Because I travel extensively, am passionate about it and enjoy sharing my experiences, I am often asked about some of the favorite places I have visited. While that is pretty much an impossible answer, I can easily say what type of travel experience sends me over the moon and gets even this world globetrotter to exclaim, “OMG this is crazy good.”
My ultimate travel destination can be expressed in an equation: “Remote + Luxury + Hospitality = OMG, I love this place, I cannot believe I am so blessed to see and experience something this fabulous.” Usually it involves long commercial flights, small bush planes and extended rides on range rovers. So visiting The Inn at Newport Ranch, which is literally an hour-and-a-half drive north of our home on the California coast, was an added bonus. It would be a 4-hour drive from the San Francisco Airport (two hours of which are stunning, albeit winding) along one of the planets most beautiful and rugged coastlines.
The Inn is the actualization of founder Will Jackson, the visionary landowner who purchased a run down guesthouse called The Orca Inn on 850 acres, over a mile-and-a-half of them oceanfront, in the mid 1980’s. Over the ensuing years, he purchased adjacent land, eventually amassing the two-thousand-acre ranch we can enjoy today. With a dogged commitment to his vision of a small but special inn, Jackson navigated the prickly waters of the California Coastal Commission and every other environmental, political and challenging hurdle that came his way. He did it with grace, artistry and conviction and a belief that his vision of a breathtaking oceanfront experience would be made manifest.
Thank you Will Jackson! Your vision is truly exquisite. As I write this, having just stepped out of the oceanside hot tub, I watch as a star-filled blanket folds into the rising dawn sky and listen to the soothing sounds of the Pacific Ocean and the occasional bleating of a baby calf. I am grateful to have the opportunity to enjoy my perfect travel equation in my own backyard.
Remote + Luxury + Hospitality = OMG, I feel so blessed
The fact that the Inn is situated on 850 acres of undeveloped coastline establishes it’s unique location and the remote, or at least the seemingly remote, since the closest Starbucks only 20 minutes south in the town of Fort Bragg.
As for the luxury part of the equation, the Inn has all the things you would expect in a luxury property—plush beds and pillows, multi-ply sheets, thick terry towels and robes, high-end amenities, rain showers, great lighting, water pressure, WIFI, lovely public spaces with comfortable furniture and a intimate spa area with memorable treatments. All that is great but expected in a place that is presenting a luxury experience. The real story to me is all the amazing details. I have never thought the devil was in the details. I always thought that it was love that was in the details and if that is true, then the Inn at Newport Ranch says I love you to guests in a myriad of ways.
Gliding your hands along the smooth redwood handrails as you walk downstairs brings to mind the rough and beautiful hands of the artist that created them. The entire house is hand-hewn; everything is handcrafted by local builders and carpenters. Will Jackson not only had a vision but the ability and desire to spare no expense to make it happen. Everywhere you look, there is an opportunity to experience a special moment.
This ceiling chandelier was created with found objects on the ranch. One day a worker bumped into this barn pulley and brought it to the architect’s attention. He then combined it with more found objects and voila this unique fixture was created.
Will’s childhood skates have been cleverly recycled as door handles.
Wonderful original details abound in each room, including this window seat in the Captains Room.
The Redwood Suites are in the crazy good category. I have seen a lot of beautiful suites in my travels, but I have never seen anything like this. Redwood trees found on the property are heated and naturally treated for a year-and-a-half and line the walls of the living room and bedroom along with a turn-of-the-century fireplace (actually the original one that graced the Orca Inn). As you lie in bed, you look through the redwood tree trunks at your glowing fire and see the ocean through the wall of glass windows. Now that is my idea of camping!
Now to the hospitality portion of the equation. I think the fact that Creighton loves this old-fashioned service bell says volumes.
The innkeepers are your gracious hosts Creighton and Cindi Smith. The Smiths have 35 years of hospitality experience for brands like Wyndham, Renaissance and Starwood’s Luxury Collection. Creighton has held corporate management and hotel GM positions and Cindi has extensive experience in sales and marketing.
Their palpable enthusiasm as innkeepers and hosts of this spectacular place is contagious. When Creighton jumps into the ATV to show his guests the glorious landscape, the heads of cattle, the valleys, the hawks, an occasional bobcat and a sacred and ancient cemetery, he is literally jubilant at his fortune of being the catalyst and guide of such a remarkable adventure.
It’s cool that their names both start with C because they represent the C’s of hospitality—congenial, cordial, curious, competent, conversational and caring. They are truly hospitality in action, making guests feel truly welcome, and that other important “C” word, comfortable.
And of course, what would hospitality be without fabulous cuisine. Food plays a huge role in the experience at The Inn at Newport Ranch. Lovely appetizers and wine are served from 5 to 7. Breakfast is served daily and is a part of the room rate. A communal dinner is served upon request with prior planning.
Creighton has a culinary degree from the prestigious Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. He loves his custom kitchen and who would blame him; it is a chef’s dream. For larger parties, he can serve his creations on the 40-foot redwood table next to the walk-in fireplace overlooking the ocean, having rolled back the 1800-pound door to let in the ocean breezes.
I am positive, beyond a shadow of a doubt, this property, which has only been open a few months, is going to explode with inquiries. It will be written up in every travel magazine and publication around the world. It will be THE place to say “I Do” while standing out on a finger-sized cliff in the middle of the ocean, otherwise known as Celebration Point. It is terrifically private so will most likely be the go-to place for Hollywood celebs seeking solace from paparazzi. It will be sought out for engagements, retreats, and special moments of all types, from healing to hallelujah.
Go now… while you still can.
All photos by Bill Apton
Nice article! Thank you!