San Ysidro Ranch Named 'America's Best Hotel' By Forbes (United States)
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San Ysidro Ranch Named 'America's Best Hotel' By Forbes (United States)
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Category: North America & West Indies / Carribean islands - United States - Exclusive experiences
- Rewards
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2009-01-27
Legendary retreat receives highest honor from the world's most discerning travelers
The annual Forbes 400 list which ranks the best luxury hotels and resorts in the world has just named San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California, as "America's Best Hotel." The selection was made by a board of elite luxury travelers including Peter Greenberg, Todd English and Arianna Huffington, as well as top travel professionals like Matthew Upchurch of Virtuoso, Ltd. and Benson Cowan from Butterfield & Robinson.
Forbes Traveler emphasizes the elegance of the Ranch's 41 cottages which feature stone fireplaces, four-poster king-size beds draped in the finest European linens, and large bathrooms filled with votive candles and Acqua Di Parma products. The rooms are filled with carefully chosen antiques, original artwork and each opens onto a private patio complete with hot tub and rain shower. The 500 acre property includes lily ponds, "breathtaking" gardens, along with 17 miles of stunning hiking trails in the adjacent Santa Ynez Mountains.
Today a sandstone packing house built in 1889 accommodates the Stonehouse restaurant, where Chef John Trotta cooks with fruits, vegetables and herbs grown on the Ranch's grounds in his contemporary American cuisine. The more casual Plow and Angel, located downstairs, is a local favorite for its cozy ambience - and mac 'n' cheese.
The Ranch was purchased in 2000 by Ty Warner, who subsequently invested $150 million in an ambitious 3-year renovation. On receiving his "America's Best Hotel" award, Mr. Warner commented, "I recognized this property's unique design when I was a guest here more than 30 years ago and am so grateful to be a part of its magnificent history."
Warner is no stranger to Forbes List, having landed on their ranking of The World's Billionaires and The 400 Richest Americans for more than a decade.
In addition to the San Ysidro Ranch, Warner owns other one-of-a-kind luxury hotel properties including the Four Seasons Hotel New York, Las Ventanas al Paraiso and Four Seasons Biltmore and Coral Casino Beach & Cabana Club, both in Santa Barbara. Warner is also the Chairman, CEO and founder of Ty Inc., the largest manufacturer of plush toys in the world which includes Beanie Babies(TM) and TyGirlz(TM).
San Ysidro Ranch - A Brief History: The story of San Ysidro Ranch, named after San Ysidro the patron saint of Madrid, is intertwined with the history of Old California. Originally part of land titled in 1769 by the King of Spain, the Ranch served as a way station for Franciscan monks in the late 1700s, a working citrus ranch in the 1800s, and hosted its first guests in 1893. In the 1930s, Hollywood discovered the Ranch, transforming it into a hospitality haven for celebrities. Famous guests over the years range from Audrey Hepburn, Lucille Ball, Bing Crosby and Groucho Marx to Winston Churchill, Somerset Maugham and Sinclair Lewis. Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier were married at the Ranch, John and Jacqueline Kennedy honeymooned there and John Huston completed the script for African Queen during a three-month stay.
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