Rancho Valencia, an Auberge Resort

RANCHO SANTA FE, CALIF. (June 16, 2009) - Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, an Auberge Resort, is pleased to announce the appointment of Susan O'Bryen as Spa Director. In her position, Susan will oversee all aspects of operations, staff management and treatment protocol at the Spa at Rancho Valencia. She also looks forward to adding new seasonal spa treatments and working with Chef C. Barclay Dodge to create a new spa cuisine menu.

O'Bryen joins Rancho Valencia after tenures at several leading destination spas including The Spa at Encantado, the Enchantment Resort's Mii amo Spa, and El Monte Sagrado Living Resort and Spa. In addition to Encantado and Rancho Valencia, which are both Auberge Resorts, O'Bryen served as Spa Director at the award-winning Spa du Soleil at Napa Valley's famed Auberge du Soleil.

"The Rancho Valencia team is delighted to welcome Susan as the Director of Spa at Rancho Valencia," said Tracy Lee, Vice President of Spa Development for Auberge Resorts. "With a background at Auberge Resorts, Susan is the perfect individual to continue to enhance the spa experience for our guests at Rancho Valencia."

Set in the idyllic valley of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., the Spa at Rancho Valencia is a desirable destination to refresh, restore and renew oneself. Drawing from the natural bounty of the region, including avocado and grape seed and natural healing agents from the ocean, the Spa at Rancho Valencia offers an expansive spa menu of results-oriented skin care, facial, body and sensual couples treatments. Upon entering this oasis, guests are invited to partake in a paradise for the senses and free themselves from the stresses of the world. Walking through the 10,000 square-foot retreat, one is warmly drawn in by the tranquility of the dcor, Italian fountains, pools, and treatment rooms. Outdoor elements include three therapeutic pools (hot, warm and cold), a Watsu therapy/massage pool, a lap pool, sauna and steam rooms, and private sun gardens. Indoor amenities include ten beautifully tiled and vibrant treatment rooms with private patios; five feature deep soaking tubs. Two couple's rooms include fireplaces, private patios, outdoor showers and tubs for two.

For more information about the Spa at Rancho Valencia, an Auberge Resort, please call 858-759-6490 or visit: [url]www.RanchoValencia.com/spa[/url].

About Rancho Valencia Resort
Rancho Valencia Resort, an Auberge Resorts property, boasts 49 luxuriously appointed suites, each with a fireplace and private garden terrace, a renowned tennis program, a new spa and playing privileges at three nearby golf courses. The resort is a member of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux and is the only Relais & Chateaux property in Southern California. Rancho Valencia consistently has been ranked as a favorite North American resort by readers of Tennis, Wine Spectator, Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report and Travel & Leisure. The resort was listed on Cond Nast Traveler's 2007 Gold List. Rancho Valencia is located at 5921 Valencia Circle, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., 92067. For more information or to make reservations, call toll-free 800-548-3664 or visit [url]www.RanchoValencia.com[/url].

About Auberge Resorts

Auberge Resorts is a collection of exceptional hotels, resorts and private clubs, each with a unique personality that assures a memorable guest experience. Among the distinctive properties are Auberge du Soleil, Napa Valley; Esperanza, Cabo San Lucas; Calistoga Ranch, Napa Valley; The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina; Encantado, Santa Fe; Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. and Pond Bay opening in December on the island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, with several others currently in development. While Auberge Resorts nurtures the individuality of each establishment, all are characterized by a set of communal elements: intimate, understated elegance; captivating locations that inspire exceptional cuisine and spa experiences; and gracious yet unobtrusive service. For more information about Auberge Resorts, please visit [url]www.aubergeresorts.com[/url].

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MEDIA
CONTACT: Murphy O'Brien, Inc.
Meredith Wright 310-586-7109 [email]mwright@murphyobrien.com[/email]
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Rancho Valencia celebrates 20th anniversary

By Michelle Mowad
Contributor for Del Mar Times
[url]http://www.delmartimes.net/business/257643-rancho-valencia-celebrates-20th-anniversary[/url]

Rancho Valencia is turning 20.

After a recent change in leadership including a new manager, director of sales and head chef, the luxury boutique hotel with 49 suites will host several anniversary events to celebrate the past, present and future of the 43-acre resort.

"It is a time to reflect on our past. A time to bring lessons learned into the future and couple them with new experiences," said David Friederich, Rancho Valencia's managing director. He also oversees the company's La Valencia operations in La Jolla.

"It is less about a date and more about celebration and what we plan to accomplish," Friederich said.

The celebration starts this month with a new menu created by executive chef C. Barclay Dodge, who joined Rancho Valencia in May. The menu includes fresh vegetables and herbs from the gardens on site, free-range meats and local seafood.

Chef Dodge also created a $19.89 lunch special to celebrate the year Rancho Valencia opened. The lunch special pairing consists of either an appetizer or soup and an entree.

