Unfortunately for us, Post Ranch Inn was one of our first stops on an eight-day coastal road trip…read more Unfortunate because they set a standard no other property or restaurant was going to match. I knew that going in. It was still starker than I expected. Start with the property. When that is the view off your deck, why go anywhere else? Stunning doesn't cover it. We hiked much of the grounds and every turn delivered something new. The kind of place that makes you slow down without even trying. Then the restaurant. Everything was perfect -- service, quality, execution. Much of the food sourced on property or from the surrounding community. My wife declared the salad the best she'd ever had. High praise for a salad. High praise, full stop. Special shout out to our server Yasmany and bartender Thomas -- both exceptional. What struck me most was how effortless the entire staff made it look. These are people who deal with guests from around the world, all arriving with high expectations of a high-end experience. And yet nothing felt forced. Nobody appeared to be trying to impress us. It was just perfect service, perfectly delivered. That's the rarest thing in hospitality. Highlight of the trip. Hands down. And I suspect, never to be repeated.

PLEASE READ THIS REVIEW BEFORE MAKING A RESERVATION -- IT MAY SAVE YOU THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS…read more If you are considering booking an ocean-view room at Post Ranch Inn between May, June, July, or August, I strongly encourage you to do extensive research about Big Sur's seasonal coastal fog before spending your money. Based on our experience, I would never book an ocean-view room during these months again. We paid nearly $10,000 for two nights in one of the resort's premium ocean-view accommodations because the breathtaking ocean views shown throughout their website were the main reason we chose this property. Unfortunately, during our entire stay, the ocean view was completely hidden by dense fog. We never saw the spectacular view that was advertised and pictured online. What disappointed us most was the lack of transparency. The website showcases beautiful, clear ocean views but does not adequately prepare guests for the possibility that the view may be completely obstructed for an entire stay during certain times of the year. If guests are paying thousands of dollars specifically for an ocean-view room, they deserve clear information about the seasonal risk of persistent coastal fog so they can make an informed decision. Throughout our stay, we repeatedly asked staff whether the fog would clear. We were consistently told that it would likely clear within a few hours. Unfortunately, that never happened. The fog remained throughout our stay, and we never got to enjoy the ocean view we paid a premium for. What made this even more frustrating was that, after repeatedly being told by multiple staff members that the fog would clear soon, one employee later told us that they were not supposed to tell guests that the weather was expected to remain the same for several days and that these foggy conditions are common during this time of year. According to that employee, this type of weather often persists throughout much of the summer season. I cannot independently verify that statement, but if that information was accurate, it raises serious concerns about transparency. Guests spending thousands of dollars for an ocean-view room deserve honest information about the likelihood of actually seeing the ocean during their stay. The room itself also had maintenance issues. The bar sink was clogged, and the shower valve/faucet was loose and repeatedly fell while being used. We reported both problems, but neither was repaired during our stay. Staff apologized, but no one came to address the issues. For a property charging close to $5,000 per night, I expected much better communication, transparency, maintenance, and overall value. I fully understand that the weather is beyond the hotel's control. However, what is within their control is how honestly they communicate the risk of seasonal fog to potential guests. Had we known there was a realistic possibility of spending our entire stay looking at a wall of fog instead of the Pacific Ocean, we would have chosen different travel dates, a different room category, or a different destination altogether. The property itself is beautiful, but based on our experience, the value did not come close to justifying the cost. If an ocean view is important to you, think very carefully before booking an ocean-view room during the late spring and summer months.

POV: searching for glamping vibes and forest bathing in Big Sur…read more The property is spread across either side of the road. On one side is the lobby directly across the roadhouse restaurant. The other side is gated and has river access. We sat by the campfire and made smores, bought an inflatable donut at the store near the lobby, crossed a bridge, floated along the lazy river, and walked the beautiful lush grounds under the towering redwood trees. If I had stayed longer I would've put one of those yoga mats to good use. Cabins are clean, stocked, and cozy. I highly recommend staying a few nights in this peaceful place.

