Historic Stonepine Estate Resort Available for Public Guests

CARMEL VALLEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--If the days of Gatsby were personified in a single place, with society soirees, meandering gardens and whimsical afternoons spent enjoying high tea by a wondrous waterfall, Stonepine Estate Resort in picturesque Carmel Valley would be the location of choice. Offering the elegance of the south of France or Northern Italy, Stonepine embodies a period of sophistication where days were spent riding horses or playing croquet, women “dressed” for dinner and men assumed a dinner jacket and tie for evening dining…a bygone era in today’s digital, trend-chasing culture.

“We wanted to raise our seven children in the special environment that is Carmel Valley and it was a wonderful location for our family”

Renowned as one of California’s most exquisite historic estates, Stonepine Estate Resort is now available full-time for leisure and business travelers looking for a truly unique luxury estate experience where what’s important is not how much you can do in a day and with how many people, but how little you can do and the quality of those experiences. The intimate 20-room Stonepine Estate Resort is the destination of choice for guests seeking luxury comforts and traditions that are more European than Californian, without leaving the country. With new features, amenities and a special Stonepine Estate Experience Package, Stonepine is a historic retreat that is timeless.

The remarkable package includes a two night stay at the resort, full European breakfast each morning, champagne and hors d'oeuvres and dinner for two at Chateau Noel, one private massage for two, one picnic lunch for two and a Western riding lesson at Stonepine's Equestrian Center or a trail ride for two on the estate grounds. Rates for the package range from $1,150-$2,950.

To celebrate the resort’s once-again full-time availability, Stonepine offers new features and amenities including:

The Blacksmith Shop: the resort’s original blacksmith barn that cared for such famous equine residents as Majestic Price and Bolero Lady, has been reincarnated as a western-themed bar
The Carriage House: a rustic event space that also houses the antique carriages from the Stonepine Carriage Collection
The Waterfall Pavilion: straight out of a Hollywood set, Stonepine’s beautiful pavilion with two waterfalls connecting three ponds, is a fully-furnished outdoor living room that can accommodate a plethora of events from dream wedding receptions, concerts and high tea to candlelight private dinners
The Greenhouse: a horticulturist’s dream, where guests can learn to transplant and pot plants and view the Hawaiian Orchid collection, enjoy lectures from gardening experts and learn about the properties historic gardens
The Cutting and Vegetable Garden: Stonepine guests enjoy daily bounty from this new garden, including fruit, herbs and vegetables. An espresso/cappuccino and croissants breakfast can be served in the garden’s Belvedere
The Screening Room and Wine Cellar: a cozy place to watch a DVD from the resort’s library while enjoying a meal in the dining area. Guests can pick their favorite vintage from the adjacent wine cellar

Since the late 1980’s, Stonepine has become known as a one-of-a-kind destination for those seeking an unforgettable visit, including exquisite weddings for some of Hollywood’s brightest stars. In the summer of 2010, Stonepine is expanding their nuptial offerings when they break ground on a 3,000 square-foot, 150-seat Chapel that will be dedicated to Mother Theresa. In addition, Stonepine will soon include a 12-acre vineyard and winery.

A glimpse into an illustrious history:

Originally the private residence of Henry Potter Russell and Helen Crocker-Russell, of the legendary San Francisco banking family during the early 1900s, Gordon and Noel Hentschel purchased the property from the Russell family in 1983. The Hentschels restored the estate to its former glory and reopened it as Stonepine Estate Resort in 1986. The following year Stonepine joined Relais & Chateaux, the Parisian luxury hotel organization that features some of the world’s magnificent estates and received its Purple Shield, the highest ranking and the only property receiving that designation in the US. In 2005 after counting among its guests heads of state, companies and Hollywood elite, the Hentschels decided to utilize Stonepine as their family’s private residence, but kept the property available for select group business.

“We wanted to raise our seven children in the special environment that is Carmel Valley and it was a wonderful location for our family,” states Gordon Hentschel. “Now, our children are all young adults and have ventured onto their own paths and we are thrilled to be able to once again share the beauty and exceptional atmosphere available at Stonepine with the world. Coming to Stonepine is truly a visit back to a bygone era, where a slightly more formal approach to hospitality, we call it estate hospitality, is offered by an extremely caring and highly-trained staff.”

Ensconced amongst 330 secluded acres of rolling oak-studded hills on the scenic Monterey Peninsula of Central California, Stonepine, a member of Historic Hotels of America, harkens back to the era of Gatsby, where formality, raw beauty and ruggedness sing in harmony. The resort can be likened to the most elegant and unusual dude ranch ever created, home to world-class accommodations, equestrian stables that include the country’s oldest thoroughbred farm west of the Mississippi, breathtaking gardens, myriad outdoor activities from golf, tennis to croquet, soccer, hiking, fine dining, all serviced by staff, many who are European trained.

Accommodations at Stonepine include Chateau Noel, the centerpiece of the resort and a magnificent Mediterranean style villa which was the Crocker banking family’s manor house. The Chateau features eight luxuriously appointed suites, each named and lavishly decorated (with namesakes’ approval) after the Hentschels’ favorite designers, champagne, china, jewelry, philosopher, honeymoon location and artists, including Don Quixote, Wedgewood, Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Cartier, Taittinger, Dong Kingman and the Venetian Suite. In addition to the Chateau, the resort offers several houses and cottages including the Briar Rose, a romantic country cottage and the Gate House, a Spanish villa and mini estate that was originally the one-room school house for Carmel Valley and singer and activist Joan Baez’s Center for Non-Violence, complete with a private tennis court and swimming pool. The Hermes House is the most recent addition to Stonepine and is a luxurious two-bedroom hideaway on a bluff overlooking the four-furlong racetrack. Rounding out the accommodations at Stonepine is the Paddock House, located adjacent to the resort’s Equestrian Center. The four-bedroom New England ranch house features suites named for the stakes winners.

Says Hentschel, “In its vibrant history, Stonepine has hosted a wide variety of guests, from royalty, Hollywood celebrities and world leaders, to couples seeking a weekend escape from neighboring cities. Stonepine’s main house, five houses and cottages and unconventional space throughout the estate grounds are so unique that they are easily booked individually or some have booked the entire estate for weddings and events; whatever our guests want, we can do -- they write the program.”

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6413875&lang=en