The San Ysidro Ranch was named by the Franciscan friars who occupied the land after Saint Isidore, the patron saint of farmers and agriculture, often depicted with a plow, angel and oxen. Originally part of a land grant in 1769 by the Charles III of Spain, the Ranch was fully deeded with the Presidio in 1780, serving as a sanctuary for Franciscan friars in the late 1700s. In 1828 the Mission Padres built the Old Adobe and began to farm the land, until it passed through the hands of the mission to become part of the municipal land of the state of California in 1864. Subsequently the ranch was sold to Harleigh Johnston and Taylor Goodrich in 1883, by Col. Bradbury Dinsmore. The San Ysidro Citrus Ranch harvested an average of 300,000 oranges and 100,000 lemons annually. In 1889, a large sandstone packing house was built for the citrus production. In 1892, a ranch house was built that would become The Hacienda, and plans were made for a small hotel. During this time the hotel expanded to accommodate parties, lunch and dinners. The fruit company remained a prominent part of the operation. By 1912, the ranch hosted Winston Churchill and his family for the winter months. After the depression, the Johnston’s sold the hotel to Hollywood actor Ronald Colman and hotelier and former Senator Alvin Carl Weingand, who transformed the ranch into a venue for celebrities; known for its setting, service and guest privacy. Guests over the years range from Audrey Hepburn, Lucille Ball, Bing Crosby and Groucho Marx to Winston Churchill, John Galsworthy, Somerset Maugham and Sinclair Lewis. Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier were married at the ranch, John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline honeymooned there and John Huston completed the script for The African Queen during a three-month stay. Following Colman's death in 1958 and the death of Weingand's first wife, Beverly, Senator Weingand's wife, Lou Hyland Weingand purchased their shares and became co-owner. In 1976, hoteliers, Jim and Susie Lavenson, purchased the ranch from Weingand. Jim Lavenson had been an advertising executive and president of New York City's Plaza Hotel, before buying the property. Entrepreneur Ty Warner acquired the ranch in 2000 and made it part of the Ty Warner Hotels & Resorts, LLC. Half of the ranch was destroyed by a ruptured gas line after a series of mudslides on January 9, 2018.
Facilities
Covering approximately, today the San Ysidro Ranch includes 41 private cottages and suites as well as two restaurants.
Awards and Accolades
Named “America’s Best Hotel” and “World’s #1 Resort” by Forbes Traveller and Travel & Leisure, respectively, the ranch has been included on lists of Conde Nast, Andrew Harper and others. Since 2014, Stonehouse restaurant has been the recipient of the Wine Spectator Grand Award.
