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Post Ranch Inn

Post Ranch Inn

Big Sur, The US

Responsible Choice

We've hand-selected a range of tours and stays across the world that go above and beyond to be a force for good by supporting local businesses, educating staff, challenging local norms, or promoting conservation and biodiversity efforts. Your Responsible Choice helps increase the positive impact of your trip.

A stunning and serene adult-only retreat in a cliff-top setting overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the Post Ranch Inn combines rustic elegance and natural preservation with ultimate luxury and comfort.

The organic architectural design of the hotel blends into the surroundings with floor to ceiling glass and the use of native natural materials like reclaimed wood and local stone. Many of the buildings are curved around trees to protect them, with the treehouses built on stilts to protect the fragile root balls of ancient trees.

Its award-winning Sierra Mar restaurant offers dramatic ocean views and menus feature a fusion of Californian, French, Asian and Mediterranean influences. Other facilities include two cliff-top infinity basking pools, a lap pool and fitness center.

The hotel also offers complimentary yoga, meditation, t'ai chi and stargazing classes, in addition to guided nature hikes.

OUR OPINION:

A very peaceful, relaxed property, guests are sure to unwind thoroughly during their stay. The Post Ranch Inn is adults only throughout.

OUR RATING: Deluxe

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Rooms

Each of the 39 guest rooms is individually styled to a high standard and features king-sized beds, a wood-burning fireplace, digital music system, tea/coffee-making facilities, and a deep indoor spa tub. The destination has a strong focus on relaxation, romance and reconnection, so there are no televisions or alarm clocks in the rooms.

The room decor connects guests with the natural beauty of the Big Sur coastline using local timbers for the walls and ceiling then bringing the outside in with a private deck offering panoramic views over the ocean or mountains.

As well as its cliffside ocean view rooms the hotel offers stunning freestanding tree houses, built high up in the canopy of the giant redwoods. These triangular treehouses offer the same facilities as the other rooms but with a large skylight to gaze up at the stars overhead. Naturally being set so high off the ground, the balcony affords dramatic views over the landscape and is certainly not for the faint-hearted!

Location

Post Ranch Inn is right in the heart of Big Sur, a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts wanting to explore the natural beauty of the region. The hotel is surrounded by mountains on one side and coast on the other making it a stunning base for walkers with many hikes in the local area.

Set just five minutes off the Cabrillo Highway, guests can easily access Point Sur Lighthouse just 10 miles away and the iconic Bixby Bridge which is 15 miles away. The closest major towns are Carmel and Monterey at around 45 to 60 minutes’ drive north.

Food and drink

Enjoy a fine dining experience with a view, at the award-winning Sierra Mar restaurant. The dishes have been crafted to reflect tastes of the ocean, land and mountains. Ingredients are freshly foraged and grown in the chef’s gardens. The exquisite four-course prix fixe menu is paired with stunning wines from an innovative 15,000 bottle wine cellar.

Complimentary breakfast is offered to all guests at the hotel with a cooked to order breakfast and fresh cold buffet. Breakfast can be enjoyed on the terrace at the Sierra Mar restaurant or in the comfort of the rooms.

Facilities and activities

The onsite spa allows guests peaceful relaxation and natural serenity, with treatments inspired by the elements and a chance to soak in one of two huge heated infinity pools overlooking the coast.

Free guided nature hikes, meditations, sound bath experiences and daily yoga sessions are all available to guests. There is chance to tour the chef’s garden and learn about the growing of ingredients in the local climate. One of the most loved experiences is the guided stargazing, as the light pollution is so low and the stars are extremely bright.

There is also a heated swimming pool and a fitness center with aerobic and weight training facilities.

Environmental and social responsibility

Being at one with the environment, the hotel has high standards of sustainability and uses Lexus hybrid cars to chauffeur guests, solar panels to heat water and lodges are built from sustainable reclaimed materials. The landscaping around the hotel is in keeping with the native flora and fauna to encourage local species such as the endangered Smith's blue butterfly, California red-legged frog and the California condor.

Tour ideas in Big Sur

Our itineraries are there to spark ideas for how you could include a stay at Post Ranch Inn as part of your trip. Treat them simply as suggestions, because every aspect of the trip we create for you will be yours to define.

Location & places nearby

Places & hotels on the map

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    Where possible, we like to offer a range of accommodation for each stop of your trip, chosen by our specialists as some of their favorite places to stay. To help you make the right choice, we give each property a rating based on its facilities and service, but we also look for hotels with distinct character or a location that can’t be bettered.

    Big Sur and nearby places