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What would it be like to live here?” I wonder while marinating in a Big Sur cliffside hot tub, staring out at the growing sunlight 1,200-feet above the Pacific Ocean. Mine is likely not a novel thought, particularly not at this place.
I’m at the Post Ranch Inn—which, with beginning nightly rates somewhere north of $1,000, is not exactly a “come one, come all” experience on its face. But, true to its lore, it’s an exceptionally special place. It’s the kind of hallowed experience worthy of scrimping, saving, and splurging on for the right moment, which many guests do, especially honeymooners. Celebs love it, too: Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly were recently here, as was Anne Hathaway, who had her wedding on-site.
The resort’s Sierra Mar restaurant overlooks Big Sur
Guests come for the understated exclusivity and luxury that seeps through every inch of the lush 160-acre property, the first to be homesteaded in Big Sur in the 1860s by William B. Post (he married a native woman who apparently had rights to the land). They also come to genuinely exist in nature.
By 1992, Post’s descendants transformed the perch into one of California’s first truly eco-friendly resorts, which today features 39 detached rooms built seamlessly into its surroundings with natural materials like sod roofs and reclaimed wood. Treehouses are nestled among towering redwoods, oceanfront suites peek out of the cliffside, and other cottages come with sprawling Santa Lucia mountain views. There’s not a bad seat—errrrm, bed—in the house. Some even have private hot tubs on their porches (wink, wink).
A farm-fresh lunch from the resort’s two-acre garden
But the Post Ranch Inn’s sustainability isn’t just a tagline, it’s a lifestyle. Dozens of employees live full-time on the property, including several multi-generational staff families. The resort is partly powered by 990 decades-old solar panels. By mid-2023, it will have completed another on-site solar field and will be 100% off the grid. It created the first commercial greywater system in Monterey County—all water used on-site is sourced and treated via seven on-property wells.
Single-use plastics and styrofoam are verboten. A two-acre organic garden provides the excellent restaurant, Sierra Mar, with nearly half of the restaurant’s fruits and veggies, depending on the season. On staff is a birds of prey handler, who nurtures falcons and provides sanctuary for the endangered California condor. Even the resort’s Covid protocols are earth-friendly: HEPA air filters are used in all public spaces and sanitizer is offered in the form of a non-toxic liquid detergent, ECA water.
Private patio hot tubs are a perk of some rooms at Post Ranch Inn
Post Ranch Inn is also a founding member of the “Beyond Green” resort portfolio, which requires brands be committed to delivering on the three pillars of sustainable tourism: environmentally friendly practices that go beyond the basics; protection of natural and cultural heritage; and contribution to the social and economic wellbeing of local communities. My firm belief is that if one is to indulge, it’s best to minimize the footprint. This resort has made facilitating that its mission.
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