Post Ranch Inn
Founder & Editor, Spa Hotel Finder
This SpaRator score weighs 40+ data points across six equally weighted categories, drawn from hotel data, booking platforms and 2,476 guest reviews from TripAdvisor and Google, and calibrated against 4 Big Sur spa hotels. How SpaRator works
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The Telegraph · Condé Nast International · Time Out Group
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Spa Hotels · Spa Pricing and Resort Fees · Wellness Travel · Hot Springs and Bathing Traditions
47900 Highway 1, Big Sur, CA 93920View on a mapPublished · Updated
Off-Season from $1,975 a night (26 Jan 2027)
Before tax. Choose dates for live rates.
The rebuilt spa has five treatment rooms, two of them couples rooms, and one of the couples rooms has a private soaking tub and shower.
SpaRator Expert Rating
SpaRator 7.4: SolidSpa core 6.9
An average of the Spa Treatments and Spa Facilities scores.
7.4 Solid overall · Spa: Full-Service · guests rate it 4.7 on TripAdvisor
1st of 4 in Big Sur, November 2026
A rebuilt five-room spa and a 4.7 guest record, high above the Big Sur ocean.
Post Ranch Inn leads with a 4.7 TripAdvisor guest record and a rebuilt five-room spa with a priced, place-built menu. Heat runs private (an infrared sauna session for two and one couples-room soaking tub), and spa treatments are for overnight guests only. Right for guests 18 and up who want a rebuilt spa and a quiet cliff setting 1,200 feet above the ocean; wrong for anyone wanting a communal wet or thermal area, a spa day without a room, or a moderate nightly rate.
Pricing and Availability
- Off-Season
- from $1,975
- $2,194 all-in
- Peak
- from $2,500
- $2,775 all-in
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Rate notes, fees and tax
Peak from $2,500 a night (16 Jul 2027); off-season from $1,975 a night (26 Jan 2027).
- Peak
- 16 Jul 2027 from $2,500 room, $2,775 all-in.
- Off-Season
- 26 Jan 2027 from $1,975 room, $2,194 all-in.
- Rate notes
Fee stack: No resort fee (the hotel's wording is "or any other hidden fees"); taxes and levies are added to the quoted rate: on the peak night, $262.50 occupancy tax, $4.88 California tourism assessment and a flat $7.90 county tourism assessment; on the off night, $207.38, $3.85 and $7.90; valet or self-parking included; breakfast, daily resort activities and the mini-bar included; spa gratuity percentage not published, tip separately; spa cancellation 24 hours or 50% of the treatment, no-shows pay in full.
Rates correct as of Fall 2026; verify current availability via the booking links above.
The 60-minute massage starts at $285 with no spa service charge, and the November 2026 booking check shows no resort fee but taxes and the $7.90 county assessment added.
Spa Treatments
A developed, priced menu sits inside the new five-room spa. Three 180-minute experiences at $2,400 each run in the Redwood Sanctuary private suite for two, and shaman-led sessions sit on the menu. Two reviews describe using the spa since it reopened in summer 2026, and both rate it well. One July 2026 review calls the facial the most relaxing at the spa.
Spa Facilities
Heat at the spa is private: an infrared sauna session for two and a soaking tub and shower in a couples room. The sauna session books as an add-on to any treatment. Five treatment rooms and a welcome lounge make up the spa, with hours 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. The three pools are hotel amenities rather than spa credit. Guests who have reviewed the spa since it reopened in summer 2026 have not described the sauna or the tub yet.
Wellness Programs
Included daily yoga or meditation, guided nature walks, forest and sound meditation, and garden tours come with the rate. Private Wellness Experiences add $95 a guest, and the hotel runs a Sleep Program with Dr. Michael Breus. Included activities carry the name "Daily Resort Activities", but no weekly count is published. Guests name yoga, meditation and sound healing sessions in their reviews.
