The Sea Ranch

I was ready to forgive the Lodge for having to climb two flights of stairs to get to the Premium King room I had booked for my husband and I this weekend (because the photo on their website looked heavenly to me). Regarding the stairs, I have a lot of weakness in my left leg and can only climb each step by putting my right foot down then my left next to it, then climbing to the next step. Plus I have residual breathing issues from a one-​year-​long lung problem. When I got to the room I was very disappointed. The wrap-​around window seat was nowhere to be seen (nor the pillows on the now-​invisible window seat) and our windows were so dirty we could hardly see out of them. Then we decided to stay on the property to have dinner. Years ago we had had dinner in the Lodge restaurant and it was so lovely and the food so terrific that that is why we decided to one day stay at the Lodge. Back then the restaurant had linen tablecloths and napkins; it was a lovely «dress-​up place.» So we got to the restaurant for dinner. Gone was the ambience — no white linen tablecloths and napkins, just cheap looking light wood tables and matching little chairs. I was prepared to forgive them for their sad re-​model, when I opened the menu and found it quite limited. I wound up ordering a steak. It was cooked perfectly but served with a mountain of French fries and no vegetables. Our lovely blonde waitress, however, made some outstanding wine selections for us. My husband had the Mahi-​Mahi special, but oddly the lovely fish was completed buried under kale. I have given up on Sea Ranch.

Difficult to book online. And the website is mistaken in parts — some screens say no availability, on others the rooms are there –for the same dates.
But I eventually succeeded online in making a placeholder reservation for about 6 weeks hence. When I called to add another room, the receptionist was surreally unhelpful. So I canceled the entire booking (made an hour earlier) and got hit with a $ 15 cancellation fee. (Only evident after you get the booking confirmation). Very surprised and disappointed.
So I will never stay at Sea Ranch again, and nor will any of our visiting friends.
Sayonara…

We love visiting Sea Ranch we usually visit once or twice a year. Play and explore the beaches and enjoy the silence and beautiful starry nights from our hot tub!
Just from my personal experience don’t rent a home on the hillside both times we have they have been dumpy and dirty.

Have been renting Sea Ranch vacation homes for many years, utilizing several different agencies. There are plenty of good things about SR such as the trails, beaches, ocean, dark skies, wildlife, quiet, and views, which is why we keep going back, but there can be negatives, too. I’ve encountered a few. Such as:
a) Many homes are getting on in years, and not always well-​maintained, even when the rental fee is fairly high. Systems and appliances are sometimes inoperable, or don’t work well, or are outdated, or too old to clean properly. Old and cheap mattresses, old carpeting, old furniture is common, as are blinds that don’t work, funky old stoves, chipped and cracked porcelain, running toilets, windows that are rusted shut, hot tubs with broken pumps and controls, etc.;
b) You may also encounter bad smells, for example: mildew (SR is a damp place, homes stay closed up for long periods, and furniture, carpets and bed covers are sometimes ancient); and old cooking smells and pet smells can permeate the entire house — all that wood paneling is very absorbent. You will bring some of these odors and mold spores home with you even if you wash every item of your clothing and linen before departure;
c) Always test every system (cable TV, internet, hot tub, furnace, water, stove, lights, etc.) immediately upon arrival, because you may discover something does not work, and you’ll want to call the rental agency right away to report it, as it may take days to get repairs;
d) Gasoline and food is much more expensive in Gualala than non-​tourist areas;
e) The owners of the home may have stocked the place with furniture, utensils, art, books, DVDs, etc., but they may be more akin to stuff gleaned from a thrift store than something nice, and the owners may have tastes that don’t match your own.
If you rent a home that has one or more of the above negatives, you may well wonder, as I have on several occasions, if the owners and rental agency don’t care about their customers… only caring that their money is green. About the only way to decrease the likelihood of these negatives in advance, is to pick a home that is newer and with a higher cost. Don’t rent one at a bargain or cheap rate or if it is more than about 15 years old: chances are the place is a more or less a dump, no matter how glowingly it is described in the rental listing. Read between the lines; the listings may be more significant for what they don’t say rather than what they do say. I wish the rental agencies were as stringent toward the owners they represent as they are toward the customers — maybe the homes would be better maintained.

