This 500-acre, pet-friendly property trails along an inland valley in the wooded Santa Lucia Mountains, above the fog that sometimes blankets the coast.
Its all-suite lodging, each of them with a fireplace and terrace, perches high in the hills, where it has views of the valley or trees and easy access to the lodge and an excellent restaurant, Valley Kitchen. Adjacent to the lodge is the 10,000-square-foot Aiyana Spa and an adult pool with a rimless hot tub. In the valley below lies an area called River Ranch, an activity zone that includes tennis and pickleball courts, a junior Olympic pool, a kids’ splash pool, and a second wellness adult pool, a 5,200-square-foot fitness center (whose extensive roster of classes are all complimentary), a bocce court, and a cafe serving light fare for golfers and tennis players in what was originally an 1890s farmhouse.
Tennis Director, Jon Kooy, directs the racquet-sports programming. Kooy, who is originally from Vancouver, Canada, is an experienced professional and club leader who has managed programs and operations at a variety of luxury resorts and private clubs. He most recently served as Head Tennis Professional at Baha Mar Resort in Nassau, Bahamas. He has also held key roles at Tafelberg Tennis Oasis and JW Marriott Desert Springs. Kooy is still an avid player, having achieved a top 5 ITF ranking in the 35+ singles category for Canada, and says his love for the game fuels his love for coaching.
Much of the programming he oversees at Carmel Valley Ranch is geared to the needs of the resort’s substantial local membership. That has benefited guests by ensuring greater participation in the solid roster of weekly activities, among them one or more clinics daily, multiple Liveball sessions a week, and weekly doubles mixers. Together with the clinics and round robins, they provide not only instruction and workouts but also help guests meet compatible people for later matches, though the staff will otherwise help to put games together. Carmel Valley Ranch has also capitalized on the popularity of pickleball and installed four permanent courts for that growing racquet sport. The staff offers beginner lessons and stages community play several times a week and a complimentary doubles tennis mixer every month.
Court Complex: The Ranch has seven hard courts and four permanent pickleball courts.
Off Court
Golf Course: Pete Dye designed the resort’s 18-hole course in 1981 and it was redesigned in 2010. The front nine meanders along the Carmel River, but the back nine climbs into the forested upland, where holes 10 to 14 cling precariously to the hillsides and induce vertigo with drops as much as 350 feet from tee to green. To makes matters worse, heavy underbrush guard the margins of these back fairways. Length: 6,055-6,515 yards.
Spa & Fitness Center: The 10,500-square-foot Spa Aiyana, adjacent to the Lodge, takes its cue from the gardens by incorporating fresh herbs, botanical extracts, and various oils into its treatments. There is a gaslog fireplace in the waiting area and another in the couples treatment room. There are actually two fitness centers: a small one near the lodge and accessible to guests 24/7 using their room key card; and the larger one at River Ranch, which in addition to having a full suite of workout equipment offers Pilates, yoga, spinning, body sculpting, guided hikes, and more, all of them complimentary for guests.
Hiking trails lead into the Santa Lucia Mountains and horseback rides start nearby.
Children's programs: The resort now offers a variety of child-friendly programs, including a visit to the Ranch’s Ranch, where they tend to our farm animals and learn what it takes to care for the herds of goats, chickens, deer, alpacas, cows, and even bees. This traditional experience feature livestock education, lasso lessons, and even an introduction to ranch chores.
Dining: The Valley Kitchen restaurant has a well-established reputation for serving superb California cuisine inspired by the produce of Carmel Valley itself, including ingredients from the resort’s organic garden, wine from its own vineyard, olive oil from its trees, fresh eggs from its chickens, and honey from its apiary. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Otherwise, there is light fare—sandwiches, salads, smoothies—at the River Ranch Cafe and the Market Cafe & Creamery, and salads, sandwiches, tacos, and quesadillas at the Clubhouse Grill.