Staff & Service
Staff at Post Ranch Inn are praised far more often than they are criticized. Since the spa reopened in summer 2026, staff praise outnumbers complaints 27 to 3. Two reviews in that window made service the main complaint: a billing error and an overbooking. Management answered all 26 TripAdvisor stay reviews, against about 69% at a typical spa hotel.
Experience
A top guest record rests on a 4.7 TripAdvisor score, checked in November 2026. Over the years guests praise the ocean and cliff views, the included breakfast, the architecture and treehouses, and the falconry. Since the spa reopened in summer 2026, 41 stays form the recent record, and TripAdvisor guests rate a little higher than Google guests in that span.
Value for Money
A premium rate buys breakfast, parking, daily activities and the mini-bar, with the spa extra. Taxes and the $7.90 county assessment add 11.0% to the room, and a 60-minute massage is $285. The $2,775 all-in peak night, a Friday in the Upper Butterfly Room, sits among the dearest peak nights SHF has scored, with the off night at $2,194 in a different room class. Guests have called the price high in recent reviews.
Spa Facilities
15 spa facilities: 11 available, 3 not available, 1 not confirmed
Available
11Beauty Services Facials run 60 and 90 minutes.
Adults-Only Pool or Area Minimum age 18 to check in; under-18s only by prior arrangement.
Couples Treatments Couples massage and the Redwood Sanctuary suite for two are on the menu.
Fitness Center 24-hour fitness center with Peloton bikes, cardio and free weights.
Fitness Classes Included Daily yoga or meditation, guided nature walks, forest and sound meditation are included; no weekly count is published.
Full-Service Spa Five treatment rooms and a welcome lounge, nearly twice the size of the original.
In-Room Spa Treatments Treatments in the guest room are available for a small fee; the amount is not published.
Hot Tub and/or Jacuzzi A couples room adds a private soaking tub and shower.
Pool Facilities Three pools: two infinity and one lap, hotel amenities rather than spa spaces.
Sauna A private infrared sauna session for two, added to any treatment.
Wellness Programs Daily included activities, the Sleep Program with Dr. Michael Breus, and Private Wellness Experiences at $95 a guest.
Not available: Cold Therapy, Hammam, Himalayan Salt Room.
Not confirmed: Steam Room.
Other Spa Facilities
Private Wellness Experiences, the Sleep Program, shaman-led sessions and the Redwood Sanctuary suite make up the extras beyond the core menu.
Spa Menu, Prices and Policies
- Massage$285–$445 · 60 to 90 min$285–$300 · 60 min$430–$445 · 90 min
- Couples treatments$590–$1,175 · 60 to 120 min
- Redwood Sanctuary$2,400 · 180 min
- Facials$290–$475 · 60 to 90 min
- Shaman sessions$340–$540 · 120 min
- Private wellness experiences$95 · 60 min
- Enhancements$25–$145
- Spa hoursThe spa is open 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
- GratuityThe hotel publishes no gratuity or service charge on its menu or spa page, and spa gratuities are not part of the room gratuity-card program.
- AccessSpa treatments are for overnight hotel guests only.
- Day passThe spa does not sell a day pass, and treatments are for overnight guests only.
- AgesThe hotel's minimum age to check in is 18, and the spa page publishes no separate spa age limit.
- CancellationCancel at least 24 hours ahead or 50% of the treatment is charged, and no-shows pay in full.
Hotel Facilities
16 hotel facilities: 3 available, 2 not available, 11 not confirmed
Available
3Restaurants Sierra Mar: breakfast included for overnight guests; lunch and dinner open to the public by reservation.
Valet Parking Valet or self-parking is included in the rate.
Adult Only Minimum age 18 to check in; under-18s only by prior arrangement.
Not available: Pets Allowed, Beachfront.
Not confirmed: Air Conditioning, Bar, Bike Rentals, Business Center, Dry Cleaning, EV Charging Stations, Garden Areas, Kids Club, Meditation Areas, WiFi, Airport Shuttle.
About This Hotel
The cliffs do the talking. This is a quiet hideaway set 1,200 feet above the Pacific, minimum age 18, with a five-room spa and a 4.7 TripAdvisor guest record.
