HotelChatter

Big Sur Fire

Big Sur Fire Update :: Posh Retreats Still Closed Due to Evacuation

July 7, 2008 at 9:14 AM | 0 Comments

Last Wednesday, the Big Sur area was evacuated due to the huge fire that has been blazing nearby for about two weeks.

This weekend, temperatures cooled slightly and winds were a bit slower, enabling firefighters to make some significant progress. As of Sunday night, the fire was 11% contained.

Businesses -- posh retreats like the Ventana Inn and the Post Ranch Inn among them -- received the evacuation orders as well, and the Post Ranch Inn has posted an update on their website:

Our reservations department will be opening a remote office beginning next week (July 8th) and we will be in contact with you then. Notwithstanding, please note we will honor cancellations due to the fire, and there will be a full refund on deposits. Feel free to email us, but be aware we may be unable to get back to you immediately.

Also, while Big Sur Lodge remains closed, their website says the property luckily "isn't under dire threat," but the area is "very smoky."

We also checked in on Treebones Resort which, as of July 5th, remains open since the resort is located below the active fire line.

Unfortunately, the expected containment date on this fire isn't until the end of July. If you've been planning to head to Big Sur in the next few weeks, we suggest calling your hotel or checking their website to stay updated on their operating status.

[Photo: Jim Wilson for the New York Times]

Big Sur Fire

Big Sur Fire Closes Posh Retreats Like Ventana Inn and The Post Ranch

July 3, 2008 at 12:40 PM | 0 Comments

It will not be a happy Fourth of July weekend for the residents and businesses in Big Sur. A huge fire has been growing for nearly two weeks, intensifying on Tuesday and forcing a complete evacuation of Big Sur.

Posh retreats like the Ventana Inn and the Post Ranch Inn have also been evacuated.

So far, the Post Ranch Inn does not have an update on their website. The Ventana Inn however has issued an notice on their website:

Relocation assistance was provided as needed and physical room to room search was performed to ensure all guests had evacuated.  The management has began contacting guests scheduled to arrive in the next few days to let them know Ventana Inn & Spa, Cielo Restaurant and Allegria Spa will remain closed until further notice.

Also we know that the Big Sur Lodge is closed and we imagine the Treebones Resort is as well.

If you're headed to Big Sur in the coming weeks and not staying at one of these hotels but another one in the area, we suggest giving them a call or checking their website to see exactly what their status is.

Sadly, this is just one of 1,100 fires burning in California right now, according to CalFire, the state fire agency.

[Photo: Jim Wilson for the New York Times]

Unusual Hotels

Treebones: The Big Sur Hotel That Nearly Wasn't

May 7, 2008 at 9:20 AM | 0 Comments

We passed on Peter Greenberg's tips about the Treebones Resort in Big Sur a short while ago, and now this collection of yurts has made it onto a list from Budget Travel magazine too: a list of accommodations in Big Sur for under $200 a night.

The odd thing about Treebones is that the owners never intended to build a hotel or resort of any kind. They bought the land there to retire on, and then discovered that new planning laws prevented them from simply building a house. And gradually the idea of the yurts developed--because they didn't want a "normal hotel"--and Treebones as we now know it, 16 simple wooden yurts and a lodge--came to be.

Rates are still the same, starting at $155 a night. They have got a special coming up if you're in to planning ahead to 2009--a whale watchers' package with 20% off rack rates for two-night, non-weekend bookings.

[Photo: MindWideOpen]