Last week, in an effort to unwind from a busy work week, I headed up to The Ranch at Laguna Beach – a boutique coastal ranch hotel and spa nestled in the awe-inspiring Aliso and Wood Canyons. Merging off the freeway and onto PCH, I’m admiring the vibrant town as locals hit the beach and dine (socially distanced) outdoors. From having looked at the pictures of the hotel ahead of time, I’m curious to find where The Ranch is located, because I’m currently driving through a bustling town, and while exciting, what I really need is mountains, the ocean and some refreshing quiet time.
A 7 minute drive from the heart of town and I’ve made it to my destination and as I enter into the driveway, I’m already in a different world – one surrounded by panoramic views of wondrous canyons and a refreshing scent of ocean breeze.
Upon arrival, I’m greeted by expansive views of the golf course, The Harvest (the charming hotel restaurant) and a gracious receptionist who gives me a brief description of the hotel layout and hands me a bamboo chip, which is the key to my room.
I settle into my private oasis, which is decorated with a farmhouse, ranch style theme – designed and decorated by @tuvaludesign. Both bright and airy and with a hint of country charm, the Canyon Room features a ridiculously plush king size bed outfitted with the hotel’s signature bedding and Italian linens, lavish bath amenities, Tuvalu-designed coastal ranch estate-quality furnishings and a patio with unobstructed views of the canyons – the perfect setting for morning coffee.
Sitting on 87 acres of land and with 97 guestrooms, there’s a lot of history and ground to explore here at The Ranch. The legacy of the land comes alive as I saunter through the grounds finding historic site plaques, old display photos and their on-site organic garden.
A little history: The history of the property dates back to 1871 where George and Sarah Thurston claimed the 152-acre homestead and a one-room shack. Years later, in 1956, Ben and Violet Brown purchased the property and made plans to build a destination resort and the area became established as The Ranch in 2013.
I’m here to indulge in some major R + R, so I head to ‘The Pond Pool & Bar’- the hotel’s heated saline pool which offers poolside cocktail service and complimentary sunscreen and towel service. Surrounded by majestic vistas and with a glass of chilled sauvignon blanc in hand, I whisk away into an undisturbed space of bliss. I could lay here forever.
I’m feeling my sense of calm restored, and with excitement about the hotel restaurant (thanks to the raving Yelp reviews), a friend and I make a reservation at The Harvest which offers an ever-evolving menu of Californian comfort food with ingredients both grown on property and locally sourced.
Live music from the patio welcomes us in and we take our seat amongst the sprawling 180- degree views of the canyons which take on a glowing yellow hue as the sun begins to set (stunning views are a common theme here at The Ranch). We start with an order of brussels sprouts dressed in sweet chili sauce and with toasted pecans, apples and radicchio alongside shrimp toast. For the main course, I order the Poached Ora King Salmon with a Pea Coulis which comes accompanied with wild mushrooms and leeks dressed in herb pistou. My friend has the Snake River Farms Grilled Eye of the Ribeye with sweet corn risotto, fava beans, asparagus and chipotle-lime butter. As we finish our last bites of our delectable meal, the sun sets and the string lights above us begin to illuminate our surroundings.
After I wake up to what feels like one of the best nights of sleep I’ve had in weeks, we take our coffees to the patio to be imbued by the morning calm of birds chirping and watch as the morning fog does its subtle frolic across the wondrous vistas.
We’re in the mood for a bit of an adventure so we take the 5 minute walk (I know, a long trek) to Aliso beach which offers a 7 mile stretch of captivating coastline, watersports and the hotel’s second restaurant, Lost Pier Café. We spend the afternoon lounging in the sun and indulging in fish tacos.
In an effort to go deeper into the state of calm I’m currently feeling, I book a deep tissue massage at the hotel’s spa, Sycamore Spa by Hudson – a collaboration with the Hudson Salon and Spa. I check-in for my appointment and after I slip into a plush robe, I’m greeted by my masseuse with a chilled glass of champagne and led to the patio for my treatment. For safety purposes, the spa has moved their massages outside and I’m more than thrilled about this, because massages with a view? Yes, please!
As the knots of my back start to loosen, I’m swept away into an unwavering sense of calm – one that quickly melts away any lingering tension from my mind and body.
I walk back to my room in a restful state of serenity and nothing sounds better than room service on the patio, and my friend agrees. I order pan seared scallops because frankly, I can never pass up scallops when featured on a menu. The scallops, cooked to perfection and dressed with coconut curry, fresno chilli and scallions come plated aside forbidden fried rice and heirloom carrots. My friend has a delectable bolognese pasta which I can’t resist taking a few bites from.
While enjoying our dinner in robes under the stars, I begin to reflect on my few days at The Ranch. Feeling recharged and excited to have found a new go-to resort in Laguna Beach, we fill two glasses with rosé and cheers to a trip to remember.
The Ranch’s new wellbeing practices (read more here):
• The Ranch has a new team of Sani-Czars who will oversee and champion sanitization protocols throughout the resort.
• A wellbeing amenity is provided upon check-in including a travel-sized, CDC-approved hand sanitizer, gloves and disposable masks.
• The health of team members is carefully monitored with daily temperature checks.
• Guests will find floor markers and signage throughout the resort for directions on physical distancing. OC Health legally requires that a face mask or covering in public areas. Face masks are available upon request.