The Spa, Specifically: Post Ranch Spa
Nearly twice the size of the original, the new spa runs on a priced, place-built menu. Massage, facials, body treatments and couples treatments make up the core segments, with a 60-minute massage starting at $285, and our guide to types of spa massage covers the hands-on styles while spa facials explained covers the facial menu.
Guests stay overnight to book these treatments, and the spa sells no day pass. In-room treatments do carry a small fee, with the amount unpublished. Spa hours run 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, and reservations go through +1 (831) 667-2200 with 24-hour cancellation at 50% of the treatment.
Heat runs as an infrared sauna session for two, added to any treatment, plus a soaking tub and shower in a couples room. Our sauna guide explains that dry-heat experience.
Who’s Right, Who’s Wrong
Book Post Ranch Inn for the edge, the quiet and a spa with a deep, priced menu. The heat sits in private sessions, so plan a treatment rather than a circuit. A Sleep Program with Dr. Michael Breus sits on the hotel’s wellness list, and how spa hotels help sleep covers the expectation to set.
Where It Sits in the Big Sur Market
Among the spa hotels SHF has reviewed, this one runs smaller on rooms: five treatment rooms, where nine is the typical count. A 60-minute massage here costs $285, and a typical property in the set charges $225. Fees and taxes add 11.0% to the room rate, against about 19% elsewhere, because there is no resort fee. Included wellness runs as a daily roster with no published weekly count, where a typical property lists one included class a week.
| Hotel | SpaRator | Thermal circuit | Spa access for guests | Peak all-in per night | Off-season all-in per night |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Post Ranch Inn | SpaRator 7.4: Solid | None | With a treatment or membership | $2,775 | $2,194 |
| Alila Ventana Big Sur | SpaRator 7.2: Solid | Heat only | Included | $3,237 | $2,141 |
| Esalen Institute | SpaRator 6.8: Modest | Heat only | Included | $882 | $882 |
| Treebones Resort | SpaRator 6.8: Modest | None | With a treatment or membership | $471 | $415 |
| Market median | 7.0 | $1,829 | $1,511 |
Scored on Guidelines v9.9
All-in = room, resort fee and taxes per night, from each hotel's dated rate capture. On a phone: thermal circuit · spa access · peak all-in. Off-season all-in shows on a wider screen.
Is the Post Ranch Inn Spa Worth the Price?
Yes, if you are booking for the cliff setting, the five-room spa and private heat, and accept typical all-in nights from $2,050 to $2,330 across the year; no, if you want your nights to cost less, or your spa time to need no room key.
When to Book the Post Ranch Inn
Every priced month falls in the same mid-range of nightly cost, so the swing from the cheapest month to the dearest is only about a fifth. Late April into May marks the cheapest stretch, and mid-June into mid-July the dearest. January is the cheapest month. Christmas reads a little higher in thin data, so compare your own dates.
- January: shoulder
- February: shoulder
- March: shoulder
- April: shoulder
- May: shoulder
- June: shoulder
- July: shoulder
- August: shoulder
- September: shoulder
- October: not yet priced
- November: shoulder
- December: shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Low
- Not yet priced
Typical all-in per night: Shoulder $2,050–$2,330
Typical room rate across the main booking sites and the hotel's own site, 11 Nov 2026 to 4 Oct 2027, converted to all-in with the hotel's fee and tax. Months not yet priced are shown hatched.
What Guests Are Saying
TripAdvisor4.7 / 51,979+ reviews
Google4.6 / 5497+ reviews
And we loved the special touches like seeing the stars and nebulas with the help of the on-site astronomy enthusiast, and enjoying the most relaxing facial at the spa.
TripAdvisorJuly 2026Stay rated 5 of 5The staff anticipated and took care of any of my wishes, in many cases anticipating that need before I knew.
GoogleAugust 2026Stay rated 5 of 5The area has no cellular reception, which makes it especially special because you’ll get to properly connect with nature and your surroundings.
