Exclusive Experiences Wine & Unwind Close to Home!

San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito – The Ranch has a historical guest list: Groucho Marx, Winston Churchill, Sinclair Lewis, and John Huston, who finished writing the screenplay for The African Queen while in residence. Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh exchanged midnight wedding vows on the grounds, and Camelot began here with John and Jackie Kennedy honeymooning in the cottage that now bears their name.

syr collectortour hero
San Ysidro Ranch, Montecito

Tucked away in the leafy foothills of Santa Barbara, San Ysidro Ranch offers a unique blend of privacy, peace, and tranquility in an idyllic setting. Thirty-eight vine-covered cottages surrounded by incredibly landscaped gardens with flowers always in bloom under a canopy of stately sycamores and gnarled oaks make this exclusive property destination unplugged from the rest of the world. Citrus groves, olive trees, brilliantly colored lantanas, lily pond, and the sweet smell of orange blossoms, fragrant magnolias, and jasmine make you think that you have just discovered a slice of paradise.

san ysidro secluded cottages
San Ysidro Ranch, Montecito

Whether you’re a collector of rare wines or unique experiences, San Ysidro Ranch’s new “California Wine Country” package offers an extraordinarily elegant way to explore this celebrated region. Enjoy a five-day itinerary of private wine tastings, picnics, and much more – all thoughtfully curated by chefs and sommeliers with innate knowledge of the Santa Ynez Valley.

Romantic  Cottages individually decorated cottages feature a gated entry with an enclosed garden and adjacent private parking. Interiors are sprinkled with antiques and original artwork recalling a relaxed European country-home feel. Furnishings include Persian rugs, stone fireplaces, king-sized four-poster beds, oversized sunken spas, and outdoor rainfall showers.

The Ranch provides several premier dining settings featuring a palate of herbs and vegetables harvested from the onsite chef’s garden. The Stonehouse, a Wine Spectator Grand Award-winning restaurant, is located in a 19th-century citrus packing house and has a romantic full-bar lounge and separate dining room with an outdoor terrace and a crackling fireplace. For a more casual destination, the Plow & Angel offers more regional cuisine and a convivial ambiance as a local favorite. Housed in a storybook setting, the Carriage House features fireside dining with French doors opening to a private stone-paved courtyard, ideal for intimate gatherings and celebrations. The Wine Cellar features a masonry barrel-vaulted ceiling with a stunning glass doorway leading to a patio canopied by lantern-lit loquat trees, next to a crackling fireplace. If you prefer a more intimate setting, arrange for private dining in the original Old Adobe, a California historical landmark built on the property in 1825.

san ysidro restaurant stonehouse at night
San Ysidro Ranch, Montecito

Fly SouthWest out of Oakland to Santa Barbara now- so convenient compared to the fog plagued SFO /SB Route!

Exclusive Summer Wine & Dine Offering:

  • Four Night Stay With Wine and Cheese Welcome Amenity: Each of the intimate bungalow-style cottages offer a private entrance, complimentary cottage-side parking with an electric vehicle charger, cozy fireplaces and private backyard gardens with outdoor rain showers and sunken spas. Guests are greeted with a bottle of local wine and artisanal cheese plate. 
  • One Day Bike Rental and Gourmet Picnic Basket: Enjoy a bike ride into Santa Barbara with a self-guided tour of the best tasting rooms in town, plus a gourmet picnic basket to enjoy around property, in town or at the beach. 
  • Private In-Cottage Wine Tasting: Advanced Sommelier Tristan Pitre will guide guests through a customized flight of 6 wines in the comfort of their cottage. The flight can be tailored to individual interests and the overall experience is designed to be fun, engaging and educational.
  • Private Wine Tasting Trip to the Santa Ynez Valley: Santa Ynez Valley is one of California’s most appealing wine regions offering a relaxed, uncrowded experience with some of the best wine and food in the state. We will organize a custom itinerary for you, including round-trip transportation, featuring some of the top wineries in Santa Ynez Valley, all just a short ride away.
  • Four-Course Dinner at Stonehouse and Wine Cellar Tour: Set inside a 19th century citrus packing house, the Stonehouse Restaurant exudes the rustic romance of its historic setting. Executive Chef Matt Johnson will prepare a customized four-course meal with wine pairings picked by the sommelier. Guests will also get an exclusive look at the 12,000 bottle wine cellar featuring some of the most sought-after vintage varietals in the world, accompanied by a glass of bubbly and canapes. 
  • Vinatherapy Wine Wrap at the Salon & Spa: The Vinatherapy Wine Wrap is a luxurious body treatment removing dead skin cells and deeply hydrating while utilizing the powerful antioxidant properties of the grape. After, sip a bellini on the vine-covered spa patio next to a cascading waterfall while enjoying smells of fragrant rosemary and lavender.
san ysidro ranch view of the gardens
San Ysidro Ranch, Montecito

Serenity Now! Ojai and Montecito, Village Life.

My longing for an Epic Voyage is almost crushing. Have you ever analyzed your favorite travel, have you created a list? What does it look like? Is Beach Therapy your go to? Is it adventure and the African savanna’s whispering to you? Or are you craving the majestic calm beauty of Bhutan?

