Guests at the Farmhouse Inn in Forestville are getting more for their money these days.
Those who book three midweek nights get $100 for dinner at the inn's Michelin-rated restaurant.
On Saturdays, there's complimentary wine tasting with the inn's master sommelier -- a $150 value.
And couples who stay four nights in one of the inn's new barn rooms -- which start at $525 a night -- can get their airfare reimbursed up to $400.
Sonoma County hotels are offering some unusual perks as the travel industry faces its toughest economic climate in years.
U.S. hotel revenues were off nearly 20 percent this summer, the sharpest drop in 22 years, according to industry analysts. Occupancy was less than 60 percent nationwide, the lowest since just after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Sonoma County fared somewhat better, with revenue down about 12 percent and occupancy averaging 67 percent this summer, according to Smith Travel Research, a Tennessee-based hospitality consulting firm.
Still, local hotels are feeling the pinch as businesses cut their travel budgets and leisure travelers rethink vacation plans.
The new economic reality is forcing hotels to come up with fresh marketing ideas, said Catherine Bartolomei, who owns Farmhouse Inn with her brother Joe.
"The nature of travel has changed," she said. "People aren't just looking for luxury, they're looking for value. The recession isn't fun, but it makes us be more creative."
Upscale lodgings such as the Farmhouse Inn are being careful not to drop their room rates. "We don't want to damage the reputation we've built," Bartolomei said.
Instead, they're offering guests more for the same price. For the holidays, the inn has hired an artist to present free craft-making workshops using local materials.
So far, the $100 gift certificate for dinner is getting the biggest response. "We've been selling out of those," Bartolomei said.
The Farmhouse Inn isn't the only Sonoma County getaway doing unique promotions. At Hope-Merrill Bed and Breakfast Inn in Geyserville, groups that stay two nights get a wine-tasting tour in a vintage firetruck.
"It's a lot of fun," said inn owner Cosette Trautman-Scheiber.
The inn has had good response to another offer of 25 percent off the second night of a two-night stay, 50 percent off the third night of a three-night visit and a free night for four-night guests, she said.
Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa in Santa Rosa is rolling out a "pay your age" promotion for older guests, with those 55 and older getting 25 to 50 percent off deluxe rooms.
"The older you are, the better the value," said Flamingo marketing executive Dan Brown. "Everybody's looking for good value."
Later this month, the hotel will offer a "Sonoma Staycation," with 50 percent off regular rooms for local residents.
Sonoma County's Tourism Bureau is getting into the act with a text message campaign on BART and at San Francisco International Airport. People who text the word "wine" to a code number get information on local hotel deals.
The bureau also is using Facebook and Twitter to get the word out, said CEO Ken Fischang.
Sonoma County's hotels did better this summer than Napa, Monterey and Lake Tahoe, areas that compete for the county's business, he said.
"We were number one in July and August," Fischang said.
Still, Sonoma County is feeling the downturn.
Last month, longtime local hotel owner Kirk Lok filed for bankruptcy protection for his Quality Inn in Petaluma, saying business has fallen sharply with the recession.
Lok, who has been in the lodging business for 30 years, also owns a motel in Sebastopol and is planning to build a resort on the Russian River near Guerneville.
The Sebastopol motel and proposed Guernewood Park resort are not part of Lok's Chapter 11 filing. But the Russian River project is on hold until the economy improves, he said.
The 109-room Quality Inn on Montero Way in Petaluma will remain open while Lok reorganizes the enterprise, he said. Business has dropped about 20 percent over the past year, he said.
Lok's case is a symptom of a wider problem in the hospitality business. More than 300 California hotels were in foreclosure or default on their loans at the end of September, according to an industry report released last week.
Some hotels aren't generating enough revenue to pay their mortgages. In San Francisco, a $90 million loan secured by the Four Seasons San Francisco, a 277-room, five-star property, is 90 days delinquent and foreclosure proceedings have begun.
Others in trouble are the St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point, the downtown Los Angeles Marriott, Sheraton Universal and W hotel in San Diego.
Mendocino County's fabled Heritage House shut down last December after its lender foreclosed on the coastal property.
And Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa in Lake County will close Nov. 11 after struggling for several years. It has not filed for bankruptcy protection.
Fischang said he hasn't heard of any Sonoma County hotels in danger of foreclosure. He said Lok is an experienced hotel operator who should emerge from bankruptcy when the economy improves.
"We have every confidence that he'll come around," Fischang said.
You can reach Staff Writer Steve Hart at 521-5205 or steve.hart@pressdemocrat.com.
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