Rancho Valencia will also host a croquet and champagne reception from 5 to 7 tonight and the Rancho Tennis Tournament for players of all levels from 9 a.m. to noon June 6 followed by a courtside barbecue and chef's dinner. The al fresco dinner features four courses paired with California wines for $120 per person.

Rancho Valencia has started a three-year project to upgrade and improve the facilities and its amenities. A lounge and bar are in the plans. It is working with a Santa Monica-based architect on the interior design of the new space. Construction is anticipated to commence this fall.

Owned by local resident Harry Collins and designed by architect James Morton, interior designer Hank Milam and landscape architects Abby Drewliner and Bill Burton, the resort has won several awards over the last 20 years, including the best tennis resort by Tennis Magazine and the top 50 readers' choice resort by Conde Nast Traveler last year.

It also has an award-winning spa with nine treatment suites and 18 tennis courts.

Friederich said there is no intent to change the look and feel of Rancho Valencia, just an effort to continuously improve the experience for visitors.

The boutique hotel has 180 full- and part-time employees.

Timbers Resorts recently announced a partnership with Auberge Resorts, the company that manages Rancho Valencia, to run the Villas at Rancho Valencia, the residential component of the resort.

Rancho Valencia's sister hotel, La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla, is undergoing a $4 million renovation, including construction of a new kitchen and outdoor dining area, which is expected to be completed in July.

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Thursday, September 18th

Discriminating travelers have once again ranked Auberge Resorts properties among the very best in the world, according to Andrew Harpers Hideaway Report. Four Auberge properties, Auberge du Soleil, The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa and Esperanza, rank among the top 20 in the world in the Hideaway Reports 2008 Readers Choice Awards, published in the October 2008 issue.
Readers ranked Napa Valley flagship Auberge du Soleil the No. 6 resort in the United States, and The Inn at Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina No. 10. Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., the newest addition to the Auberge collection, is ranked No. 17. Auberges award-winning Mexican resort, Esperanza, added to its list of top accolades, placing No. 2 on the Top 20 International Resorts list.

We are so pleased to receive such high marks from Andrew Harpers Hideaway Report readers, said Mark Harmon, CEO of Auberge Resorts. They are some of the most frequent and discriminating travelers in the world. Congratulations to the staff at all of our properties, whose heartfelt commitment to our guests is reflected in these impressive rankings.

The longest-running and most reliable poll of its kind among sophisticated travelers, the Readers Choice Awards reflect the sentiments of the Hideaway Reports membership of avid travelers. At least 84 percent ofreaders hold the title of CEO, president, owner or partner, and nearly 65 percent of this years respondents said they typically vacation for at least 30 days annually.

RANCHO SANTA FE, CALIF. " Rancho Valencia, consistently ranked by Tennis magazine as one of the Top Ten Tennis Resorts in the country and selected as one of the Best for Tennis by Gourmet magazines poll of the worlds best hotels, is dedicated to enhancing the game of its visitors.

My philosophy is to enhance and add to a players game, not to change it, said Eduardo Sanchez, head tennis pro at Rancho Valencia and a former U.S.P.T.A. Pro of the Year.

Rancho Valencias renowned instructional clinics, with a staff to student/pro ratio is 4:1, are offered daily from 9 a.m. to noon. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced player, there is a clinic specifically formatted to any level. The clinic focuses on several aspects of tennis including net play (volleys and overheads), groundstrokes and serves. The cost is $80 per person, per morning session. The Junior Tennis Academy, for children ages 5 to 18, specializes in fun and match play.

The resort offers 18 beautiful hardcourts in a magnificent garden setting. Under the direction of John DeLille, private, semi-private or video lessons and tournaments are available from a staff of eight U.S.P.T.A. certified tennis professionals. The ladies Tenniscize (fast-paced drill session to music) and doubles play and the mens round-robin doubles tourney round out the program. Courtside amenities include fresh towels and iced lemon water.

In addition, the resorts Love Tennis package offers two or four-night accommodations, daily morning instructional group clinics, a half hour private video lesson and game analysis, spa treatments, a welcome amenity upon arrival, freshly squeezed orange juice and morning paper delivered to your suite daily, one dinner for two, breakfast for two daily and complimentary use of the tennis courts and fitness center. The packages range in price from $1,805 to $4,040.
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About Rancho Valencia Resort

Rancho Valencia Resort boasts 49 luxuriously appointed suites, each with a fireplace and private garden terrace, a renowned tennis program, a brand new spa and playing privileges at three nearby golf courses. The resort is a member of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux and is the only Relais & Chateaux property in Southern California. Rancho Valencia consistently has been ranked as a favorite North American resort by readers of Tennis, Wine Spectator, Andrew Harpers Hideaway Report and Travel & Leisure. The resort was listed on Cond Nast Travelers 2007 Gold List. Rancho Valencia is located at 5921 Valencia Circle, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., 92067. For more information or to make reservations, call toll-free 800-548-3664 or visit www.RanchoValencia.com.
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