Big Sur
California


The Experience

The Ventana Inn is a favorite romantic getaway for entertainment personalities, who revel in the privacy. In 1975, producer Lawrence Spector took his Easy Rider profits and created the inn on a hillside 1,200 feet above the ocean. The competition is right across the way -- the over-a-decade-younger Post Ranch Inn. Both properties have loyal customers, and each has had a steady flow of celebrities over the years. Ventana has a bit more of the hippie-era mentality that one associates with Big Sur, including an extra clothing-optional pool and Japanese bath, but generally offers the same opportunity to tune out the stresses of life and commune with forest, cliffs and ocean from rustic-style five-star digs.

The Rooms

Rooms at Ventana feel like cabins in the woods that have all the comforts of home -- as long as home includes cedar paneling, leather armchairs and Oriental carpets. Generally, the rooms tend to be cozy, although the wood paneling can feel a bit dark during the day. Even the 390-square-feet entry-level rooms have generous decks, while the larger (420 square feet) superior fireplace rooms feature hot tubs on their decks, along with dining alcoves and four-poster beds. The newly renovated spa suites have slate bathrooms from which doors open onto the decks, and the four large Vista suites add on views across the rolling meadow to the sea.

The Service

Service can be very good and friendly, or completely indifferent in a kind of "take it or leave it" fashion. When the inn is not particularly busy, they've been known to happily ferry guests about for a pick of the rooms. The resort provides a pre-arrival concierge who'll make spa and dinner reservations and customize the amenities. Once there, you'll find the staff can seem invisible, which is either wonderful, if you crave privacy, or horrible, if you want service. One snag in the otherwise idyllic situation: There is no breakfast room service, so one has to shuffle out in one's bathrobe to bring back a tray.

The Highlights

Ventana is more than just a romantic escape, it's a return to nature -- surrounded by stands of oak, fir and redwood, meadows that can be full of wildflowers and the always-present Pacific Ocean. You can go for a hike or take a complimentary yoga or tai chi class. Go in late fall when the monarch butterflies come to roost, or in midwinter to watch California gray whales or take a class in mushroom hunting. You can enjoy the complimentary wine and cheese hour, or watch the sun set over the ocean with cocktails on the deck at Cielo -- pairing the Mediterranean cuisine with a choice of 600 bottles on the wine list -- where panoramic views of the cliffs and ocean are unforgettable.

-- Laurel Delp

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