It's neither the biggest cottage nor the only one with an ocean view. But it commands at least $1,000 more a night than other lodgings at historic San Ysidro Ranch in the Montecito hills. That's because Jackie and John F. Kennedy slept in it during their extended 1953 honeymoon, which, biographers say, took them first to Acapulco, Mexico, and later up the California coast.
The future first couple probably paid $27 a night, the going rate then. But today you'll pay more than 100 times that -- $2,990 a night -- to sleep in the 1,621-square-foot Kennedy Cottage, which reopened in March after a yearlong restoration.
Gone is the plain wood deck in the rear, replaced by a 480-square-foot stone terrace sporting an outdoor shower and a six-person hot tub. A gated front entrance, with a private courtyard, is also new. Baths off the twin master suites have been redone with white tile, polished-nickel fixtures, glass-door showers and classic claw-foot tubs.
Don't look for original furnishings. The eclectic decor, with Asian-style chests, animal paintings and pig and rooster figurines, was gleaned from antiques stores and the world travels of the resort's owner, Beanie Babies tycoon Ty Warner.
No matter. The Kennedys slept here, starting Sept. 28, 1953, for one or more nights, according to the hotel's staff and guest register. And because the cottage is historic, the basic layout and structure are unchanged, said architect Marc Appleton.
The Kennedy Cottage redo is just one piece of a $150 million restoration that is nearly complete at the 40-unit complex, which opened in 1893 and is now managed by Rosewood Hotels & Resorts.
In an e-mail, Warner said he wanted "to provide a fresh, new look for this beloved old soul." He also wanted to retain what he called the ranch's "unique character." To that end, cottages have heated bathroom floors, flat-screen TVs and decks with hot tubs and showers, but the interior design, as before, is country casual.
San Ysidro Ranch 900 San Ysidro Lane, Santa Barbara, Calif.; 800-368-6788;
sanysidroranch.com
