St Mary's by the Sea Tours

The good news is that the location was fantastic & the place was clean but that's about it. The Thomas room was so small even though there were just 2 of us. I couldn’t tell that from the photos. No desk no extra chair. Bathroom: the basin was in the bedroom not in the bathroom which was just weird. The bathtub lever was stuck & the shower had no pressure. Breakfast was OK but just not well thought out. This sounds petty but the plates were so heavy & there were only really tiny bowls, not really big enough for cereal. All in all we were a little disappointed in our stay.

Erick was excellent. I loved my stay at Holman Ranch - it was straight out of a fairytale. The complimentary glass of wine at check in was appreciated 😊

The resort and grounds are absolutely stunning — the perfect place to relax and reset with a peaceful, restorative atmosphere. Most of the staff were a pleasure and made our stay feel special, though we did have 1–2 interactions where it felt like we were a bother for asking for anything. That’s disappointing anywhere, but especially on a $3k+ per night trip. When booking, I chose a suite specifically for its forest view. We came to Big Sur to be surrounded by giant trees. At check-in, we were told we’d been “upgraded” to a Pacific view suite. While well-intentioned, it wasn’t what we came for. From the suite we couldn’t see the water, the outdoor furniture wasn’t comfortable enough to enjoy, and it lacked the lounge chairs/hammock the original suite had advertised. We asked to move back to our booked room but were told the property was fully committed. I understand that happens, but it was frustrating to have our experience shifted by a change we didn’t request. Overall, Alila Ventana Big Sur is a breathtaking property with (mostly) a wonderful team. But if you’re going for a specific experience — like the forest views we wanted — make sure your reservation is honored as booked. At this level, the details really matter.