I truly believe this is one of the most special places to stay in Big Sur. There's a certain…read morefeeling you get when everything is just right--and the little Sur (room N) delivered the perfect setting - peacefulness, romance, and nature. The location of the cabin is right off the creek of their property. Also It had rained the day before, so a small waterfall was flowing directly across from our place. That evening we sat by the fire, roasting marshmallows and sipping champagne while listening to the water and looking up at the redwood trees. It was just so magical. One detail I especially loved was the heated bathroom floors--such a cozy surprise and something I'm definitely not used to! The entire cabin was spotless and beautifully maintained. I'm very particular about cleanliness in hotels so I brought my mattress vacuum cleaner to inspect--the bed and pillows were not dusty, which gave me a peace of mind. Overall, our stay was perfectly the way I want to remember this trip. If I had stayed somewhere else, I don't think I would have had a great of an experience in Big Sur. Ambience and the aesthetics of the property grounds is important to me and it checked off all the boxes. April turned out to be the perfect time to visit: sunny, peaceful, and more affordable than peak season. I loved everything about this stay and we're already planning to come back. Recommendations: the pillows are goose down so it doesn't work for neck support. Bring a pillow you like from home if you have neck issues. Also, in Little Sur, your bed is underneath a window. Turn the blinds upwards so you don't wake up to the light in your eyes:)

An amazing bday and 1st time experience here eating. Our waitress was amazing didn't get a name but…read moreshe brought me a bday pancake to celebrate and it make my morning. Such a cool eclectic place and also got a souvenir shirt. Also found it to be a historic site. So neat and will be back to eat again- maybe even stay (:

Love this place. Stopped a few years ago for dinner and everything we had was fantastic. Decided to…read morestay at the inn this time we were in town and do not regret it one bit. Rooms are rustic, but comfortable. You aren't getting the Four Seasons, but you are getting a beautiful getaway in Big Sur. We even got our own little cat that decided to follow us around all over the place and hang out with us on our patio all night. Strangely there are no locks on the outside of the doors, but we didnt mind. After staying in other places in Big Sur, this is going to be our go to from now on. No need to spend thousands of dollars a night at some of the other places when everywhere you look around Big Sur is beautiful.

First off, the general store had amazing tacos. Al pastor and barbacoa were so good. We bought food…read morethere and some drinks then walked down to the river near the restaurant to enjoy our lunch. Yes it gets crowded so you may have to wait for an Adirondack chair or two.. but once you sit IN the river.. it's amazing. So peaceful and such a unique experience to be partially in the water. Highly recommend checking out this place, especially after a drive through Big Sur and some hiking at Point Lobos. Only negative is some people hoard chairs and may move them for their large group. Otherwise, it's chill.

This place is one of the prettiest places I have stayed overnight. If you are looking for peace and…read moretranquility, this is the spot. Getting up in the morning and walking down to the shallow river with your complimentary room coffee is Heaven. Then sitting on the provided river chairs and listening to the running creek is so relaxing. The staff is nice. Most of the staff have been working here for many years. I have read some negative comments about the cost of the rooms. Yes, the rooms at a little over $800 a night may be high, but remember this Motel is in a unique location of #Big Sur and I don't know of any other motels in Big Sur that can offer a river view just steps away from the water. So for me this was worth every penny. If you are wanting to explore the Big Sur area and spend time away from this Motel resort than you may want to use a budget motel. This motel was designed for rest and relaxation. The pool on site is a plus. The rooms don't have a microwave, fridge, or kitchen, so you will have to pack sandwiches and snacks in a cooler. Otherwise, the restaurant food is good and the general store next to it also sells deli style food, pizzas, hot sandwiches, and wraps. Oh, and the burritos are big enough to feed two. I highly recommend this place for a special occasion or for a wonderful memory to look back on.

1 star. Rodent in our room. Terrible resolution…read more Food, spa, and location were all great. But there was a live rodent in our room on night one of my husband's 40th birthday trip. It scampered into a hole in the wall. Staff tried to stuff a rag in it before moving us to a closet-sized "unsaleable" room, a third the size of our suite. Compensation for a thousands-per-night booking gone wrong? A slight room upgrade for one night, a comped activity, and $150 (which didn't even cover the resort fee). When we followed up through our third-party booking, Ventana told them we'd already been compensated. For a rodent, two room changes, and a ruined special occasion. Nice property. Awful management. If something goes wrong, don't expect them to make it right.

We had a three night stay to celebrate our birthdays and wedding anniversary. We were late in…read morearriving - it was dark and couldn't see anything beyond our deck - but they were ready for us. A nice surprise waiting in our room: chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of champagne, a nice way to start things off. We explored the Japanese hot pools. They have separate men and women pools with one in the middle if you want to meet and look at the sky together. Very romantic and the water temperature was just right. It was wonderful to wake up the next morning and have a perfect view of the ocean from our room. We had breakfast, we walked around the grounds for a little hike, back to our room to hang out. Lunch, more walking, dinner. Rinse and repeat. Spent one afternoon carving a pumpkin we picked up along the way. The staff were professional and friendly, kept our room stocked with bath salts, coffee pods and a bottle of water on the nightstand when they turn down the bed. Gorgeous views, awesome weather. It is a great place to unwind and just be.

