Post Ranch Inn

The rave reviews are true reflections of this extraordinary, legendary retreat. The Post Ranch is a study in excellence. The buildings, decor, art (statuary everywhere), service, and food are the finest. Since Highway 1 is out, the only way in is by helicopter. How fun is that? A free Lexus is available to go the 20 miles to the slide area; it's something to see --- open road with no cars. PRI is usually at full occupancy this time of year, but is not full due to the road issue. In September, the bridge is scheduled to reopen. Because of this, the package includes full meals and the helicopter. It's worth it to be here when there is this forced, peaceful isolation. Children are not allowed; this is the ultimate romantic getaway. A thrill. Unforgettable. Worth every penny. Start saving now. You get the picture.

Let me summarize: 1) Due to landslides, Big Sur is a (safe) island on California's iconic Highway 1, but it is also open to provide a absolutely singular experience. 2) IMHO, Post Ranch Inn is among the best resorts in America, possibly in the world. 3) Post Ranch will fly you in, take care of your every need, let you explore, then fly you back. A combination of a bridge down and a landslide during the recent wet winter makes Big Sur an island. The Post Ranch flies you in by helicopter from Monterrey airport. The journey takes 20 minutes and, weather permitting, the flight over the iconic coast will take your breath away. The Inn overlooks the Pacific from a high cliff as do many of the rooms. Get an Ocean View room or, better, a Pacific Suite. We saw California Condors while sitting on our deck - all 8 feet of them! The grounds, service, food and accommodations of the Post Ranch Inn are, IMHO, some of the best in the world. The new chef is fantastic and the food and service exemplary. ALL staff are charming from the owner to the manager to the housekeeper. Here there is no ostentation or pretension and it's quite casual. The grounds are wonderful. The ranch is ecologically advanced with good practices (like huge solar field) and protection for local species - endangered frogs and butterflies. Our room had a hot tub overlooking the Pacific where we could watch the sunset and amazing stars (there is no artificial light) - all with a glass of wine. The wine list is excellent. The interior of our room was stunning with original artwork worth thousands - but, more importantly, very good artwork! If you can, visit the Hawthorne Gallery down the road to see some of the best US modern art and sculptures. As part of the helicopter package all (gourmet) meals are included and you only pay for wine the certain gratuities. Three great meals a day if you want. Post Ranch Inn will lend you a Lexus for free to drive around the many miles that are still open with no tourists or Winnebago's. At present and for the next 4 months there are almost no other cars on the iconic California Highway which is normally bumper to bumper during the summer with tourists. We drove at a leisurely 30 MPH stopping to take pictures - we had two cars behind us in 40 miles and took pictures standing in the middle of the road on the centerline with no traffic for miles. You can hike/walk from Post Ranch down Highway 1 to Nepenthe and get lunch - everyone is pleased to see you and welcomes your business. If you like, a call to Post Ranch will get you picked up if you don’t feel like walking the 1.5 miles back. The beaches and trails are completely empty. This is truly a once in a lifetime experience to see Big Sur without tourists and with fantastic accommodations. Expensive, but absolutely absolutely worth it. If you can afford it, it’s worth checking out. My wife and I highly recommend it.

As a world traveller for business and pleasure, I have had the good fortune of staying in great places, and in parallel have had the chance to take some thrilling helicopter rides across landscapes as varied as the Grand Canyon and the elephant jungles of Sri Lanka. But nothing came close to the unbelievable combo-special of the pristine coast line of Big Sur on a perfect spring day en route to Post Ranch Inn, my favorite place in the world. Finding myself back at Pebble Beach for an annual event, I was tipped off by a local friend and fellow Post Ranch lover about the special package that the hotel was running to bring guests in by helicopter at an incredibly advantageous (subsidized?) price due to the road closure, that included a meal with all the bells and whistles. I had only been to PRI one before several years ago, but was yearning for an excuse to go back, so I couldn't resist the temptation to break the piggy bank and squeeze a quick jaunt into my packed schedule. OMG, that turned out to be a decision I will never regret. The breathtaking landscape of Big Sur is that much more amazing from the air! And the timing was impeccable because the mountaintops were covered with the famous yellow California poppies, giving them a golden hue. The ride lasted about 15-20 minutes and couldn't have been smoother, central-casting experienced-pilot-with-the-soothing-voice and all: on the way out we followed the coastline (on the way back we went inland, which was great too). I especially loved the part where we approached the hotel from the air, since the architecture of PRI is such a show-stopper, one of my favorites! Once there, the vast vistas, the crisp pure freshness of air and the pungent pine and wildflower scents were as magical and timeless as I had remembered them to be; but those thrilling views of the rugged wild coastline from the air are etched into my retinas forever. I can't recommend enough this airborne Experience. I would say that anyone who believes as I do that life is for living, and can escape to Post Ranch in time to take advantage of this very special helicopter transfer package, should stop everything, clear some time in their busy diary and make it an absolute priority to get there while they can have the mountain to themselves. There is also the healthy option of hiking up or down, and coptering the other, but I'll leave that to the sportier people : ) After that experience of sheer perfection, the only thing that could have made it better would have been to share it with my husband: but at least I now have an excuse to go back!

