Find Peace at the Picture Perfect Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur

Photo Credit: Kodiak Greenwood

If you’ve ever heard someone talking about the Post Ranch Inn, a luxury, eco-friendly retreat in Big Sur, it’s typically in reverential tones. After experiencing this breathtaking property ourselves, we can’t say we’re any different. Whether you’re soul-searching, celebrating, cozying up to your partner or just getting away from it all, this is a visit so unique that it really can’t be missed. Here, we explore five ways to find inner peace at the Post Ranch Inn. (Which also, as it happens, to be the largest hotel solar project in California and one of the largest in America with its 990-panel solar array. How about them apples?)

Photo Credit: Kodiak Greenwood

Individualized stays. The Post Ranch Inn has 40 architecturally innovative guest rooms and suites placed along the ridge that parallels the Pacific Ocean. Each room/suite at this adults-only property (you have to be 18 to stay, no exceptions!) offers a completely different yet all very luxurious experience with views of either ocean or mountain scenery. Each guest has their preference. Room designs use earth tones with an emphasis on natural and sustainable materials, with custom furniture, rugs hand-woven by indigenous weavers and reclaimed wood, including old-growth redwood from wine casks, re-milled to create rich wood wall panels. The organic hues, textures, and extensive collection of original art inside the rooms blend seamlessly with the scenic beauty of the outdoors. Many guests book the Cliff Houses because of their deck that’s suspended over the western edges of the ridge, making it seem like you’re suspended over the ocean. The view can best be enjoyed from your outdoor spa or, conversely, from your glass-walled bedroom.Guests enter through an enclosed courtyard to the secluded bedroom designed with custom-built furniture and a hot tub on the private terrace. Then there’s the Ocean Houses, which boast curved, beamed roofs covered with a soft carpet of grass, with private ocean views enjoyed from the terrace, bath and bedroom. Each circular-shaped Coast House provides a comfortable seating area in front of the replace and glorious ocean views. This is where we stayed and we couldn’t have picked a more perfect spot. In addition to our epic ocean view, we had a double-sided fireplace, an inside alcove to watch the sunset and a sunken, old-fashioned tub, all in a room that resembled something out of The Shire. It was so beautiful that we almost wished we could live in the room forever. There are the Tree Houses, triangular in shape, are elevated 9 feet off the ground on stilts, Mountain House rooms with views of dramatic mountain peaks and Butterfly rooms which are housed in a building designed to look like a butterfly with outstretched wings. Last but not least is The Post House, new as of 2015, an 1,800 square foot open-concept suite that features a kitchen with designer appliances and a skylight, a dining room with custom-designed formal dining room, a media room, master bedroom, master bathroom and living room. The master bedroom features clear coastal views and the master bathroom offers heated slate flooring, a large rain shower with stone flooring and an oversized bathtub. There’s also a multi-person bathtub. Just saying.

Photo Credit: Kodiak Greenwood

2. Amenities. When you’re on vacation, it’s a drag to get nickel and dimed for every little thing, no matter how wealthy you are. When you arrive at Post Ranch, you’ll be offered glasses of the fantastic house-made wine or homemade apple cider and ferried to your personal suite in one of the fleet of Lexuses. You’ll then have every little thing available to you at your fingertips, including complimentary snacks, spring water from the property on-site in reusable glass bottles, and non-alcoholic drinks as well as a half bottle of both red and white wine. What you WON’T find: TVs or alarm clocks: you’re here to relax and reconnect,after all.

Photo Credit: Kodiak Greenwood

3. Beautiful breakfast and more at Sierra Mar. The Post Ranch Inn’s on-site eatery, Sierra Mar, is one of the hottest places to eat in Big Sur…and one of the hardest reservations to get if you’re not a guest. Guests are given first run of the reservations, so unless you’re staying here, there is no guarantee. And while the fare—high-end, beautifully presented seafood, vegetarian and meat confections using locally sourced ingredients created by Executive Head Chef Elizabeth Murray—is exquisite and a can’t miss experience (especially the 9-course Chef Tasting Menu and a chat with wine director Dominique Da Cruz, who has earned the restaurant Wine Spectator‘s Grand Award for the past four years for its unbelievable range of 14,000 bottles) it’s breakfast that won our hearts. Rise early and see the sun rise over the Pacific as you indulge in a smorgasbord of pastries, individualized omelets, the juiciest of berries and fresh-squeezed juice. The best part? This, too, is complimentary for all guests.

Photo Credit: Kodiak Greenwood

4. Spa. What better way to seek serenity than with a soothing spa treatment? Post Ranch Inn’s treatments have won awards for a reason: not only do you feel like you’re lost in the woods, at one with nature in the rustic spa suites, but the treatments are so unique that you’ll have a hard time deciding which suites your needs best. There are gemstone massages including the Big Sur Jade Stone Therapy, using warmed Big Sur jade collected from nearby beaches to relieve sore joints and increase circulation; Crystal and Gemstone Therapy to balance your chakras; Ayurvedic treatments; reiki, drum rituals; painting rituals; and, the coolest (in our opinion), sessions with a legit shaman. Starting with deep explanation and discussion, the shaman establishes a sacred and safe space. He engages the forces of nature and the worlds ancient wisdom to create lasting changes for physical, mental and emotional well-being. Shaman sessions include clearing and protecting you from negative influences in this life, past lives, and ancestors, healing and retrieving your power from past wounding, and remove limiting beliefs, incorporating the energy of your power animal to help you going forward and aligning your energy with your ideal destiny and offering the tools to achieve it. Whoa.

Photo Credit: Kodiak Greenwood

5. Healing activities. Given that the Inn is all about healing, its owners go out of their way to make sure you’re as relaxed as possible. You’ll walk through a meadow to get to the gym, an isolated structure with a plethora of equipment located adjacent to the swimming pool, located on a sunny knoll with mountain views. There are two therapeutically heated basking pools, each with an infinity edge overlooking the Pacific so that you’ll feel like you’re on the edge of the world. There is a chef’s garden and a gallery, which showcases a range of fine art from photography to sculptures to jewelry and more. There are wild animals, like deer, who will just gaze at you as you walk by; you will both respect the other’s space. Last but not least, there are a crazy amount of complimentary, relaxing activities, including yoga and meditation classes, guided nature hikes and garden tours and nightly star gazing on the deck at Sierra Mar using a computerized 12-inch Meade telescope, one of the largest hotel telescopes in the U.S., which is appropriate because Big Sur has some of the clearest atmospheric conditions for viewing the stars, nebulas, and even the rings of Saturn. On that note, all we can say is this: this hotel is out of this world. It’s an experience, not just a property, and one that every single one of your deserves to have.