The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe

A great discovery, came with friends who live in La Jolla, we had dinner on the Terrace, v good food, friendly service, very nice atmosphere and gardens. Walked around the hotel, charming, quaint, and nicely set in beautiful grounds.

My wife and I were there to celebrate an anniversary, but we have already talked about coming again. The service, rooms and setting are perfect. A lovely getaway only a couple hours from LA. And the Inn is only a few steps from the town. So we easily walked into town for breakfast, lunch or dinner when we were not eating at the hotel. The hotel is set on a number of acres with winding paths through the gardens to the various buildings (cottages). It looks like most of the buildings are original or very old with Spanish designs, tile roofs, and many with fireplaces. We had one of their deluxe cottages, although since the time I booked the reservation they are now not calling them cottages (ours is now called a deluxe fireplace). The room had an old style fireplace that burns real wood. Not all the rooms have this. And it had a small patio with table and chairs in front of the unit. Most units seemed to have some kind of a patio. Some bigger than others . I think the reason they changed the name is none are stand alone cottages (except maybe the two room cottage). They are small buildings with a number of rooms, all ground floor. That said, it’s a very comfy and non-hotel type feel. Our room was very large with a large bathroom with very large double sink, old style bathtub and shower. Also a vanity area/table near the closet . The room was supposedly 430sq ft, which means it’s the size of a studio apartment and quite bigger than most hotel rooms. I had no complaints about the room other than they should get rid of the carpet. Not only was it old and stained, but the style of these units deserves a stone floor (like they have in the bathroom), with maybe some throw rugs etc. All the staff was very attentive and responsive (front desk, housekeeping, restaurant, etc). Even when we were walking around or driving to our unit staff would say hello, took the initiative to ask if we needed anything or directions etc. The Inn allows dogs (we were told its a $125 cleaning fee no matter how many dogs or nights you stay or if you need cleaning or not), and it seemed to encourage them as there were a number of dogs while we were there, I noticed a treat container at the front desk, water bowl at the entrance, and “poop� trash stations around the paths. Plenty of grass areas for the dogs. The town itself seems geared to dogs as many stores had dog bowls out front with water and treats and most of the restaurants have patios where there were always dogs sitting by a table. (btw, we never heard any dog barking or howling during our stay). We had lunch and breakfast at least once at the hotel. Food was superb as well as the service. Prices of course are typical resort ($18 for pancakes and the same for most lunch items). (See my restaurant reviews for ideas on place in town for breakfast, lunch and dinner) The pool area is modest. It had 20 chaises and a couple of tables with chairs. All with umbrellas and a few were cabana style. Although we were here during the summer, and the hotel was supposedly fully booked, we had no problems getting a chaise (our stay was during the week so that might have made a difference, but we also found most people did not show up to the pool till late afternoon, so most guest must do something else during the day). No dedicated pool staff, although someone would come by form time to time asking about drinks, and housekeeping would replenish the towels and cold water that was available. The Inn also has a large living room area and bar area and lots of outdoor seating to enjoy the atmosphere and relax Overall, I would rank this as one of the best places I have stayed in a long time.

The property itself is beautiful and the rooms are nice and spacious. I booked a stay using SPG points, and requested using the SPG 24 benefit for check in and check out time. This wasn't acknowledged when I checked in, and they said it was subject to availability, and I ended up having to wait about four hours on the property for a room. The room was nice and was apparently an upgrade. The day we checked out, I had confirmed the check out time the day before, but on three occasions had people come and knock on the door to see if we were leaving. It felt like we were really being rushed out which was disappointing. Overall, the property is great and I would recommend, but the check-in and check-out process left a bit of a bad taste and it certainly didn't feel like SPG status was valued at all.

We recently stayed at the Inn , and were very pleased. The cottage was nice size, had a fireplace, a large bathroom, and a comfortable bed. They charge a $25 per day amenities charge. We used the pool and the fitness center, the internet connection is also included in the charge. The property is beautiful and well maintained. There is not a lot to do in the immediate area, but the ocean is only a 10 minute drive away. There are really no places to eat in the immediate area. The restaurant at the Inn has a very nice selection.The staff was friendly, helpful, and professional. A few things we noted. The carpet in our room was very dirty and stained. It was well worn, dirty, and needed to be replaced. Our trash can in our room disappeared the second day, we never saw it again. Overall, it was a very pleasant stay.

OK I have to say I really loved this place. I stayed at the inn last weekend starting Saturday for three nights and have zero complaints. Service was top notch without exception right from check-in until I left. The staff are all pros and I got the impression there is little employee turnover here. I entertained friends in the restaurant one night and our very cool waiter made us feel at home and seemed to really care that we all had a good time. The restaurant and lounge attract a local crowd which is a good sign and the place has a clubby feel to it. Prices to me seemed very reasonable and the food was good. My room was quite nice and had a private patio. The place is modern but still have a nicely broken in old school feel. The grounds are beautifully maintained. The salt water pool is great but not a ton of seats as other reviewers have pointed out. If you go anytime other than prime weekend afternoon hours though I don’t think it would be an issue. Make no mistake - this resort is smack in the middle of a sleepy manicured town for older rich people. The little village around the hotel is beautiful but kinda dead so you will need to get in your car if looking for shops or night life other than a few spots in the neighborhood. That said - I can’t wait to come back for another visit sometime soon and highly recommend this resort…