I spent three nights here with my husband and our small dog and we had an absolutely lovely time…read more We were greeted warmly and taken to the lobby via cart where we were checked in very privately and all of the amenities were explained to us. Our room was well appointed with a comfy bed and fireplace as well as a place for us to work. The bathroom was nice with a large tub for soaking and we had a private hot tub on our deck that we made very good use of. All of the food, whether it was room service or happy hour plates or meals at the restaurants (with the single exception of the Big Sur Smokehouse which was terrible and I do not recommend) was very good. As a matter of fact, I would say that the culinary experiences here were some of our best experiences overall, and that is saying a lot considering the level of customer service you receive at this establishment. We also hiked the trails with our small dog but unfortunately as much as they advise this is a dog friendly place, dogs are not allowed in the pool or soaking areas and you cannot leave them in the room, so by bringing our dog we did miss out on use of the pools and some of the other amenities. We were able to dine at the dog friendly restaurants though and again the food was delicious. Overall, this was definitely a five-star stay from the amazing service and accommodations to the delicious food to the ability to appreciate being surrounded by nature. We spent a lot of time relaxing in in our hammock or our hot tub, as well as snuggling in front of the fireplace. enjoying each other's company. This is the perfect location if you are looking to relax and unwind and was very romantic for us. We are planning another stay here soon and I am very much looking forward to it.

My daughter and I stayed at Alila for 2 nights. We had our room upgraded…read more The room was very comfortable. The fridge was stocked with snacks and drinks. There was a Nespresso coffee machine and hot water pot for tea. The room was maintained well. Turndown service replaced used towels and included pillow gifts. The towels were soft and absorbent. The bed was comfortable. The fireplace included bags with wood for easy starting. It was quiet and the scent was soothing. We took the foragers cocktail activity. Karen was very energetic and cute. We started muddling strawberries then mixed them with bitters and shook up a cocktail. We then took our drinks into the garden and Karen told us which plants were what. After we collected some herbs we went back and made our own bitters. They suggested some combinations. We chose nettles, orange peel and vanilla bean. We both had deep tissue massages. They were done in a cabana overlooking the hills. It was peaceful and relaxing. We ate our dinners and breakfasts at the restruant Sur.

Big Sur Lodge is truly Nature's Paradise, surrounded by giant sequoia trees, birds, & the beautiful…read morenatural sun. A place to do some serious digital-detoxing, it was difficult first day due to NO WiFi & NO TV including No clocks. But once you go outside and explore the wonderful nature around, I truly appreciated and loved our time, and actually talking amongst family. Our cabin was comfortable & clean, only thing I didn't like is we had no screens on windows (only the bathroom), and it was hot, needed some fresh air, mosquitoes and bugs definitely entered, and we got bit by mosquitoes. Also, one other downfall was the check-in process, was a 30 minute long wait. Believe me- this place is worth adventuring & E-detoxing for better peace of mind and reset. Cabin price reasonable but gets booked up far in advance.

Had a great time. Staff friendly and helped suggest hikes and other points of interest…read more We booked direct and got some promotional offers that may or may not be available on booking sites. Access to four state parks, plus the staff offered us a beach pass as well. WiFi is available at the lodge and at the conference center and weak signal towards the rooms but you're not here to surf the web!

This place is special. The property is stunning and the…read morestaff goes above and beyond. I had a small issue with my key that actually developed into a larger issue when the night manager accidentally (unlatched our door resulting in us accidentally getting locked out of our room with a lock that was frozen and inoperable. It was my wifes 50th Birthday and we unfortunately never made it back in our room that night. The lock was broken, all our belongings inside the room. It was a temporary nightmare but these things happen. The staff was so very thoughtful and literally did everything they possibly could to accomade us..when I say they did everything possible they even called 911 ! It was an experience we will never forget! We got back in our room at 8:00am the next morning after the maintenance man Ignacio climbed a ladder three stories to get us back inside our room. It was really quite an adventure. Once back in our room the trip we absolutely perfect! We loved the beautiful accommodations and the incredible property. The view. The pool overlooking the gorgeous water. The breakfast. The staff. I Really Appreciated the Tickle Pink Inn !

It was okay Check in was not warm or inviting…read more Room was ok, tv didn't work For the price l would say maybe- overrated!

It doesn't get any better than this. We stayed in cabin 14 and had everything we needed and more…read more Really big space too and it was so nice to have an indoor fire every night. Housekeeping was so great and it felt so good to disconnect. It was so quiet every night. Do yourself a favor and stay here.