This is my fourth time staying at Post Ranch Inn and by far the most memorable! I decided to provide an update as we stayed in a different room compared to prior visits. Due to the recent road closure north and south of Big Sur, there is currently no road access to visitors. Only locals and workers are allowed to enter at limited times of the day. This closure is in effect until approximately September 2017. Because of the closure, Post Ranch Inn is the only hotel open in Big Sur, and the only way to get there is via helicopter from Monterey airport. The helicopter (details arranged by Post Ranch staff) is about a 20-30 minute ride and lands directly inside Post Ranch Inn property. With a grand entrance like that, you know your stay will be amazing! We spent 3 nights at the Upper Coast House. For first timers to this hotel, you will absolutely love Coast House. Though the coast house is shared (an upper and lower portion), there are separate entrances opposite from each other, making it feel like a freestanding room. The room is spacious, warm and inviting with gorgeous views of the ocean from every room, including the bathroom. All of the rooms have a lot of things available for you to use during your stay (you have to rifle through the closet and drawers), including binoculars, lantern, umbrella, books and maps of the area. Additionally, the minibar is stocked full of house made cookies, coffee, teas, sodas, water, wine, juices, house made hummus, cheeses, crackers (etc.!!) which are replenished daily. I won't lie, I shamelessly clean out the minibar when I check out of my room. The only thing I did not like about Coast House was that the sink was adjacent to the toilet. I stayed at Tree House and Peak House previously and liked that the toilet was separate from the sink. Their website provides a layout of each of the types of rooms they offer. I would also recommend a layout with the outside spa. Due to the road closure, the only restaurant open in Big Sur is Nepenthe (located a few minutes drive south of the hotel). Post Ranch included breakfast, a "light" lunch and dinner. I was expecting drastically reduced food options as a result of the road closure. For breakfast, I noticed the buffet table was much smaller compared to prior stays, but still included more than sufficient options of hot items (bacon, potatoes, frittata), assorted breads/pastries, house made smoked salmon, cheeses, fruit and even a cook-to-order egg station. First timers would not notice options were scaled back. For lunch, I was expecting "light" lunch to be just a salad or a sandwich. It ended up being 3 courses (definitely not a "light" lunch), which I don't think was a change from lunches they usually serve. For dinner, the only scaled down option that was not available was their 7 course tasting menu. However, their traditional 4 course menu was still available. I admit that food selection was limited in the fact that if you stay here for more than a night, there isn't a lot of variability in their selection (breakfast was identical each day, a few small changes in lunch and dinner menu). However, there was absolutely no change in their quality compared to prior visits. Within the large resort, several activities were included, such as a tour of their garden, guided nature tour, yoga and stargazing. I noticed availability was restricted (I recall yoga being offered every morning and currently only offered 3 times each week). Despite the limited availability, you can visit their garden any time, enjoy their pool, visit their art gallery or hike around their property (you are almost guaranteed to find deer and wild turkey roaming around). Outside of the hotel, you can borrow one of their Lexus and drive to various hiking spots. Thanks to the road closure, several parks were closed. However, whatever was open, one HUGE advantage was being able to visit some of the popular trails without anyone in sight! For this reason, I would highly recommend taking advantage of the road closure and stay here now! I'm not going to lie, it is not cheap to stay here and when you look at the prices, you definitely wonder if it is worth it. Trust me, not only is it worth it, but I guarantee you will want to spend at least 3 nights here. In my first visit, we stayed for 2 nights and it was definitely not enough. There's something indescribably magical about this hotel that brings us back here again and again. I know I will sound like a total hippie, but when you leave, you truly feel like you have de-stressed and regenerated your soul. Last tip: The ocean view rooms are magnificent, but you are definitely paying premium to enjoy such a view. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the mountain view. I stayed at Peak House twice previously and would definitely not hesitate to stay there again. As noted above, I prefer the Peak House over Coast House due to the larger bathroom and outdoor spa. Big Sur is also known to be very foggy, so there is a chance you won't see much of a view.

Honestly, it doesn't get much better than the Post Ranch Inn! My wife and I went for our 10 year anniversary and I want to go back every day. The property is unbelievable, from the trails, to treehouse, to restaurant, to car service...We stayed in a treehouse for two nights and there was nothing to want for. Their bar and restaurant are amazing sitting on the cliff overlooking the Pacific ocean. We even saw migrating whales! The hotel would drop us off at restaurant and pick us up which was a really nice touch. You are surrounded by cliffs, ocean, redwoods, trails, waterfalls. Big Sur and the Post Ranch Inn really are something to experience. Somewhere you can 100% unplug from life and enjoy yourself!