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W eekend
G etaway
104
winter
|
spr ing
here and converted the grounds into a resort when the children
left home.
Its 20 rooms & suites are contained in either Chateau Noel
(the main house), which has 8 suites and rooms with names
such as Wedgewood, Dong Kingman, Chanel, Cartier (where
we stayed), Taittinger, Polo, Don Quixote, and Venetian Suite.
Other accommodations include the new Hermés House, the
Gate House (the original Carmel Valley one-room school house;
it now has a private swimming pool and tennis court; it is also
where Joan Baez stayed and operated her Center for Non-
Violence), the Briar Rose Cottage, and the Paddock House, with
its own kitchen.
There are too many amenities to list, but know that your
sleep under a down quilt and between high-thread-count
Egyptian cotton sheets at Stonepine Estate Resort will be
among the quietest you’ve
ever
had. And, you’ll probably sleep
well after a five-course dinner prepared by Chef de Cuisine
Alejandro Corres. Although mostly informal, jacket and tie is
required for dinner at the Chateau.
Stonepine offers reduced-price three-day, two-night
packages that include meals, equestrian facilities, massages and
other treats at various times of the year, priced from $1,150 to
$2,950 for two. It’s a good idea to go online or call them at: (831)
659-2245 or visit www.stonepinecarmel.com
.
Staying at Stonepine
• For smaller family gatherings, we recommend renting the entire Paddock
House; this building features four modern, comfortable, attractive units, a full
kitchen downstairs where your group can either cook for themselves or have
meals catered by the resort’s more than competent crew; it’s a terrific place to
simply hang around in the homey and comfortable living room opposite the
kitchen on the ground floor. And for the more active guests, it is near the archery
range, horseshoe pit, and volleyball court. Across the way is a loft with a pool
table, jukebox and other amenities. The Paddock House also affords complete
privacy from the rest of the estate and ready access to all equine facilities.
• If you are simply looking for a romantic hideaway, go for the 2-bedroom
Briar Rose Cottage, which boasts an attractive living room centered by an
inviting fireplace made of local stone, its own kitchen, a big, beautiful master
bedroom, separate TV/Entertainment room (with bar), and an inviting porch
upon which to unwind from... unwinding.
• A wedding party should choose the 2-bedroom Hermes House for the bride
and groom; it is elegant, modern, luxurious, spacious, and very private. All the
resort’s amenities are, of course, available on demand, as are any additional
accommodations required throughout the 20-room estate. Wedding vows
could be exchanged at the Waterfall Pavilion, the Greenhouse, outside the
main house on the lawn or any number of equally attractive niches (including
the appropriately named “Wedding Gardens” that feature a grand staircase be-
tween the Wisteria Terrace and the Swan Fountain) on this 330-acre getaway.
Celebrities that chose wedding ceremonies and/or receptions here include
Dennis Franz and Joanie Zeck, Andre Agassi and Brook Shields, Harry Hamlin
and Nicollette Sheridan, and many others, so you’re in good company.