In a very expensive tourist hot spot, El Bonita Motel stands out for its history and price. The location of the motel is excellent as it is located on main street. However, as with most things you get what you pay for. While this hotel is an excellent value and has received good reviews, it is just that a value motel. Upon arriving I checked in with the not overly friendly, yet courteous staff. My room was ground level on the back side in the thirties. It was chilly in Napa Valley so I found my room a very chilly 54 degrees upon arrival. After boosting the heat several times I finally found a tolerable temp of 75 degrees by the second day. I was in a king room and worried upon seeing the bed I may need a step stool to get in it. The bed was so high from the ground was actually uncomfortable getting in and out. The bathroom was probably the worst part of the room. The jetted tub was heavy with chipped and peeling paint; not to mention the yellow stain line around most of the tub. Getting in and out of the tub/shower also proved to be difficult as there was about a foot and a half edge....good thing there was a grab bar! Also, the area is pretty safe, however I feel the need to mention there were also sliding glass doors that opened to a shared grassy area. There was a continetal breakfast offered, which was ok and included some prepackaged breads and muffins, Sunny D, coffee and fruit. While this hotel was generally clean, it offered nothing extra and the poor condition of the rooms would make me think twice about staying here again.

Everything about this property is excellent, and a great value in expensive North Napa valley---(except), the beds in the pool side rooms are of very inferior quality. You can feel the springs if you press gently on the mattress with your hand. Difficult sleep, woke up with back ache. The worst mattress I have slept on at a hotel/motel.

St. Helena is a beautiful little town nestled in the heart of the Napa valley. It has become a destination for both domestic and international tourists. Consequently, room rates for hotels, inns, and B&Bs in this area are quite high.
El Bonita motel offers a bit of relief from this never ending price escalation. My wife and I stayed here 5 nights at the end of December with an average room rate of $121 plus 14% tax. There are several different buildings in the motel. We chose a king bed Garden room.
The room was fairly spacious, containing 2 big comfortable easy chairs as well as a small glass topped table and chair set that looked like it belonged on a patio. There was a microwave and refrigerator and some dishes. Decor is absolutely "motel-standard".
It was quite cold during our visit and the management had no problem providing extra blankets. (Recently at several hotels, I have been told that "there are no blankets available."
The only negative would have to be the continental breakfast, available from 7:30 to 10:30.
There are 4 kinds of cold cereal, instant oatmeal, bananas, apples, and oranges. (The oranges were sporadically available during the 5 days and starting on the 3rd day the bananas were bright green and not edible.) They provide apple juice boxes like you would give your elementary school child and bottles of orange drink. (Water plus sugar plus a little orange juice). Pastries are individually wrapped supermarket type. The clerk told me that the health department did not allow them to put out fresh pastries from the local bakery.
On one day there was no milk available for coffee or cereal and the desk clerk said in so many words, "I can't do anything about it, I just work here".
So, enjoy the room, and with the money you save, go out to breakfast.

Finally decided to try out El Bonita after having stayed at other places in St. Helena for years. I was plesently surprised/impressed. The motel is very well maintained, the service is excellent, it is priced very well, and the locaiton is pretty good (keeping the price in mind). It's not fancy, but it is clean and simple - and they even had the outdoor pool heated during the winter! Did the walk to Tra Vigne and to downtown St. Helena. El Bonita is about 8/10's of a mile from downtown St. Helena, of which about 1/4 of a mile is a strech without sidewalks and lighting. So just be prepared for that. Other than the short hike to town (but welcomed because you can walk off dinner), I really like El Bonita and will stay here again.