california hteols

Stonepine Estate: The Grand Dame of Carmel Valley

The doors of the famed Stonepine Estate and equestrian center in California's Carmel Valley are now open to the public full-time. The resort has remained open for private weddings and special events but is now again welcoming vacationers. A luxury resort with the feel of an exclusive private home -- which it once was -- has long catered to the rich and famous and clearly has written the textbook on how to serve up the pampered resort experience.

Beautiful grounds of this size -- 330 acres -- ensure guests' privacy and seclusion, which is probably why so many celebrities have been drawn here through the decades. It's a Gatsby-esqe experience with society soirees, picturesque and meandering gardens, waterfalls, immaculately kept grounds, world-class equestrian facilities and a European flair where people still dress for dinner and wouldn't dream of answering their Blackberrys during cocktails.

Stonepine Estate provided the accommodations and some meals to the writer.

Gallery: Stonepine Estates