I’ve been safely venturing to boutique properties I hadn’t visited due to a much more intense travel program, and I’ve truly enjoyed re discovering the wine country, Malibu, and Santa Barbara again. Epic Adventure is in planning stage, I will triple vaccinate and mosey to Morocco, Madrid, and Paris.

San Ysidro Ranch, Montecito

New clients asked, how do we create a combo Journey? A new Travel Recipe Series. I.E. we are considering the Maldives and Singapore – and yes they have read my posts on the two Four Seasons in the Maldives and understand my obsession with the magical seas. One of my most favorite Journeys was to the Maldives and despite the long trek, you will want to stay longer than planned!  It may sound exaggerated, but it is true: there aren’t enough superlatives to describe the staggering natural beauty of the Maldives fully and accurately. Note to the dear Four Seasons GM – who invited me for a two-week exploration, sending clients soon, promise!

Discovering that SW airline fly’s direct from Oakland to Santa Barbara, I reserved immediately! I can’t tell you how many times United has forsaken me on their SFO/ SBA routing. My elderly godmother and ancient aunties deserved a visit, off I went.

Ojai Valley Inn, Ojai

Summer heat and pink moment sunsets at the Ojai Valley Inn didn’t disappoint. Two legendary properties, the Inn, and San Ysidro Ranch in the hills of Montecito are a great combo. Sun and the sea. Frank Capra used a long view shot of the Ojai Valley to represent the mythical paradise in the classic film Lost Horizon. In 1923, Edward Drummond Libbey, a wealthy Ohio glass manufacturer and philanthropist, commissioned California architect Wallace Neff to build a private Ojai Country Club. The architectural remnants of the original Spanish-colonial-style design are still in evidence; the hotel offers a little over 300 spacious and tastefully decorated rooms, a relaxing spa, four pools and several restaurants. I’ve always loved sitting beneath the massive Oak Tree terrace for lunch or dinner. The property spreads across a gentle rolling hillside into a deep green valley punctuated by massive Oak trees; the rambling flow of Spanish Revival style buildings resemble a picturesque village of red tile roofs sheltering white stucco walls, typical of what you might view in remote Spanish or Tuscan villages. I met a lovely mom and daughter enjoying a week together, bicycling into town and I shared in my favorite retail therapy boutiques. Several VV Chic Summerland and Montecito shops have added outposts here.

Moving a bit north to Montecito, several first-class options, sadly the Four Seasons is temporarily closed, if you need beach therapy, it is truly la tragédie. Montecito exudes a quiet glam, it doesn’t scream opulence, mansions yes, but most are gated or secreted behind walls of expertly pruned shrubbery and manicured gardens, an enclave of concealed wealth. Nestled between the mountains and the sea, San Ysidro Ranch is another legendary hideaway. The Ranch has a historical guest list: Groucho Marx, Winston Churchill, Sinclair Lewis, and John Huston, who finished writing the screenplay for The African Queen while in residence. Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh exchanged midnight wedding vows on the grounds, and Camelot began here with John and Jackie Kennedy honeymooning in the cottage that now bears their name.

Ultimate seclusion and almost perpetually blessed by sunshine if the beach below is foggy. Tucked away in the leafy foothills of Montecito, San Ysidro Ranch offers a unique blend of privacy, peace, and tranquility in an idyllic setting. Thirty-eight vine-covered cottages surrounded by incredibly landscaped gardens with flowers always in bloom under a canopy of stately sycamores and gnarled oaks make this exclusive property destination unplugged from the rest of the world. Citrus groves, olive trees, brilliantly colored lantanas, lily pond, and the sweet smell of orange blossoms, fragrant magnolias, and jasmine make you think that you have just discovered a slice of paradise. Pass the guard cabin and another world awaits. Oprah and Harry live just up the winding San Ysidro Road.

The Ranch provides several premier dining settings featuring a palate of herbs and vegetables harvested from the onsite chef’s garden. The Stonehouse, a Wine Spectator Grand Award-winning restaurant, is in a 19th-century citrus packing house and has a romantic full-bar lounge and separate dining room with an outdoor terrace and a crackling fireplace. For a more casual destination, the Plow & Angel offers more regional cuisine and a convivial ambiance as a local favorite. Housed in a storybook setting, the Carriage House features fireside dining with French doors opening to a private stone-paved courtyard.

San Ysidro Ranch, Montecito

Montecito is chock-a-block with charming boutiques, fancy deli’s, delicious dining, and if you perch front and center outside the entrance of the very popular Lucky’s Restaurant, you may think you’ve been transported to Palm Beach. Oh my, peacocks parade each evening… it’s splendid people watching, as Dorothy uttered to Toto – “I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

Safe, luxurious, easy to and fro – Our local car service can also motor you down the coast, he has been driving a client weekly to Santa Barbara since last year!

Taking a break or a vacation may save your life, we live in the country of No Vacation Nation, which is unhealthy, time off is integral to emotional health. An attorney friend once told me he billed for shower time as it was the most productive time for thinking. According to health experts you have your best ideas in the shower or on a walk—or on vacation!

Ojai Valley Inn, Ojai

Serenity Now means taking good care of yourself.