June 20, 2017 Travel

Living It Up At The Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa

When it comes to the pinnacle of Southern California luxury, there’s no better place than the Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa.

California is known for what many would call the “fabulous” life. Luxury and beautiful landscapes are synomous with most resorts in California and the Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa perfectly illustrates why. We recently had the privilege of spending a few days at the Rancho Valencia courtesy of carmaker Mazda; here are our impressions of the resort.

Five-Star Luxury in Southern Cali

This is no run-of-the-mill luxury resort. The Rancho Valencia, located on 45 acres of parklike olive groves and lush gardens and with Mediterranean-inspired architecture, is one of the world’s most sought-after five-star luxury resorts. Staying there was an experience in itself, from the room service and the restaurants to the spa services like the Yoga Pavilion. Even just a short two-day stay was magical, thanks to the resort’s palatial 900 to 1300 square foot suites and the nearly 50 three-bedroom luxury villas with more than 3500 square feet of living space, inside and out.

Fresh from a $30 million renovation in 2013, Rancho Valencia has been gathering awards and accolades left and right, including the Five Diamond Award from AAA for four years running and being selected as one of the finest Five-Star hotels worldwide by the Forbes Travel Guide, also for the past four years. If that wasn’t enough, Condé Nast Traveler selected the resort for its Reader’s Choice Awards in 2016 and U.S. News & World Report named it the #1 resort in the nation in 2015.

Fêted in Style

From our welcome dinner on the resort’s Croquet Lawn replete with fresh sushi to room service serving up delicious morsels right to our room, our visit to the Rancho Valencia was a no-holds-barred feast for the senses. Between the two on-site restaurants – Veladora and The Pony Room – we experienced the ultimate in farm-to-table and locally sourced food, prepared by award-winning and world-renowned chefs. The best treat was the Wine Cave, a subterranean, brick-enclosed vault appointed with leather and glass accents where only the most elite of the resort’s vintages are kept.

Our visit wasn’t all stuffing our faces, though. Whether it was cocktails on the Sunrise Porch or around the fireplace of the Croquet Lawn, we were never at a loss for relaxation. One of the highlights of our stay was most certainly the Serenity Yoga Pavilion, where we had the opportunity to meditate and recenter ourselves after a long weekend of luxurious accommodations.

Back to the Real World

Sadly, our time at the Rancho Valencia came to an end. As we returned to the real world, we could only think of opportunities to return to the resort as soon as we could. Whether you’re looking for a summer getaway or a luxurious spa package, the Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa should be on the top of your list.