Treat holiday guests to cozy stay worthy of a B & B

To make holiday guests feel at home, borrow the trade secrets of innkeepers who know how to make visits feel so personal. Suggestions from some of California’s most regarded inns:

95Milliken Creek Inn & Spa, Napa:Milliken Creek Inn & Spa, Napa: The 12-room luxury inn creates a homey atmosphere by engaging the senses, says general manager Connie Gore. The inn plays music, lights candles and offers a small but elegant snack during a twilight “magic hour.�

“We set up a display of cheese, olives, tapenade and crackers and a vintner pairs local wines with the cheeses,� Gore says. “It’s a great social hour during early evening.�

Throughout the holiday season, guests are drawn to the spicy aroma of the Milliken’s signature mulled wine, made from area vintages and kept warm in a crockpot.

96Carmel Country Inn, Carmel:Carmel Country Inn, Carmel: Everyone here agrees that pets are people too. The relaxed 12-guestroom inn on the Central Coast keeps a bowl of dog treats, and for owners, a basket of menus from dog-friendly restaurants, lists of veterinarians and groomers, and guidebooks to the area’s best dog-friendly hiking trails. “It makes people feel at home when they are able to bring their pets,� says innkeeper Amy Johnson.

97Hillcrest House Bed & Breakfast, San Diego:Hillcrest House Bed & Breakfast, San Diego: Innkeeper Ann Callahan says many travelers appreciate being kept up to date on the events and noteworthy destinations in the area.

“My friends call me the neighborhood concierge. Even people who live here ask me what’s going on,� she says. She stocks information on festivals and farmers markets, maps of city neighborhoods, business cards of recommended restaurants and even trolley tickets. Home hosts should point guests to spots with local flavor, not the usual tourist destinations.

98Simpson House Inn, Santa Barbara:Simpson House Inn, Santa Barbara: Upon arrival, return guests receive the miniature sherry bundt cake that has become the inn’s signature. (We’ve posted the recipe at latimes.com/home.) At departure, guests may receive a pack of notecards featuring watercolor portraits of the inn. A distinctive gift of may make visits memorable.

99Gaige House, Glen Ellen:Gaige House, Glen Ellen: Though the 23-room Sonoma Valley inn doesn’t have a restaurant, the proprietors make food easily available. Travelers can request a picnic basket packed with sandwiches, general manager Catherine Nelson says. And to ease the walk to dinner at the neighborhood restaurants, the inn provides flashlights and, if necessary, umbrellas. Home hosts could do the same, lighting the way with flashlights and keeping ample sandwich ingredients and a picnic basket handy.

100Chateau de Sureau, Oakhurst:Chateau de Sureau, Oakhurst: Restaurants are one thing, the kitchen is another. “A lot of our guests come into the kitchen and help themselves to goodies in the fridge,� says inn directress Lucy Royse. “Having access to the kitchen makes them feel at home.� She stocks the refrigerator with beer, wine, soda and water, and she keeps fresh cookies and snacks stashed around the inn’s common areas.

101Churchill Manor Bed & Breakfast, Napa:Churchill Manor Bed & Breakfast, Napa: Creating a homey atmosphere means setting the proper mood, says Joanna Guidotti, innkeeper of the 1889 mansion that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Have guests arrive to a room with soft music playing, an adjustable lamp beside a reading chair, and a bed made up with a down comforter and good sheets. A featherbed can soften an old mattress.

“If you want to do something really nice, buy a little box of truffles to have for them in their room,� she says. “It’s also nice to have water available in the room with glassware, or maybe an ice bucket with Pellegrino. They can close the door and they’re set.