Accommodations
The Ranch suites range from studios to four bedrooms in sizes from 650 to 1,200 square feet. Spacious and well appointed, they all have living areas with travertine fireplaces, separate living rooms (except for studios), complimentary WiFi, flat-screen televisions, mini fridges, and bath amenities made with fresh-pressed lavender harvested on property. One set of rooms, which are larger and somewhat more private, trail along winding paths through stands of oak trees, which may somewhat obstruct their views of the valley; the other set, while somewhat smaller, occupy terraces on an open hillside that gives them more expansive views. Either way, these are some of the most supremely comfortable rooms anywhere.
Getting there
Seasons: Year-round though the best time to visit is from March through November.
Travel Instructions: By Air: The nearest major airports are San Jose International (SJC), 80 miles to the north and San Francisco International (SFO), 117 miles north. There is also a small regional gateway in Monterey Regional Airport (MRY), 13 miles from the resort.
What made this clinic were the instructors/pros. Very welcoming, fun, and lots of great tips. The resort is excellent, but pricey. But would go again just for the teaching experience!
MC
We truly enjoyed the atmosphere, the community and most of all, the tennis coaches. They are truly amazing with the kids and positive. This resort is our go to where each experience is better than the prior and best!!
GF
This was our fourth trip to Carmel Valley Ranch. I played tennis for four consecutive days: 1st day: Hitting session with Chris Myrold on Har-Tru clay court. 2nd day: ‘Daily drill’ was cancelled due to wet courts after an overnight shower. Ben Gottenberg was gracious and arranged for a hitting session with a resident member. 3rd day: ‘Live Ball’ doubles drills with Chris Myrold. Excellent opportunity for game-like, situational doubles practice. 4th day: Intermediate drills with Ben Gottenberg. Like the Live Ball session, excellent drills and covered groundstrokes, volleys, serves and a great 5-ball, Touch the Fence drill. Top notch instruction and a great assortment of clinics and drill programs. My only regret was that I was not able stay longer on our departure date to participate in the Round Robin Doubles Mixer. Yes, we will be back !!
CW
Chris and Ben were gems in tennis instruction. We’ve visited CVR 4 times in the past year, each time bringing new families and their kids with us. We had a mix of beginner adults taking tennis lessons, 3.5 NTRP players doing clinics, LiveBall, and doubles mixers, and 7-8 year old kids participating in clinics and private group lessons. The coaches were amazing in adjusting their instruction to the kids and adults and the level of play. Everyone learned something and was super-engaged. The tennis was a key highlight to our stays and continues to be one of the main draws. Our kids take private clinics at home, and all of them have stated that their favorite experiences were at Carmel Valley Ranch — they make it fun and instructive for them.
MW
Carmel Valley Ranch was an outstanding vacation for our entire family. The highlight of the trip however was the private instruction my 5 yr old son had with Coach Ben. Coach Ben made for an unforgettable experience for our son. Within 4 lessons had had him volleying and serving with confidence. More importantly, he took our son’s excitement to a new level with his excellent motivational coaching style. Everyday, our son looked forward to the next lesson! We will definitely be back next year for more of the same. Thanks Coach Ben!
TO
Carmel Valley Ranch was a highlight of our travels during Covid. What an unexpected and pleasant surprise as the resort and rooms are beautiful. We are tennis players and golfers and had opportunities to play both everyday. The golf course was in fabulous condition and a joy to play. The tennis community was one of the nicest places we’ve been. The staff and tennis pros are genuine, fun and invited us to play with other hotel guests that played at our level. There are multiple clinics and levels for anyone any age. We loved the community so much, we are spending next summer in the community.
TS
The coaches are positive and diplomatic at all times, making it a fun place for all!!
DM
We went for a long weekend and essentially dropped in for a tennis clinic and stayed for a mixed doubles round robin. We ended up playing again with another couple we met at the round robin. The pro, Ben, was great. Friendly, energetic and super responsive.
PS
The kids had private tennis lesson at Carmel Valley Ranch with coach Ben. They had the best time at the court. So much laughing and learning! Really recommend!