GoogleSeptember 2026Stay rated 5 of 5We wanted a relaxing getaway and instead were nickel and dimed over everything
GoogleJune 2026Stay rated 2 of 5The rooms themselves are beautiful, but they are built like Holiday Inns from the 1970s - there is NO sound deadening between the rooms.
GoogleOctober 2025Stay rated 3 of 5We have traveled all over the world and this was a top 3 experience. Over the top setting, service, views, rooms, activities, and food.
GoogleNovember 2026Stay rated 5 of 5
Location
47900 Highway 1
Big Sur, CA 93920
Awards: Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star hotel, 2014 to 2026 · Andrew Harper Members' Choice Awards 2025: #1 Top Hideaway in the U.S. · Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards 2026: #5 Resort in Northern California
Frequently Asked Questions
Where Is Post Ranch Inn, and How Far Is the Airport?
Post Ranch Inn is at 47900 Highway 1, Big Sur, CA 93920, about 30 miles south of Carmel and roughly 50 minutes from Monterey Regional Airport. Rideshare service is extremely limited, so plan to drive. As of 10 November 2026 per Caltrans, Highway 1 has no wildfire closure, with one-way traffic control for construction at Mud Creek (to 13 November), Rocky Creek Bridge (to 30 November) and near Point Sur Lighthouse (to 31 December).
Can I Use Post Ranch Spa Without Staying at the Hotel?
Spa treatments are for overnight hotel guests only, and the spa sells no day pass.
What Does a 60-Minute Massage Cost?
A 60-minute massage starts at $285. No gratuity or service percentage is published, so plan to tip separately.
Is There a Resort Fee?
Post Ranch Inn does not charge a resort fee or any other hidden fees. The quoted rate already includes breakfast, valet or self-parking, daily activities and the mini-bar, and taxes plus a $7.90 county tourism assessment are added.
What Are the Spa Hours and How Do I Book?
Spa hours run 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Reservations are essential by phone on +1 (831) 667-2200, and times are requests until confirmed.
What Is the Hotel Minimum Age?
Guests must be 18 to check in. Guests under 18 stay only by prior arrangement with reservations.
What Is the Spa Cancellation Policy?
Cancel at least 24 hours ahead or 50% of the treatment is charged. No-shows pay in full.
Are In-Room Spa Treatments Available?
Treatments can be taken in the guest room for a small fee. The amount is not published.
What Did the Spa Rebuild Add?
A rebuild nearly doubled the spa's size. Its five treatment spaces are a single room, two couples rooms, a facial room and the Redwood Sanctuary private suite for two, plus a welcome lounge.
What Pools and Dining Does Post Ranch Inn Have?
Three pools, two infinity and one lap, come with the stay. Sierra Mar is the main restaurant, with breakfast included for overnight guests and lunch and dinner open to the public by reservation.
What Is the Sleep Program?
A Sleep Program with Dr. Michael Breus sits among the hotel's wellness offers.
How This Analysis Works
Every SpaRator score is built the same way: six equally weighted categories, scored from more than 40 documented data points per property through independent spa and hotel facility research and analysis of thousands of guest reviews, then averaged, never hand-tuned. The result is a consistent, comparable rating across every property we cover. How SpaRator works
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- Platform ratings
TripAdvisor 4.7 of 5 from 1,979 reviews; Google 4.6 of 5 from 497 reviews.
- Sources
- The hotel's spa, menu, policies and awards pages, its booking engine, a Caltrans road reading, and recent guest reviews. The scored record is 41 stays since the spa reopened in summer 2026, 26 TripAdvisor and 15 Google, so it is thin and TripAdvisor-led; about 69% of those TripAdvisor stays arrived through the hotel's review invitations and are given half weight.
- Data gaps
- Room count, spa square footage, weekend premium, pool temperatures and hours, in-room treatment fee, gratuity percentage.
- Guidelines
- Reviewed under Guidelines Version 9.9
- Version history
No updates or corrections since this review was last updated on .
Commission from partner bookings never affects a SpaRator score.