Our son was headed to an overnight Boy Scout camping trip and our daughter was leaving for an all-day sports event followed by a sleepover – both of us realized that for the next 24 hours we would be kidless, and we planned a short escape to the enjoy the serenity of the Rancho Bernardo Inn.
In their own words, here is how the Rancho Bernardo Inn describes itself:
Rancho Bernardo Inn is a destination resort known for its exquisite golf, spa facilities, and exceptional cuisine. A true destination for the entire family, the 265-acre property features 287 luxuriously appointed guestrooms, three swimming pools, an award-winning spa and wellness center, signature restaurants, and extensive meeting and event facilities. With unpretentious style and genuine warmth unique among the world’s finest resorts, the property inspires conversation, reflection, and relaxation.
What sticks out the most in the above description are the words “conversation, reflection, and relaxation.” That could not have been more true for our goals and experience during our stay at the resort. We didn’t just want to relax, we wanted to connect with each other with uninterrupted conversion and have moments to reflect on life, work, family – not to mention, the back of our eyelids.
At check-in, we knew we were meant to be here when Destiny checked us in – yes, “Destiny.” Her smile was welcoming and she congratulated us with a “good for you” when we told her we were taking a short break from work, the kids and any other responsibilities left back in Coronado. Our bags disappeared off to our room and Destiny encouraged us to get a treat from Café Granada and stroll around the grounds. Mission accepted!
At Café Granada, the “bubbly barrista,” Heaven, told us all about her favorite coffee drinks. Did you catch that? The first two staff members that greeted us at the resort were Destiny and Heaven – no kidding. We thanked Heaven (pun intended) for our iced drinks and continued on our unplanned walking tour before heading to the room. Typically, we want to check out the room first, but with 265 acres of resort, there was much to explore.
Similar to how vast spaces of water help you be calmer and creative, open land space, even a golf course, can help to calm your thoughts and help you to unwind. Simply walking around the grounds for an hour put us in a great mood to soak in the rest of our stay.
Eventually, we made it to our room. The first thing we noticed about the room was that it had a pitched, wood-lined ceiling that went up about 20 feet. There were indoor and outdoor loungers to relax and take in the view. Most of all, we enjoyed the peacefulness of the room that allowed us to have quiet conversations, take a short nap and listen to the wind blowing through the trees. Coronado has its peaceful moments, especially near or on the water, but as we all know, it’s a small “island” and typical noises include: your neighbors, the leaf-blower gardeners, the “sounds of freedom” flying in and out of North Island, the cars whizzing by, and of course, your kids!
The resort has multiple options for dining from casual to fine. Their signature restaurant is AVANT. In 2012, after a $2.5 million renovation, the previous restaurant, El Bizcocho was closed and re-opened as AVANT. You can view the menu here. The AVANT is stunning:
For a more casual setting, we also recommend dining at the Veranda Fireside Lounge & Restaurant. One of the joys of resort-life is breakfast – you just never have enough time to both make and enjoy a great breakfast. So, in the morning, we headed to Veranda and ordered the breakfast buffet: made-to-order omelet station, fresh fruit, mini waffles and more ($22 on weekends). After eating a very filling breakfast, it was time to walk the grounds again!
Overall, even though it was only 24 hours, we made the most out of our experience at the Rancho Bernardo Inn. If you are looking for a quick escape from the “island” to experience more “conversation, reflection, and relaxation,” book your respite today.
Links of Interest:
Dining at the Rancho Bernardo Inn
The Spa at the Rancho Bernardo Inn
Specials & Packages at the Rancho Bernardo Inn
Golfing at the Rancho Bernardo Inn
Thanksgiving at the Rancho Bernardo Inn
