Post Ranch Inn

Hotel · Big Sur, United States

Post Ranch Inn

On the cliffs of Big Sur, Post Ranch Inn pairs ocean-facing rooms without televisions with a Michelin Three-Key restaurant and a spa reserved for hotel guests.

Check dates & enquire

Overview

Post Ranch Inn sits above the Pacific along Highway 1 in Big Sur, with guest accommodation organised into distinct architectural types rather than uniform hotel rooms. The Cliff House, Pacific Suite and Ocean House command ocean views from indoor and outdoor spaces, including private soaking tubs. Inland, the Peak, Coast, Tree and Mountain Houses turn toward the redwood forest and the ridge above, each built around a different relationship to the trees and hillside. The Butterfly building takes its shape from its name, while the Post House and Castro are stand-alone houses offering additional privacy. None of the rooms have televisions or alarm clocks.

Sierra Mar, the property's restaurant, sits on the cliffside and serves a prix-fixe lunch and dinner alongside a breakfast reserved for hotel guests. The kitchen draws on an on-site Chef's Garden and a list of named local purveyors along the central coast, including Big Sur Sea Salts and the Cheese Shop in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Sierra Mar has received the MICHELIN Green Star and has won Wine Spectator's Grand Award every year since 2012; its cellar holds more than 3,200 selections, with a focus on the Santa Lucia Highlands, Santa Cruz Mountains and Paso Robles.

The Post Ranch Spa, recently rebuilt and now nearly twice its original size, is reserved for hotel guests and includes five treatment rooms, a facial room and the Redwood Sanctuary, a private suite for two. Guests can also book sessions with a resident shaman, join complimentary yoga and guided nature walks, or use the heated infinity pools and 24-hour fitness centre. The land was worked by the Post family for generations, first as a homestead and later as a farm, before its present use as a hotel.

Rooms
On request
Minimum stay
1 night
Check in
15:00
Check out
12:00

Why we like it

  • MICHELIN Guide has awarded Post Ranch Inn Three Keys for the second consecutive year, one of 16 hotels in the US to hold this distinction
  • Sierra Mar restaurant received the MICHELIN Green Star and has won Wine Spectator's Grand Award every year since 2012
  • Andrew Harper named Post Ranch Inn the #1 Top Hideaway in the US in its 2025 Members' Choice Awards, the second consecutive year
  • The wine cellar at Sierra Mar holds more than 3,200 selections
  • Guest rooms have no televisions or alarm clocks
  • The property includes ten distinct room and house categories, from the Tree House to the private Post House and Castro

Gallery

Rooms & suites

Categories shown for orientation. Your travel advisor will confirm which are available for your dates and recommend the one that suits the trip.

  • Cliff House

    Interior spaces are oriented toward the Pacific, with a private outdoor deck and soaking tub facing the ocean.

    Up to 2 guests
    Ocean view
  • Pacific Suite

    A curved interior offers ocean views from the bedroom, living room, shower and soaking tub.

    Up to 2 guests
    Ocean view
  • Ocean House

    Freestanding rooms with curved, living roofs covered in grass and wildflowers. Southern rooms have an indoor spa tub; northern rooms have an outdoor soaking tub and walk-in shower.

    Up to 2 guests
    Panoramic ocean view
  • Peak House

    Set over the top of the ridge, with a private deck for morning coffee and a private outdoor stainless steel soaking tub for the evening.

    Up to 2 guests
    Mountain view
  • Coast House

    A circular design mirrors the surrounding redwood trees, with an indoor fireplace and an outdoor deck facing the ocean and neighbouring forest.

    Up to 2 guests
    Ocean and forest view
  • Tree House

    Freestanding, triangular rooms with a window seat and a skylight over the bed, set among the trees for forest scenery and stargazing.

    Up to 2 guests
    Forest view
  • Mountain House

    A circular design drawing on the surrounding redwood trees, set among the trees and mountains.

    Up to 2 guests
    Mountain view
  • Butterfly

    An architecturally distinct building shaped like a butterfly with outstretched wings, among the property's room types.

    Up to 2 guests

Amenities

  • Sierra Mar restaurant
  • Wine cellar
  • Post Ranch Spa
  • Infinity pools
  • Lap pool
  • 24-hour fitness centre
  • Chef's Garden
  • In-room dining
  • Valet parking
  • Complimentary WiFi
  • Shaman sessions

Reserving through us

Included when your travel advisor confirms this stay

  • Daily breakfast for two
  • Room upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
  • Property credit or equivalent where the house offers one
  • Early check in and late check out on request
  • Welcome amenity and your travel agent known to the general manager

Eligible preferred amenities are applied wherever available, subject to the property at the time of stay, and are confirmed in your proposal.

Location

Big Sur, United States

Highway One from San Francisco to Los Angeles, cliff top inns and redwoods to the sea.

Questions

Do the rooms at Post Ranch Inn have televisions?
No. Rooms have no televisions or alarm clocks, part of the property's approach to a distraction-free stay.
Is the Post Ranch Spa open to the public?
No. The Post Ranch Spa is for the exclusive use of hotel guests.
What is included with a stay?
Daily breakfast, daily resort activities such as yoga, outdoor meditation, garden tours and guided nature walks, access to the infinity and lap pools, valet parking, use of Lexus vehicles for guests with a valid U.S. driver's licence, access to the fitness centre, and complimentary WiFi.
How large is the wine list at Sierra Mar?
Sierra Mar offers more than 3,200 wine selections, with a focus on the Santa Lucia Highlands, the Santa Cruz Mountains and Paso Robles, alongside a cellar of Burgundy and Bordeaux.
Can guests bring their own wine to Sierra Mar?
Yes. The restaurant allows two 750mL bottles per reservation, subject to a corkage service charge.
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