Borregora Ranch Resort Ceased Operations in Jan. 2010
For several years this was the official website for the Borregora Ranch Resort, a splashy new property featuring 44 rooms and 19 private casitas in a classic Southwestern-style design.
The resort ceased operations in early January, 2010.
Content is from the site's 2009 - 2010 archived pages.
Borregora Ranch Resort
3845 Yaqui Pass Rd.
Borrego Springs, CA 92004
January 5, 2010
Dear Guests of Borrego Ranch Resort & Spa:
We are sorry to announce that as of January 8, 2010, Borrego Ranch Resort & Spa will be closing. We will not be able to accommodate any reservations as of that date. If you currently have a reservation, a full refund of your deposit will be issued promptly.
We regret any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding. Please call the resort if you have any questions.
Borrego Ranch Resort & Spa is Southern California's newest luxury destination offering a blend of simple pleasures and extraordinary experiences for adults only. Featuring 44 exquisite rooms and 19 private casitas set in the heart of a 650,000-acre desert playground, Borrego Ranch is where healthy living and active vacationing meet the luxury lifestyle. Here you can invigorate your mind, body and soul with hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, challenge courses, tennis, golf, cutting-edge health and fitness programs, yoga, and pampering spa treatments. So join us today and share in the California tradition of resorting in the desert while creating a new tradition of your very own.
In the heart of the 650,000-acre Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in Borrego Springs, and just west of the Salton Sea in Southern California, you’ll find an oasis of high-end seclusion otherwise known as the Borrego Ranch Resort & Spa. The newest resort to appear on the scene in the region, the 42-acre ranch comes complete with an 18-hole Tom Fazio Signature Golf Course, ranked as one of the best new courses for 2008-2009 by Golf Digest. Besides golf, meeting attendees can take advantage of the spectacular desert setting and state park with activities such as hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing, or stay closer to home with tennis, yoga and treatments at Morado spa.
The splashy new property features 44 rooms and 19 private casitas in a classic Southwestern-style design, each with a fireplace, balcony or patio, marble bath and large-screen plasma TV. For meetings, the resort offers space for groups up to 160, including the Executive Conference Center and De Anza Ballroom, as well as outdoor venues with the Rose Garden Patio, tennis pavilion and palm-lined event lawn. Groups can also take advantage of three on-site restaurants: La Cantina and Fox Bar, Cimarrón and the more casual Morado Café. Find your cool spot in the desert here.
A spectacular setting and a variety of choices set the tone for your Borrego Ranch experience. A naturally landscaped garden park greets you upon arrival and 42 sprawling acres with lush gardens, stone fountains and Spanish revival architecture spotlight our rich California history; and wood-beamed ceilings, white stucco walls and warm, earthy hues invite you to unwind. With only 19 casitas and 44 deluxe poolside rooms, you can expect privacy, intimacy and unwavering attention to your very personal wish list
Get pampered with a pal and enjoy 2 nights, 2 spa treatments and 2 $50 gift certificates, starting at $590.
2 Nights Deluxe Poolside Accommodations
2 50-minute Spa Treatments**
Bottle of Sparkling Wine Upon Arrival
2 $50 Retail Gift Certificates***
Starting from $590*
*Double occupancy, taxes not included. Subject to availability. Some restrictions apply.
**Value of $125 per treatment may be applied toward choice of Spa service.
***May be used for spa or boutique merchandise only. Must be used during booked package stay.
Swing away on the course Golf Digest ranked one of the top places to play in 2009. Enjoy 2 nights and 2 rounds of Tom Fazio golf, starting at $595.
Golf & Stay
Golf on our Tom Fazio Signature Course—Ranked one of Golf Digest's "Best Places to Play" in 2008/2009.
Package includes:
2 Nights Deluxe Poolside Accommodations
2 Rounds of Tom Fazio Signature Golf
4 Breakfasts
Starting from $595*
*Double occupancy, taxes not included. Subject to availability. Some restrictions apply.
Midweek Escape
Indulge in a secluded, luxury midweek escape.
Package includes:
2 Nights Deluxe Poolside Accommodations
2 50-Minute Spa Treatments**
4 Breakfasts
Starting from $490*
*Double occupancy, taxes not included. Subject to availability Sunday through Wednesday. Some restrictions apply. **Value of $125 per treatment may be applied toward choice of Spa service.
With dark skies and deep silence, sleep comes more easily in the desert. At Borrego Ranch, our luxurious and spacious accommodations make sleeping in, dining in, or simply lounging about, a decadent experience. Choose from our 44 spacious, beautifully appointed poolside rooms or, for the ultimate in comfort and privacy, one of our 19 secluded Casitas.
DINING
Each meal at Borrego Ranch is a delicious, artful culmination of careful thought and preparation; and we are committed to source only the freshest, most natural and flavorful ingredients.Our chefs take pride in their creations and invite you to linger over the table and savor your dining experience. Here, you'll find no prescribed formulas of what you should and should not eat—only an insistence that everything be fresh, natural and utterly delectable. Reflecting the California tradition of freedom, our varied and eclectic menus offer choices for every mood.
