for the Russian River Passport wine festival next month – as well as the LGBT community and anybody else who hankers for a peaceful but classy experience among the redwoods.
"We are marketing for wine enthusiasts and people who are looking for a small getaway with affordable luxury," the women agreed. "It is upscale, modern, and serene. We are drawing the Healdsburg business west."
Boon is located in Guerneville.
McCall added that they "want the gay community and the straight community, and everybody, to enjoy the place together."
The small resort should have a broad appeal. Luedtke and McCall bought the property in January and have retained the original landscape, with flowering trees and shrubs that put on a show for the grand opening guests at the May 10 party. They have pared the pool down to its basic design, adding solar panels for heating and saline water to avoid chemicals.
The 14 double rooms and two suites were elevated above the flood line by a previous owner, and the new owners have redecorated them with simple but stylish redwood tables and counters, wafer-thin televisions and – in the "dog-proof" rooms – cork floors. Rates range from $155 to $225 per night.
The women are in the process of making one of the suites and the office and massage rooms wheelchair accessible, and are awaiting the lift that will provide the ADA compliance.
Further green initiatives include reusable cosmetic containers filled with EO organic bath and body products from Corte Madera and organic bed linens and robes from Coyuchi in Point Reyes. The staff uses Vaska biodegradable laundry soap to wash the linens.
During the weekends there will be French pressed organic coffee from Sonoma County's Flying Goat and organic muffins and bagels.
The women, who have been together for seven years, sold their home in San Francisco to purchase the resort, though McCall declined to state the purchase price. They are spending about 80 percent of their time at boon and a couple of days a week maintaining their businesses in the city. McCall is a therapist and Luedtke is a mortgage broker.
"We knew it was going to be a big lifestyle change for us," Luedtke said.
Luedtke's family has helped to ease the transition. Her mother lives on site and keeps the front office running, and her father and brother spent several months working on the renovation. McCall and Luedtke also did some of the work themselves and brought "all their handy and creative friends" to help.
During the tourist season they plan to offer live music and outdoor movies in a meadow between the resort, which is also the location they have in mind for weddings and commitment ceremonies. Recognizing that they will have to fill the hotel year-round to make a profit, they are looking to bring in small corporate retreats and seminars during the winter.
The winter, of course, is always a tricky proposition on the lower Russian River, but all the rooms are elevated and they have fenced the entire property with the intention of sandbagging it in the event of flooding to protect the landscape.
"The night we closed escrow it flooded," said McCall, "and somebody said to us, 'Welcome to Guerneville.'"