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Ventana Inn & Spa Review

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Ventana Inn & Spa

Address: Hwy. 1, almost 1 mi south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Big Sur, CA, 93920 | Map It
Phone: 831/667-2331; 800/628-6500
Fax: 831/667-0573
www.ventanainn.com

Price range: $$$$
Location: Big Sur

Write a review | Avg. member rating: 4.4/5

Fodor's Review:

Hundreds of celebrities, from Oprah Winfrey to Sir Anthony Hopkins, have escaped to Ventana, a romantic resort on 243 tranquil acres 1,200 feet above the Pacific. The activities here are purposely limited. You can sunbathe (there is a clothing-optional deck and pool), walk or ride horses in the nearby hills, or pamper yourself with mind-and-body treatments at the Allegria Spa or in your own private quarters. All rooms have walls of natural wood and cool tile floors; some have private hot tubs on their patios. The inn's Cielo restaurant ($$$-$$$$) showcases fine California cuisine and wine. Pros: Nature trails everywhere, great food, secluded. Cons: Simple breakfast, some rooms need updating.

Hotel Details: 25 rooms, 31 suites, 3 houses
In-room: DVD, Internet, Wi-Fi (some).
In-hotel: restaurant, bar, pools, gym, spa, no-smoking rooms.
Rate includes: Full breakfast
Credit Cards: AE, D, DC, MC, V

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Member Reviews and Ratings

Reviewed by Sasha_Matt from Palm Springs, California on 10/23/07
My husband and I just came back from a stay at the Ventana. We had a two story fireplace room with a view of the ocean. The room and surroundings felt like we were "roughing it" in style. We saw deer walk up to our lower balcony, bluebirds fly up to us on the upper balcony and woke up to a glorious sunrise from our big picture window. The staff was always ready to help but knew how to make themselves invisible until you needed them. We were able to walk around in our robes and slippers that were provided in the room for us and all over the property and spent part of the afternoon lazing about in one of the many hammocks set out in the woods. We will absolutely stay here again when we want to get away and relax in style. All that said, the one thing we would do differently is that we would eat elsewhere. We expected that Cielo, the Ventana restaurant, would have fantastic views, a wonderful atmosphere, and excellent food. Sadly, none of those things were true. The only real views of the water appeared to be from one side of the hotel, and if you got there past 7pm (we can't eat that early) there was no view at all. The atmosphere did not at all feel like an upscale restaurant, and instead felt like it was a very nice chain restaurant that was trying hard. The service was great, although our waiter seemed rushed and overwhelmed even though he had only three tables. And then there was the food. The fois gras was more of a chunky pate with apple sauce on the side and was so oversalted that it was inedible. Our main courses had a terrible presentation, were passably acceptable, and were in general so underwhelming that we did not even bother with dessert. And we never skip dessert. Next time, we will likely stay in the Ventana without reservation, but make sure that we eat somewhere that the food is more than just passable. One note, the bar area in the restaurant is lovely with a great bartender and a fantastic selection of liquors, which helped to make up for the dining disaster.