I love this place. It’s soooo relaxing. I usually head up for two or three nights but would like to find time for a week.
Depending on your personality type and getaway goals, The Sea Ranch may or may not be your thing, but if you’re looking to simplify and/​or veg out for a few days, this is the place.
The deal: The Sea Ranch is a large private development with vacation homes dotting the coast. Renting one of these homes can be done through various agencies based in Gualala, a nearby town where you’ll likely end up buying groceries and basics. A rental gets you a parking pass and use of various recreational facilities: pool, tennis courts, golf course. With a smirk and chuckle: yes, it’s all very WASPy — pastel sweaters are optional but if adorned, should be draped over the shoulders and accessorized with Ray-​Bans and a BMW convertible. Many homes accept pets, but this may limit availability.
There is something slightly voyeuristic in staying at somebody else’s vacation home for a few days. You peruse the bookshelves, browse the available board games, review the DVDs on hand. I like to pretend that I’m temporarily adopting somebody else’s carefully curated lifestyle. Though wifi and cable are available in almost all homes, sometimes it’s nice to not have the world at your fingertips and be forced to deal with what’s in front of you — simplify, right?
To conclude: this is one of my favorite places in Northern California. I like to think of it as a self-​serve spa experience: beautiful surroundings, fresh ocean air, every home I’ve ever stayed had a hot tub. I suppose you will have to BYOM (Bring Your Own Masseuse or Mud bath) — an exercise I shall leave to the reader.

Amazing place on Northern California. The beaches and the rocky coast are breathe taking. I was needing a place to relax and unwind and this is it. You can rent houses all along the coast. Really fun if you bring a bunch of friends. Check it out for sure

I agree with Trude H’s post that Ramshead are not the most friendly. We recently rented the Park House — location was good, house was spacious but felt dated and grimy, television did not work, no wifi (though no «dual band» is advertised) — rainy weather prevented us from being outside so the option of television and wifi would’ve helped to ward off cabin fever. Had to bring our own wood for fireplace and sheets and towels. We love the Sea Ranch — you just never know what you’re getting when you rent the houses.

BEWARE! There are a other home rental agencies at The Sea Ranch and they won’t rip you off as much as Rams Head. I have been renting homes for the past 24 years and we absolutely love The Sea Ranch. It is our go-​to vacation when the every day grind gets to us. BUT, the last time I was perusing the available homes I picked one that was managed by Rams Head which we have not rented from before. The home was perfect for the size of our group and was available on the dates we needed. I noticed it was a bit more expensive than what we usually pay through another agency for a comparable home. We do like to splurge when we go and have definitely rented some magnificent homes. So I figured, this one would be worth the extra cost. When I received the confirmation phone call from Rams Head, the person quite hesitantly mentioned that linens (sheets and towels) were not included and that we would have to bring our own! Well I don’t happen to have sheets in my home that are the same size as those in the rental home! I would have to go out and purchase 3 sets of sheets that I would never use at home! Plus we would have to bundle all of this (for 6 people) and lug it back and forth taking up a lot of space in our car. This was ridiculous in my mind especially for what they were charging for the rental fee (450.00/night). In many of the other homes (especially the more high-​end) that we have rented through another agency (Sea Ranch Escape), there have always been linens included in the price (very nice ones as well with bathrobes!). Needless to say, I cancelled my reservation. I provided this feedback to the appropriate person at Rams Head and received a very unhelpful and quite derogatory email back. Certainly won’t be utilizing their services in the future!
So my advice is to shop around (stay away from Rams Head) and make sure you get what you deserve in a home rental at The Sea Ranch. Then sit back and enjoy this magnificent place!

Clever of Rams Head Realty and Rentals for nabbing «The Sea Ranch» as their own marketing name and commodity when there are multiple VRBO and real estate companies in the area. They are NOT the only show in town. We have stayed at various VRBOs both at Rams Head (multiple families for our daughter’s wedding) and most recently with Beach Rentals for our personal vacation. We will be returning to Beach Rentals for their service and attention.

(Sung to tune of «0ne Night in Bangkok»)
Five nights in Sea Ranch make the tough stress crumble
Not much around us but the sky and sea.
Five days in Sea Ranch and the family’s humbled
We can feel the nature as its meant to be.
I can see the ocean swelling up to me.
Sea Ranch, Beautiful setting
Grass and deer is all you’re getting
Crème de la crème of planned communities
Architecture with everything but Frank Lloyd Wright
Time stands still, an hour’s not a minute
Big empty swim pool had only us in it
Three of those pools and tennis too, don’t you know this is no ordinary playground venue
It was Hawaii, or Disney, or Yosemite, or this place
Five days in Sea Ranch and the world’s your oyster
You’ll find a seal on every hidden beach
You’ll discover shells and you’ll feel sweetly cloistered
You’ll find good food and wine is close in reach
That is relaxation creeping up on me
This place is unlike any other
Best get over to see it brother
…
Ahem. I could go on and on… but I loved it here. Lots of reasonableish rentals. Ours had a hot tub. We had a great family adventure. Check it out if you’re ever headed down to Mendocino/​Sonoma.

