In 1988, when Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa was beginning construction, Prestige Senior Vice President Jim Morton walked the grounds with his father, James Morton Sr., imagining the layout of the future Southern California haven.
Morton Sr. was the lead architect of Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa. As a member of the American Institute of Architects and a renowned northern California home designer, Morton Sr. had established his design work on a national level. However, the design of Rancho Valencia, a resort and spa property, brought on a new challenge.
“The first time I was at Rancho Valencia was before it was even built. We walked around together and talked about where everything would go,” Morton said.
Detailed fixtures such as hand-crafted tiles, flourishing landscape accented with Valencia orange trees and Mediterranean terraces brought great attention to the resort. Morton Sr.’s design for Rancho Valencia carried him to a new level of recognition, nationally and internationally.
Morton’s family connection is just one of the many reasons he continues to return to the property.
“Rancho Valencia is a retreat away from the maddening crowd. It offers a type of solitude that is hard to find anywhere in the world these days. It’s the kind of place that once you arrive; you have no reason to leave,” Morton said.
Morton enjoyed a weekend at the property in December 2013. He commented on the impressive renovations to rooms, meetings space and grounds. Rancho Valencia closed in 2012 to complete the transformation.
Straight inland from Del Mar and the Pacific Ocean, nestled in the hills and surrounded by Eucalyptus trees and bursting shrubs, Rancho Valencia sits as one of three 5-Star, 5-Diamond properties in San Diego county. The property has 18 tennis courts, an incredible spa with nine treatment rooms and 49 hacienda-style casitas ranging from 900-1300 sq. feet.
Rancho Valencia made Conde Naste Traveler’s Gold List, naming it one of the best places to stay in the world.
Clubhouse Entrance
Fast Facts:
Location: Rancho Santa Fe (North of San Diego)
Distance From Airport: 25 minutes from San Diego International Airport
Ideal Client: Board meeting, executive retreat, small group, incentive program
Amenities: Tennis, spa, fitness center, yoga pavilion, restaurant and bar and resort clubhouse
Image: Clubhouse Entrance, courtesy of Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa