San Ysidro Ranch

Third time staying at this dreamy property. Everything was excellent as usual. We just wish there were a tennis court on the property or at the country club next door available to the ranch guests.

I was very much looking forward to visiting San Ysidro Ranch again, having stayed there a few years ago and greatly enjoying the gardens and hospitality. I booked lunch at the Stonehouse and drove from Los Angeles with a friend who is part of a large travel group based in London. The food was absolutely excellent — we both agreed it was delicious and beautifully prepared. However, I was disappointed to discover that the vegan Pad Thai with tofu was priced at $66, which appeared to be the most expensive item on the menu, even higher than the fish and oysters (apparently imported from Europe). The tofu was suggested as an addition after I had placed my order, and when I questioned the cost, I was simply referred back to the menu. This response felt dismissive, particularly as the menu had already been cleared from our table by that point. The Pad Thai was the only vegan main course available, and while the rest of the menu seemed appropriately priced for a top-quality establishment, this particular experience was disheartening. The restaurant manager’s attitude was rather curt and imperious — referring us to the menu again was unnecessarily condescending and a missed opportunity to demonstrate genuine hospitality. On a more positive note, the waiting staff were delightful and highly professional throughout our meal. After lunch, we asked if we might see one of the cottages, as my companion was curious — he works in the travel industry and often brings clients to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the reception staff (three of whom were present and unoccupied) were unhelpful and showed little interest in assisting us. I was told that only the manager could show an unoccupied cottage, but that he was in meetings. I left a message requesting a call back to make an introduction, as my guest could be a valuable contact for potential future business with San Ysidro Ranch. Regrettably, I never received a response. What I had hoped would be a wonderful and memorable visit turned out to be quite disappointing — the opposite of the gracious hospitality I remembered. While San Ysidro Ranch remains an extraordinarily beautiful property with truly magnificent gardens and outstanding food, I left feeling embarrassed and disheartened after investing a four-hour round trip from Los Angeles to visit what I had hoped would again be a truly charming destination.

I want to share my extremely disappointing experience with the front desk manager at this hotel. I visited with my family to look around and make a reservation, but instead of being welcomed, we were treated with shocking disrespect. The manager told us that only “high profile” people stay at their resort and implied that even if we wanted to book a reservation, it wouldn’t be possible. In the case when she doesn't know us and doesn't what income we have or who we are, she was quick to judge based on what i cannot tell. Very poor customer service and low class attitude.

We spent four nights at the San Ysidro Ranch at the end of August. Most of the time, it felt like we had the place to ourselves. The Ranch is lush, full of flowering trees and bushes, and terraced up a mountain canyon next to a creek. It is the most beautiful resort we have ever visited, and as you can see from our other reviews, we have been to a lot of very nice places. It is hard to believe that this amazing place was comprehensively destroyed by a mudslide just over seven years ago. The owner lavished attention on its restoration. Our room, Lavender. was luxurious and comfortable, with its own private patio, fireplace and hot tub. The service was exceptional everywhere in the resort, and the staff really friendly and helpful. The room charge includes three meals a day in the hotel restaurant, which occupied two levels of the Stonehouse at the base of the resort. The food was stunningly expensive for those not on the meal plan, which, as others have complained about, did not include alcohol, gratuities or desserts. Dinners for two with wine and cocktails could easily run $800-1000. The style of cuisine might be characterized as "1980's flashy", with lots of flaming dishes and a glass box "smoker" for cocktails. Though it had its moments (Dover Sole eg.), in general, food quality did not match the rooms or the surroundings, and there were a few staff that aggressively upsold the big ticket menu items (like the $300 caviar service). SYR's cuisine cries out for modernization. We spent a lot of time at the lovely pool at the top of the resort, and enjoyed an amazing hike in the mountains above the resort, which comprises over 500 acres. We had an exceptional and relaxing four days and cannot wait to return.

The SYR is so luxe and private feeling and the food quality is off the charts good. We have stayed there a few times and recently went to an Easter brunch with family. Even though the brunch was outrageously expensive (~$2k for 4 adults and 2 kids), the experience was worth it b/c the meal was one of the best that we ever had and it almost felt like we had the entire resort to ourselves even though there were many guests there. The staff is very polite and attentive and every detail feels like they spared no expense to make your experience as pleasant as possible.