The century-old Inn at Rancho Santa Fe has wrapped up a yearslong renovation, culminating with an extensive redesign of five spacious residences that the ownership hopes will help the resort better compete in the ultra luxury hospitality niche.
The new Residences & Villas Collection, as its being called, includes three 1,200-square-foot villas, plus two 2,500-square-foot homes that come with full kitchens, private yards and concierge service catering to the needs of guests.
When the resort sold last year for $100 million, it was already in the midst of what is now estimated to be a $45 million renovation of the 11-acre property. The lobby and guest rooms all received a makeover that included upgraded finishes, unique pieces sourced from Europe, and a new signature resident and bar.
But the final component — the updated residences and villas — are whats likely to elevate the resort from upscale to bona fide luxury accommodations, believes managing director Vikram Sood.
Our ultimate goal is to position this as luxury resort competing with the best resorts on California so this is very important, he said. We always have wanted to cater to the luxury traveler because we do get special requests. We have clients looking for something unique and different and dont necessarily want to be in event species.
Taking a page from the very high-end Rancho Valencia, also in Rancho Santa Fe, Good said the resort wanted to pair the new luxury accommodations with services tailor-made for the guests desires.
So as part of this, were also focusing on ancillary services. We pre-call all our guests anyway, but were taking it a step above. We get to know the client and find out what’s important for them, so if its a private wellness class or private dinner they want, we have a private chef available to them.
The living room of the newly renovated Hibiscus residence at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. (William James Rust / Inn at Rancho Santa Fe)
The two residences, known at Bougainvillea and Hibiscus, are across the street from the resort, and while they had been rented out previously on a short- and long-term basis, they were in need of a top to bottom renovation to meet the needs of a luxury guest, Sood said.
Theyre each 2,500 square, and one has two bedrooms while the other features three bedrooms. Both have a full kitchen and living room, as well as front and back patios and two-car garages. The starting nightly rate ranges from $3,000 to $4,500.
The smaller one-bedroom villas, which also have full kitchens and front and back patios, are scattered throughout the property. The nightly room rate starts at $1,500.
The wider renovation of the resort, which debuted at the end of last year, included an update of all the guest rooms as well as a reimagined lobby.
The previous resort owner, Steve Hermann, sought unique pieces for the inn, sourcing such items as flooring, fireplaces and chandeliers from Italy, France, Denmark, Czech Republic, Sweden, Hungary. The lobbys chevron wood floors are made with restored wood sourced from a 300-year-old Parisian chateaux. A major focal point of lobby is a Louis XV Rococo chimney piece, carved from Italian breccia seravezza marble, incorporating soft gray and khaki tones on a creamy foreground.
And the guest rooms feature custom-carved Calcutta marble sinks, rainfall showers and luxury bath amenities.
Lilians at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe (Inn at Rancho Santa Fe)
The inns former signature restaurant, Morada, was replaced by Lilian’s, named after Lilian J. Rice, the local architect and master planner who is credited as a key figure in the development of the Rancho Santa Fe community. The restaurant showcases fresh-caught fish, grass-fed meats, and seasonal produce.
Also new is Bing Bar, which takes its name from the famed Hollywood singer and actor Bing Crosby, who had a home in Rancho Santa Fe and helped build Del Mar Thoroughbred Club racetrack.
We’ve also created a lot of activations at the resort over the last year with our spa, robust wellness offerings and exercise classes, Sood said. We do specialty wellness events, so were really trying to add a new narrative with that. We also replaced our tennis courts with pickleball courts. Great resorts have lots of activity and that’s a big focus which will play into our luxury traveler looking for a retreat.
Originally built by the Santa Fe Land Improvement Co. — the developers of Rancho Santa Fe — as a guesthouse for clients, the inn was named La Morada when it first opened in the early 1920s. The name later changed to the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe in the early 1940s when it was acquired by its third owner. At one time owned by Petco Park developer JMI Realty, the resort is currently owned by Chicago-based GEM Realty Capital.