Review of San Ysidro Ranch, Santa Barbara

[9V-SIA]

Introduction

San Ysidro Ranch is a romantic hideaway in Santa Barbara.

People remember it as the place Jackie and JFK spent their honeymoon.

I know it as the hotel chain that I helped build

Because Ty Warner made a living selling dolls... which I bought by the dozen for my girls!!

With the fortune he made, he built the Rosewood Hotels & Resorts chain.

YSR is the crown jewel of the chain

What An Entrance

A long olive tree-lined driveway leads to...



.. a guard house. Once they check you out..



.. the road leads to the Reception Building on the left and restaurants straight ahead.



Front view of Reception Building



Stonehouse Restaurant ( formal dining )



Plough & Angel is below Stonehouse and is approached from the garden



Plough & Angel serves pub food. It's beautiful at night with an outdoor fireplace & fairy lights

[9V-SIA]

The Reception Building

Small Lobby



Reception. You can't see it but on the left hand side of desk are home-baked cookies.



Living Room. Very Ralph Lauren...



Library. I was expecting to see RL pop up from behind an armchair



Library looking through to the living room to the lobby & shop



The small shop..



.. filled with beanie babies for sale

[9V-SIA]

Our Cottage

Each cottage has its own car park..



Our cottage..



.. Acacia. Note newspapers delivered in box by gate



Landing outside our room. Our surname on a wooden plaque by the door



View as you enter the cottage. Gas-fired fireplace. Door by the study table leads to bathroom



View of the entrance



So now you know..



Don't usually drink but it helped me sleep



Complimentary snacks topped up daily



Fridge. Everything non-alchoholic is complimentary



View of bedroom and hot tub in our private garden beyond

[9V-SIA]

Rest Of The Cottage

Very comfy bed so slept like a log. There was a TV in the bedroom too. Free Wifi



Looking at the living room towards the bathroom



Nice bathroom





Step out of bedroom into the hot-tub. It's beautiful at night when you can see all the stars. No light pollution



Outdoor shower



I prefer the indoor one

[9V-SIA]

The Grounds

The grounds are like a giant lollipop.

The long driveway is the stick.



It arrives at the reception..



... then runs between Reception and restaurants up the hill...



Note garden behind Reception



... and loops back down to reception.

Within the loop, behind reception, the garden "terraces" its way up the hill...





... to a pond ...



... pergola...



.. Suites..



Above Suites is sports complex. Pool & gym...



Indoor gym.




The view from the gym




Outside loop are the cottages like ours ..

[jhm]

Thanks, 9V-SIA! Belated congratulations for your 20th!

The bath tub looks a bit dinky ? Certainly not big enough for two...!

Any food pics ?

[StarG]

Nice cottage, 9V-SIA.
Having lived in LA for four years, I have never visited Santa Barbara!

[milehighj]

Very nice, thanks for posting!

Did you prebook that C350 from Hertz?

[9V-SIA]

Belated congratulations for your 20th!

Thanks!

The bath tub looks a bit dinky ? Certainly not big enough for two...!

I have iPhone pictures to disprove that view

Any food pics ?

We ate in a lot of dark restaurants so pics didn't come out well

Neither were the restaurants particularly good ( compared to Japan )

Nice cottage, 9V-SIA.
Having lived in LA for four years, I have never visited Santa Barbara!

Very nice area. Memorable drive along the coast

Very nice, thanks for posting!

Did you prebook that C350 from Hertz?

C300 was prebooked from Hertz Prestige Collection

Nice to drive and reasonably priced ( by SIN standards )

[9V-SIA]

SYR: Things To Do

Trekking



This stream runs along the eastern border of SYR. Cottages on that side can hear the sound of a babbling brook.







Croquet



Croquet lawn. Pool behind fence



Outdoor gym



Overlooks croquet lawn





Throwing horseshoes



Bocce Balls



Above Sports Complex ( you can see the pergola of outdoor gym & green umbrella around pool )



My regret this trip is spending the whole day touring the region and not spending enough time at the resort.

If you want to stay here, stay here! Otherwise, I suggest Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara. Nearer town. Same owner.

[Kyo]

C300 was prebooked from Hertz Prestige Collection

Nice to drive and reasonably priced ( by SIN standards )

Did the same (very happy with it, too, as it got us out of a hairy spot last night) and just drove past San Ysidro y'day thinking of your journey - congratulations on your anniversary from the same Peninsula your TR is leading towards...

Thanks for the tip also on Camarillo...

[globetrekker84]

Lovely pictures! Thank you!

[kpc]

Nice review...how do you pronounce the name of the ranch?

[9V-SIA]

...congratulations on your anniversary...

Thanks for the tip also on Camarillo...

Thanks and you're welcome

Lovely pictures! Thank you!

Welcome

Nice review...how do you pronounce the name of the ranch?

I pronounce it year-sid-drow but open to correction

[HUGE AL]

Very nice pictures. Another great TR.

Congrats!