Can Sea Ranch Lodge Be the Next Post Ranch Inn?
A Bay Area tech group has purchased the oceanfront 19-room Sea Ranch Lodge nestled on 52 acres in The Sea Ranch in Sonoma County, but no renovation or expansion plans have been made public as of yet.
THE SEA RANCH, CA—While a private Bay Area tech group purchased the full-service 19-room Sea Ranch Lodge earlier this year, no one is privy to the group’s future plans, at least publicly. The resort property on 52 acres is located in The Sea Ranch community, a master-planned development on the coast of Sonoma County. The Lodge is situated on more than 10 miles of coastline roughly 106 miles north of San Francisco, 58 miles north of Santa Rosa, 60 miles south of Mendocino and 85 miles west of Napa Valley.
HREC Investment Advisors arranged the sale of the Lodge, exclusively representing Fillmore Capital Partners LLC during the transaction. The sale was negotiated by Mike Armstrong, principal in the San Diego office, and Bill Murney, managing director in the Phoenix office. Christine Krenos, real estate agent with Compass Real Estate, represented the buyer. The price was undisclosed.
“The buyers got a great deal, as-is,” Armstrong tells GlobeSt.com. “The Lodge is well loved and it is a special place right on a bluff. It has so much potential, and I hope the new owners pick it up and dust it off to make it something special.”
Popular as an exclusive vacation and second-home destination, the quaint small town of The Sea Ranch is recognized for its perch on the rugged Sonoma Coast, ocean vistas, bluffs and expansive landscapes. Developed in 1963 by Castle and Cooke, the approximately 2,100-home community was designed to preserve the area’s natural beauty.
This preservation stance has resulted in a nearly unspoiled expanse of land but some wonder if The Sea Ranch could bend that thinking ever so slightly to expand the Lodge into a hospitality property that is worthy of its high-end homes and pristine surroundings? Residents say providing a richer hospitality experience at the Lodge would benefit the entire area.
“Sometimes I want to go to the Ranch and be pampered. To watch the ocean during the day, have a spa to spoil me and gaze at the stars at night from my luxury suite,” Susan Zetzer, homeowner at The Sea Ranch for the past five years, tells GlobeSt.com. “Why can’t we have a luxury eco-tourism lodge that showcases the most beautiful part of California? They did it at the Post Ranch Inn. Why not The Sea Ranch?”
There are a lot of similarities in the two properties, as Zetzer points out. Although constructed more recently, renowned 90-acre Big Sur resort Post Ranch Inn is also made with simple materials—wood, stone, steel and glass—that allow the buildings to blend into the landscape.
Its numerous structures were completed by architect G. K. “Mickey” Muennig in 1992 (with later expansions by Vladmir Frank). Architectural Digest described the Inn as “a masterpiece of California rustic chic”. Throughout the property, design elements from gently curved walls that mimic mountain contours to skylights perfectly placed to catch the rising sun pay tribute to the natural surroundings, the Digest observes.
OKB worked on a series of projects for the boutique hotel to both improve guest amenities and operational infrastructure for its renovation in 2017. Working within the language of the original Mickey Muennig-designed structures, the projects ranged from new guest units and renovation of existing structures to new prefabricated staff housing. The rustic palette of redwood and steel is maintained throughout while capitalizing on the spectacular landscape.
Joni L. Janecki and Associates Landscape Architects worked closely with Passport Resorts to design the landscape renovation and expansion for the Inn. The project incorporated private gardens and guest paths, integrated features as privacy screens and view frames, and blended functional infrastructure into the physically tight and close-knit site.
The design hinged on dual concerns: sensitivity to the natural environment and successful permitting with multiple agencies. The master plan incorporated elements such as new paths and roads, parking, guest rooms, water quality and storm water management, and a habitat management and restoration plan. The resulting landscape complements Big Sur’s natural ruggedness while highlighting the unique buildings and installations nestled into the property. Post Ranch Inn has been consistently recognized as one of the world’s top hotels by hospitality publications such as Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Forbes Travel Guide, GlobeSt.com learns.