John and Jacqueline Kennedy honeymooned here in the Kennedy Cottage in 1953. Katharine Hepburn witnessed Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier wed in a secret midnight ceremony in the famed gardens. This is where Gwyneth Paltrow married Coldplay’s Chris Martin.
Trust the list of famous guests. Take in the dreamy photos. It’s not surprising that San Ysidro Ranch was named the World’s Best Romantic Hotel in the 2024 Boutique Hotel Club Awards.
Whether you’ve been to San Ysidro Ranch or dreamed of going, there’s something special about it. The ultimate staycation, here’s my fantasy itinerary if I had 24 hours in nature’s paradise with my love.
In the late afternoon, I'll check into one of the 38 bungalow-style cottages. I’ll take the Rosemary Cottage with the hot tub on the private back patio. The cottage has a private entrance leading into a spacious interior decorated with antiques and artwork collected from around the world. A four-poster canopy bed, mason-crafted fireplace, and private garden boast old-world elegance.
We grab a couple of bikes and get lost cruising the 550 lush acres, breezing by lavender fields, olive groves, and rose gardens. A hillside pool resembles the countryside in Provence. We tour the colorful vegetable garden, and I wonder what will be featured on The Stonehouse restaurant’s seasonal menu later.
After a relaxing dip in our hot tub and rinse in the outdoor rain shower, we head to the Secret Cellar for a guided wine tasting. Hidden within the Ranch’s 15,500-bottle wine collection, we’re surrounded by some of the world’s rarest bottles (including an 1893 bottle of Chateau d’Yquem).
We catch the lingering minutes of sunset from the fairy-lit terrace of the Stonehouse restaurant inside a 19th century citrus packing house. The fire is crackling, the staff is attentive, and everything is delicious. We cuddle in a red velvet booth for a nightcap at the Speakeasy at Plow & Angel.
We wake up wearing rose-colored glasses and have breakfast in our cottage. We stroll the grounds and approach a gorgeous terrace surrounded by flourishing trees and flowers. We pause to appreciate the moment and each other.
I want a massage, he wants a swim, and we agree to meet back up at the bungalow one last time after we're done. We could have booked the Lovebirds room for a couples treatment. Next time.
After checking out, we don’t want our escape to end, so we go for a nearby hike to catch a view from the top.