The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe

Character and identity

Set on 11 landscaped acres in horse country, less than 10 miles inland from Del Mar but climatically and tonally a world away, this 80-room property reopened in late 2023 after a $50 million reimagining by designer Steve Hermann. The Spanish Colonial Revival bones (whitewashed stucco, red tile roofs, ivy-covered bungalows) now meet mid-century furniture and 1920s starlet glamour inside. Lilian's, the main restaurant, runs a sustainable, zero-waste kitchen under chef Moira Hill; Bing's Bar handles classic cocktails in a wood-panelled room. The spa is Mila Moursi's first hotel partnership. Service is friendly and unhurried, in keeping with SoCal.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What defines a stay here is the tone: a private, grown-up, country-club weekend wrapped in 1920s glamour, with a serious spa and a kitchen that actually delivers. Book a bungalow with a fireplace and patio for the full effect, bring a partner or your closest friends rather than the kids, and build the days around the pool, Moursi facials and dinner at Lilian's.