GO
I visited The Carmel Valley Ranch for 5 days. I called ahead and shared that I would be there and would love some tennis. Pro Ben called me THAT evening and shared programming options. Signed me up on the spot for a doubles round robin! While there, he also texted me possible hitting partners and got me signed up for a clinic he conducted. It turned out to have just one more person, so it was “two with a pro.” It was an exceptional workout and all the tennis I needed that day! Ben really went out of his way to make my stay there a tennis treat! THANKS, Ben!
110 Reviews on “Carmel Valley Ranch”
What made this clinic were the instructors/pros. Very welcoming, fun, and lots of great tips. The resort is excellent, but pricey. But would go again just for the teaching experience!
We truly enjoyed the atmosphere, the community and most of all, the tennis coaches. They are truly amazing with the kids and positive. This resort is our go to where each experience is better than the prior and best!!
This was our fourth trip to Carmel Valley Ranch. I played tennis for four consecutive days: 1st day: Hitting session with Chris Myrold on Har-Tru clay court. 2nd day: ‘Daily drill’ was cancelled due to wet courts after an overnight shower. Ben Gottenberg was gracious and arranged for a hitting session with a resident member. 3rd day: ‘Live Ball’ doubles drills with Chris Myrold. Excellent opportunity for game-like, situational doubles practice. 4th day: Intermediate drills with Ben Gottenberg. Like the Live Ball session, excellent drills and covered groundstrokes, volleys, serves and a great 5-ball, Touch the Fence drill. Top notch instruction and a great assortment of clinics and drill programs. My only regret was that I was not able stay longer on our departure date to participate in the Round Robin Doubles Mixer. Yes, we will be back !!
Chris and Ben were gems in tennis instruction. We’ve visited CVR 4 times in the past year, each time bringing new families and their kids with us. We had a mix of beginner adults taking tennis lessons, 3.5 NTRP players doing clinics, LiveBall, and doubles mixers, and 7-8 year old kids participating in clinics and private group lessons. The coaches were amazing in adjusting their instruction to the kids and adults and the level of play. Everyone learned something and was super-engaged. The tennis was a key highlight to our stays and continues to be one of the main draws. Our kids take private clinics at home, and all of them have stated that their favorite experiences were at Carmel Valley Ranch — they make it fun and instructive for them.
Carmel Valley Ranch was an outstanding vacation for our entire family. The highlight of the trip however was the private instruction my 5 yr old son had with Coach Ben. Coach Ben made for an unforgettable experience for our son. Within 4 lessons had had him volleying and serving with confidence. More importantly, he took our son’s excitement to a new level with his excellent motivational coaching style. Everyday, our son looked forward to the next lesson! We will definitely be back next year for more of the same. Thanks Coach Ben!
Carmel Valley Ranch was a highlight of our travels during Covid. What an unexpected and pleasant surprise as the resort and rooms are beautiful. We are tennis players and golfers and had opportunities to play both everyday. The golf course was in fabulous condition and a joy to play. The tennis community was one of the nicest places we’ve been. The staff and tennis pros are genuine, fun and invited us to play with other hotel guests that played at our level. There are multiple clinics and levels for anyone any age. We loved the community so much, we are spending next summer in the community.
The coaches are positive and diplomatic at all times, making it a fun place for all!!
We went for a long weekend and essentially dropped in for a tennis clinic and stayed for a mixed doubles round robin. We ended up playing again with another couple we met at the round robin. The pro, Ben, was great. Friendly, energetic and super responsive.
The kids had private tennis lesson at Carmel Valley Ranch with coach Ben. They had the best time at the court. So much laughing and learning! Really recommend!
I visited The Carmel Valley Ranch for 5 days. I called ahead and shared that I would be there and would love some tennis. Pro Ben called me THAT evening and shared programming options. Signed me up on the spot for a doubles round robin! While there, he also texted me possible hitting partners and got me signed up for a clinic he conducted. It turned out to have just one more person, so it was “two with a pro.” It was an exceptional workout and all the tennis I needed that day! Ben really went out of his way to make my stay there a tennis treat! THANKS, Ben!