This so called resort is very rustic. The furniture looks like everything was purchased at a…read moregarage sale. The sound from Hwy 1 was loud. The room smelled of smoke from a fire. There were very few pots and pans. We stayed in cabin 15 and the cost was over $500 for the night. We won't be back. On a side note, the cafe had a very good breakfast burrito.

Had a pleasant time staying 2 nights here at this boutique hotel with our pup. We got a king sized…read morebed room with a balcony and enjoyed our time. They've designed their hotel to look and feel like a little oasis. The intention was effective because it did feel like an enclosed paradise, quiet and pleasing to the eye. Our service during our drinks and pizza at their cafe and during breakfast time (included in our package) was excellent and staff were really friendly! Complimentary bubbles upon arrival which i love! Dog blankets outside. Good looking bathrooms. Aesthetically pleasing place. Robes and slippers in rooms. Luxurious sheets. My husband didn't love the bed but perhaps he just has a sensitive preference for his back. the rooms were swanky but small but we didn't mind it for 2 nights only. we spent a lot of time enjoying the nice weather outside. Walking distance to many places in downtown and parking at the hotel was included in pricing.

Small but gorgeous hotel. I want to give like a 3.5-3.8, but am doing a 4. While it has an intital…read morehigh end appearance and price point, the Stilwell Hotel lacks the some of the essentials of a true luxury stay. - Staff: during check in, we were helped by a tall blonde young man with a deep voice . He has 0 customer service skills and should not be customer facing. He had minimal eye contact, cold demeanor as if we were bothering him, mumbling, and just overall unpleasant. He had the demeanor of a bro cashier at a GNC. There was a guy next to him which I assume was IT or something since he was messing with something at the front. There was a woman who brought us a welcome glass of champagne, and Angel - who gave us a brief tour and brought our luggage to the room. Angel and the woman were nice. Champagne was good, however I wish they offered non alcoholic options like a juice or sparking cider. Throughout our stay, we encountered many staff on the property in passing - not a single smile from any of them. Even the housekeeping staff at a BestWestern are nicer than the staff here. - Room: gorgeous but small. Booking a room for 2 does not just mean having a big enough bed, but actually room for 2 humans to move around. There is not enough room to lay your luggage out anywhere, and the bathroom was narrow. I would've liked to have a towel bar by the sink instead of having a silly rock be what holds the towel up. The room is aesthetically stunning and the bed was very comfortable. I loved the ambient lighting options and motion activated under-lighting. I liked that we had a balcony. I enjoyed the soaps / lotions, as well all the nespresso in the room. Air conditioning worked well. Room was very clean. - Parking: parking was easy in the day. We lucked out at night but guests arriving after 8pm had nowhere to park, which we witnessed first hand. We saw a guest told the staff "the lot is full", and the staff said "just take the EV spot". What about your guests with EVs who need to charge their cars for the night? On another day, a large car was parked in the entrance into the hotel (not the street) and stayed there for 15 min which blocked entry for everyone else - i wish the staff came out to inform the guest that they couldn't leave their car the. The main lot is very tight with slim spots and awkward parking angles, but the back lot was good . While this wasn't an issue for me, I can imagine coming off of a long flight, finally getting to the hotel at night, and being frustrated at the lack of available parking. - Breakfast: this is the main reason we wanted to stay here. The breakfast itself is good, not great. The French toast, juice, chia pudding and eggs are best things - everything else is okay as I found some things to be stale such as the waffles and muffins. I did enjoy how the food is displayed, and there lots of variety. Staff is constantly refilling items so you never have to worry about things running out, regardless of when you arrive for breakfast. Breakfast is much later than it is at other hotels, and with a small window (8-10am), which can be an issue if you are planning to eat early prior to a hike. 2 staff stay in the area however they just stare at you from the corner of the room. No smile, no good morning. The first day, I felt like we were being stared at as if we were freeloaders sneaking in for free breakfast. It was very uncomfortable. Not sure if they were staring because we're younger than a majority of the other guests but there really is no excuse. I think they should do a wrist band system or something if they insist on eyeing people. Property- they have a cafe by the breakfast area where you can order hand crafted pizza. We didn't do this but it smelled great. The location is convenient with lots of restaurants within walking distance . As a hotel guest, you get a discount at the Foray restaurant, which is closed mondays and Tuesdays Overall: Beautiful, but I don't think I'd stay again. For the price point and all the amenities, I expected to be in love with this hotel. At other hotels with this price point, I'm usually like "I don't want leave!", but not here. It wasn't a bad stay, but the experience didn't match the price point. I hope they get better staff or else I could see this hotel failing in the future.