My wife introduced me to the Sea Ranch experience. We really enjoy being able to stay at a beach home without all the ticky-​tacky that American beach towns usually have. The water is clean, the beaches are clean and Ive never encountered a loud stereo or any disruptive noise.
I do realize that Sea Ranch is also a metaphor for America in the 2000’s. The successful 1%ers own the very expensive homes at Sea Ranch and 99%ers like myself get to rent them for 200+ bucks a night. :)
That being said we will visit SR again, its really quite a unique and quiet place.

Wow — I sure have gotten some feedback about my original review — most were kind and funny («Hey — we live here and we’re not lazy» and «It’s not a trailer park, trailers have wheels») only one guy was rude. So — taking into account all the SeaRanch cheerleaders online and several friends who tell me I’m way off base, I’ll split the difference as my experience has changed — perhaps I just talked to the wrong guy on a bad day — or maybe I was having a bad day.
The California Coast both north and south of this development is amazing — spectacular and sublime, to enjoy it just drive a little further north and find a B&B or family owned hotel, the Sea Ranch development itself is really nothing more than a fancy trailer park for the lazy and wealthy

I could have handled the «quirks» if the place was clean and operational, but it was dusty, smelly and every dish I picked up in the kitchen needed cleaning, most pots and pans had peeling nonstick coating. I have never stayed in a No Shoes rental before and I have rented up and down the coast, and on the other coast.

Our favorite vacation spot for our family (Well, I guess Maui is a close 2^nd, but this is more off the grid) We go twice a year and each time we discover something new. Both sides of The 1 have their positives. Stangel, Pebble and Shell are our favorite beaches to visit. We have golfed (don’t go on a windy day), sunset on the bluff trails near Harbor Seal Cove is amazing. Hiking, running and road/​mountain biking are the best in CA (especially if you like to climb and don’t like flats) What I love is that not many know about these trails and there are so many that are not marked that we discover new ones each time. I would put my favorite trails, but don’t want to ruin your exploration of finding them on your own.

The Sea Ranch IS heaven on Earth. My parents owned a home here up until 2001. It was built in 1991 and was in close proximity to Shell Beach (a 2-​minute walk). We took full advantage of 5 – 6 visits a year «on the house», so to speak. They never rented the place, so it was family use only, and boy, did we take advantage. The security is awesome (you must have a car tag and ID) and the scenery is spectacular. We’ve been back a number of times since the house was sold (rented), but TSR remains the same… heaven on Earth.

Sea Ranch is a great place to go to forget about the everyday rat race life that we live…
I recommend Shell Beach for sure! I could spend HOURS sitting, digging for the most awesome shells, but you must dig deep for the tiny treasures! The seals are adorable!
All the beaches are CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN!
LOVE THIS PLACE!
I have been there when I was 17 — 20 but now that I’m in my late twenties I can really see the beauty of this place, I almost can’t believe that I missed the big picture when I was younger! So oblivious, YIKES!
Anyway, glad to be back to Sea Ranch and able to see it for the beauty that it truly holds!

RAMS HEAD RENTALS — We have rented from Rams Head Realty at The Sea Ranch for years and years. We have always been happy and they take very, very good care of their customers. Sea Ranch is a beautiful place, and RAMS HEAD has many, many options for beautiful homes to stay in!
Five stars for sure!

The Sea Ranch is a great place for a long weekend. I don’t know if I would come up for a regular length weekend, because I’m always kind of sick after the drive up along hwy1. By the time I feel better, A whole day has gone by.
I have only come up here with a large group of friends, so we are a little limited in the houses we can rent with 12+ people. The Wits End, and The Compound (our name for it since it has three little houses as one, I can never remember what the real name is).
There are miles of walking paths, and when you hit the beaches at low tide, you may just find some awesome tidepools.
Tons of wildlife roam the area, and there is NOTHING around for miles ensuring a relaxed weekend, but it also mean you should come prepared. The town of Gualala (pronounced Wa-​la-​la according to some other who may know what they are talking about) had two grocery stores that meet basic needs, but don’t go looking for truffle oil there.

Wow. Just Wow.
Take a few Dramamine, head up HWY 1, and spend some time at Sea Ranch enjoying the fog, and the birds, and the forbidding sea.

I stayed in this community for only a day, but the home I stayed at was very comfortable and well-​appointed, and only about a quarter mile from a trail right alongside the edge of the beautifully jagged bluffs.
I saw deer and wild turkey and harbor seals. The wind whipped my hair around and gave me rosy cheeks and calmed my soul.
I wished I could’ve stayed longer, but I have a feeling I’ll be back…
It’s absolutely gorgeous here.