CAMBRIA, CA— Moonstone Hotel Properties, an eclectic collection of 11 owned and managed boutique properties, is continuing its paced growth on the West Coast. It most recently added to its portfolio a third-party management contract for the Deer Haven Inn in Pacific Grove, CA, a move that broadens the company’s presence on the Monterey Peninsula. The company previously purchased two historic properties: the 43-room Carmel River Inn and the 45-room Monterey Hotel, and both properties are poised for renovations and expansions. The 51-room Deer Haven Inn, formerly the Larchwood Inn, is situated near the entrance to Asilomar State Park and Beach. According to Dirk Winter, Moonstone’s owner and president, it was a life-long passion for landscaping that has led him to create a daisy chain of properties along the California coast and up into Oregon, and an attribute he and his interior-designer wife, Lauren, leverage to make each of the properties unique destinations. “We have, over the years, tried to refocus our company. We’re specializing presently in trying to acquire hotels that have the ability to have quite a garden component, trying to create a group of hotels that are really garden themed; something that appeals to real garden enthusiasts,” said Winter. “So we’re looking for properties that have enough grounds to create a nice focus on gardens.” For example, Moonstone’s Cambria Pines Lodge is sited on 26 acres six miles from Hearst Castle. It recently added 27 Craftsman-style luxury cottages on five acres to its existing 126 rooms and is proximate a nursery owned by Moonstone, which has its own landscaping division. Taking its name from the local beach here, Moonstone started out in 1983 with the construction of the Sea Otter Inn, slowly increasing its distribution by acquisition of boutique properties with whimsical names like Blue Dolphin Inn, Pelican Cove Inn, Sand Pebbles Inn, and the Cambria Pines Lodge. It also purchased the Apple Tree Inn in Yosemite. In Oregon, it has the 96-room Village Green Resort in Cottage Grove and manages The Oregon Garden, an 80-acre botanical display encompassing 20 specialty gardens in Silverton, 40 miles south of Portland. Also under management is the 24-room Creekside Inn here and the under-development Oregon Garden Resort, a proposed property adjacent the garden, said Winter. “Generally we are a long-term hold,” noted the executive. The family-run business has divested two properties over time: The Paso Robles Inn and La Mancha Resort in Palm Springs. Winter deems his operation successful, while acknowledging mixing horticulture with hospitality has been a rewarding challenge. “We’ve been fairly successful in taking older properties that need renovation and putting a lot into the gardens and grounds. I think that gives people a quick idea that there’s care being put into the property. That’s usually more evident before we can get all the rooms remodeled or refurbished,” he said. The Moonstone collection also is getting known in horticultural circles as properties that serve well for agricultural and garden-oriented associations. “We feel that if you have something to do with plants, you should be holding your meetings with us,” said Winter, noting the market that covers that industry is “huge.” He added many of Moonstone’s properties are located in a part of California that serves as a beach-vacation area for many of the state’s farmland families. “There’s all sorts of associations, from almond growers to grape and raisin people; wine groups; all sorts of different agricultural-based associations that we work with,” he said. In addition to offering accommodations, the properties keep guests in touch with the environment. The Village Green Resort presents gardening classes and workshops and the six Cambria properties provide ringside seats in the winter for the mating rituals of elephant seals. Whale watching is another popular pastime. Winter said the company currently
