THE GRAND DEL MAR RESORT
San Diego, CA / TheGrandDelMar.com
by Kimi Applegate
This exclusive lifestyle resort ensures that every discerning and leisure traveler experiences topquality service. The Grand Del Mar inspires every moment with supreme comfort and warm, discreet service. Once immersed in the opulent, tranquil atmosphere, each guest will find that they have traveled to a very special place that offers amazing activities, fine dining and a luxurious spa. The Grand Del Mar is uniquely located in the Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve. The lush grounds invite each guest to explore its natural beauty. Golfing and hiking are a few of the activities available to guests, and for travelers who enjoy the outdoors, the beauty and peacefulness of the resort’s surroundings are sure to be appreciated. The resort’s signature restaurant Addison inspires each palate, fusing fresh ingredients with creative, contemporary French influences. A seasonal, four-course menu offers an evening of culinary excellence that encourages repeat visits. Indulge the senses at the resort’s tranquil spa for a relaxing and rejuvenating experience. Every care floats away as an experienced professional guides the way to complete renewal.
The Ritz-Carlton
Half Moon Bay, CA / Ritz-Carlton.com
Guests are greeted with a welcoming smile and a glass of a regional Carmel Valley wine upon arrival at The Ritz-Carlton at Half Moon Bay. The scenic resort with breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean encourages guests to indulge in fun activities and services that relax and rejuvenate the body. Guest rooms are spacious with feather beds, crisp white duvets and 300-thread count Egyptian cotton sheets that mimic the feeling of sleeping on clouds. Marble bathrooms are luxurious with first-class amenities, the flicker of candlelight and rose petals surrounding the bathtub beckoning romance. The spa is perched atop a scenic bluff with sweeping coastal vistas and provides the perfect setting for renewal and reflection.
The healing power of the sea combined with treatments ease away tension and leave the body and mind thoroughly refreshed. Overlook the waves while playing a few rounds of golf at two of the most distinctive, exhilarating and challenging PGA golf courses. The natural terrain of the Pacific coast provides the perfect backdrop for the courses designed by Arthur Hills, Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer. Engage in a fine-dining culinary experience at Navio while overlooking the ocean. Floor-to-ceiling windows and an open-air kitchen set the scene. Menus utilizing the freshest catch from neighboring Princeton Harbor and California’s best produce are presented daily. Additional activities include a fitness center, yoga studio, outdoor whirlpool, outdoor fire pits, coastline trails, tennis courts and a basketball court.
L’Auberge Carmel
Carmel, CA / LAubergeCarmel.com
L’Auberge Carmel is a romantic, boutique hotel in the heart of Carmel just steps away from world-class art galleries, dining, shopping and pristine beaches. Each of the 20 rooms in the 1929 European-style luxury hotel is charming and unique. Relax in a spa bathtub with a glass of wine or curl up with a loved one in the luxurious linens. Dine at the hotel’s highly-acclaimed restaurant where Executive Chef Walter Manzke prepares mouth-watering California cuisine with European influences for the intimate, 12-table restaurant. L’Auberge has an extensive underground wine cellar beneath the inn’s courtyard that houses a 4,500 bottle collection that features great wines from around the world but especially wines from Monterey County, California and France. Visit Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Resort, which is home to two of the top-10 golf course renovations in the U.S. according to Golf Digest. Both courses feature tournament-ready layouts and will host U.S. Open qualifiers. Bayonet was named to the magazine’s “50 Toughest Golf Courses” list, ranking No. 35.