Stewart L.
Yelp
I was invited to a wedding at the Calamigos Ranch, so I decided to turn the trip into a short staycation. The Ranch has strict guidelines regarding ceremonies held there during the pandemic. Our wedding even had on-site COVID testing.
I was unfamiliar with the Ranch prior to the wedding announcement. Located in the hills above Malibu, it has been owned by the same family since 1937. It's a sprawling multi-purpose 250-acre property capable of hosting weddings, events and retreats on at least 9 different locations on-site. Plus it has overnight lodging, a dining venue open to the public (Malibu Cafe), and a separate Beach Club off Pacific Coast Highway. There's a stable, cow barn, vineyards, carousel and ferris wheel.
Note that using GPS to get you to the Ranch may direct you to an entrance off Latigo Canyon Rd that is now blocked off. The proper entrance is off Mulholland Hwy just west of the intersection with Kanan Rd and Kanan Dume Rd. The road then divides (there was someone taking temperatures here) and you can head towards the Guest Ranch motor court or towards the events/Malibu Cafe parking area. All parking is valet ($38 for overnight guests). The event/Malibu Cafe parking lot can get VERY crowded, but the valets seemed accustomed to this.
The Guest Ranch Lobby is a lovely pavilion with glass walls that fully open onto a shaded deck. There are many seating areas, and off to one side is a counter (it may have been a bar or concierge area) where house-made infused waters are offered. In the evening, this same area offers hot chocolate, hot toddies and sweet treats, including s'mores kits. You are given 2 maps of the property upon check-in, which I found ESSENTIAL to navigate the Ranch and all its offerings.
Just beyond the Lobby is the pool area complete with food and beverage service, chaises and cabanas, plus 2 event rooms and a Pizza Bar (closed). Beyond the pools are the cottages and bungalows. Beyond those is the Spa Calamigos and Fitness Centre (closed), the Spa Pool and hot tub (open), and the Ranch Club restaurant, set up during the pandemic on an open lawn for Ranch guests only.
The cottage/bungalow area is the sole reason for my 4-star rating. It's basically a trailer park, albeit a very well landscaped and maintained one. It was clear on the Ranch's website that most of its accommodations are pre-fab trailers, both single and double-wide. However, I was a bit taken aback at how close together they are set. Some seem to have private patios beyond their entrances, others have non-private porches. Some staff seem to live here also, based on items I noticed on some of the porches. The property map was not accurate here--paths that I thought would lead me somewhere were dead-ends. I came to realize there's really only one main path down the centre of the complex, plus one partially around its periphery.
My accommodation was a "One Bedroom Suite Bungalow". It was a nicely decorated single-wide trailer with , in succession, a porch ("patio"), living room ( sofa-bed, TV, table and 2 chairs), a large bathroom ( 2 sinks, shower and lots of counter space), and a bedroom (king bed, bench, another TV and an armoire housing a small closet rod, a few drawers and a safe). There was a Nespresso machine and complimentary snacks and beverages, including a bottle of wine. Minifridges are available upon request.
The Bungalow was quite dark. The living room and bedroom each had small windows that looked onto the wall of the adjacent trailer 3 feet away. Each also had 3 small square windows above head level. The most natural light came from the frosted glass windows in the entry door and in the bathroom.
Despite the close proximity of accommodations, it was relatively quiet. I suppose 3 feet between trailers is better than a shared wall between standard hotel rooms.
In contrast, the bride and her immediate family stayed in Estate Suites. The Estate Rooms and Suites are in a not-pre-fab building in a totally separate area from the trailer park, close to the prime wedding venues and Malibu Cafe. There is a separate pool here. Their Suites were laid out similarly to my Bungalow, but on a much grander scale. Semi-private patio with chaises. Ceilings about 20 feet high. A shower big enough to fit a dining table for 4. One Suite had a freestanding circular tub. Large walk-in closet. Split-level bedroom (which was also on the dark side).
The Beach Club is a charming venue about 15 minutes away off PCH, for Ranch guests only. There usually is a shuttle, but not during the pandemic. The nicely decorated Club offers a variety of seating options both indoors and out. There's a fireplace, firepits and heat lamps Being PCH adjacent, there's a lot of traffic noise. Off the parking lot, there's a stairway to a tunnel that goes under PCH to a quiet stretch of beach where staff can set up beach chairs and also offer food and drink. I tried 5 items off the menu and all were delish.
Service everywhere was excellent.