Lamorinda Weekly
By: Fran Endicott Miller For LaMorinda Weekly DayTripping
When enjoying a weekend getaway, I typically explore an entire locale with the intention of providing tips and activity ideas. I usually recommend a home base hotel and a few restaurants. And so it was that I embarked on a “Silicon Valley” weekend stay; I studied the surrounding area in preparation for recommending hiking and biking, museums, and gardens. But after checking in to my quaint, independently owned boutique hotel in Los Altos, it was clear that Enchanté was itself the destination.
The French chateau-inspired, 19 room Enchanté inn is a relatively new gem, and is alone worthy of the approximately 75-minute drive from Lamorinda. Primarily welcoming Silicon Valley high rollers during the week, Enchanté relaxes a bit on the weekends, as do the rates. It’s a fantastic retreat at which to unwind and be pampered. Owner and Francophile Abigail Ahrens has created a place so elegant, so unique, and so under-the-radar, you won’t believe it exists in tiny, and tony, downtown Los Altos. And you might not believe that you’re not actually in France.