PROGRAMS & ACTIVITIES
Like the great resorts of California's past, Borrego Ranch grants you the complete freedom and space to do what you want, when you want. Whether you wish to be adventurous, relaxed, intellectual, social, or cultural, we provide the programs and activities that will fulfill that wish. Though the list of possibilities is long, it's no checklist. At Borrego Ranch, we offer you the freedom to chose, and the luxury of not having to.
- Fitness & Well-Being
- Experiential Programs & Activities
- Tennis
- Pools
- Hikes & Trails
- Education
- Event Lawn
SPA
Any quintessential California vacation includes the pleasures of the spa, and ours breathes new life into that celebrated tradition. Morado, the spa at Borrego Ranch is a beautifully appointed retreat where guests can spend their days indulging in an array of pampering and holistic therapeutic treatments. From body-centered massages, soaks and scrubs, to acupuncture and herbal medicine, Morado offers a wide variety of options, ranging from the traditional to the delightfully unexpected.
Lounge on the rooftop relaxation deck, surrounded by spectacular views of the Anza-Borrego desert, or enjoy the interior comfort and serenity of tone-on-tone brick and plaster walls, wrought iron fixtures and muted amethyst hues. At Morado, balancing the traditions of the past with the best of today's modern amenities and offerings is at the heart of our philosophy and provides for a spa experience unlike any other.
SERVICES
- Massage
- Eastern Medicine
- Body Scrubs & Wraps
- Facials
- Salon Services
GROUPS
Borrego Ranch offers spacious, comfortable and convenient meeting and banquet space for up to 160 guests in a variety of settings...Facilities are complemented by a full array of business services and a professional staff of event planners, food and beverage experts and program directors committed to the success of each meeting, banquet, or event.
GOLF
Ranked one of Golf Digest's "Best Places to Play in 2008-2009," the 18-hole Tom Fazio Signature Golf Course will both challenge your skills and delight your senses. Surrounded by the Santa Rosa Mountains and 40 acres of maintained desert flowers and fescue grasses, the course plays over 7,000 yards with 600 feet of elevation change. A remarkably diverse combination of holes includes unique and bountiful water features, as well as Fazio's trademark mounding and bunker complexes. Our nationally recognized golf professional guides innovative programs that inspire great performances by novice and veteran golfers alike.
Borrego Springs, Calif., Borrego Springs Ranch, Montesoro Golf Club
2009, April 2009, Diversions, Editorial, Golf, Issues, Lifestyle, Magazine By Francis X. Gallagher - AApril 1, 2009
Montesoro leaves a good impression on golfers with its beauty and impeccable condition. The reason is quite simple: It is a private course. Guests of the Borrego Springs Ranch and Spa have access, but only a limited number of golfers are allowed on the course at any one time — when we played, we never had to stop and wait at any hole.
The course is owned by the owners of Borrego Springs Ranch, hence the reciprocity for guests of the hotel. It has an interesting history: Originally built as a 27-hole course, it was redesigned by Tom Fazio and his team into the current 18-hole layout. Both the course and the hotel are located in the 900-square-mile Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, which is the largest state park in California.
The course is ranked in Golf Digest’s “Best Places to Play” and has wonderful views of the mountains, desert vegetation and flowers and fescue grass — all within 600 feet of elevation change. David Hunter, director of golf, has been named one of America’s Outstanding Golf Instructors by Golf Digest and is a PGA professional and a Callaway Master professional. He offers insights into your game as well as the course history and design.
Hole 2 (543 yards, par 5)
Avoid landing in the traps lining the right side or the high grass on the right and left. An interesting aspect of this hole is the twin trees that grow in the center of the fairway. Make sure your second shot clears them and is either left or right; your approach to the green, which is slightly elevated and turns slightly left, depends on how you position yourself in respect to the trees.
Hole 6 (519 yards, par 5)
Make sure you take a breather to admire the beauty of this hole — wildflowers surround the tee box, and the majestic Santa Rosa Mountains act as a backdrop. The design features a dogleg right with four bunkers at your landing area. I nailed a ball off the tee box; it landed left of the right bunkers but unfortunately rolled in — just a bad break for me. If you can keep a good drive in play on the fairway, you can get to the green in two for a potential birdie or eagle. I am not sure if this is a Fazio signature, but Hole 6, like many at Montesoro, has traps midway to the green, three of them about 100–120 yards out.
Hole 8 (498 yards, par 4)
This is the No. 1 handicap-ranked hole, solely due to distance. There appear to be plenty of landing areas off the tee on this slight dogleg left. A trap to the left is perfectly positioned to catch your errant drive from the box. At the green, more traps guard the left side; if you are approaching from this area, you must make your ball stick or it will roll off.
Hole 10 (213 yards, par 3)
A little oddity in the course design is the inclusion of two back-to-back par-3 holes, Nos. 9 and 10. However, 10 is a pretty hole, with a pond on the left and two bunkers front and back. The hole plays about 20 yards more than it appears from the box. On the day we played, Bill Noonan came up short to the right but chipped on the green from his difficult position, and my shot came up short left. Any shot too far right is dead due to high grass and brush.
Hole 11 (556 yards, par 5)
As you pick your target of attack from the elevated tee box, note the water that runs the entire left side of this long par 5. I slammed a 5-wood that looked great from the box but landed slightly short of the green. On the right side is a large trap which you will need to avoid. Balls will roll off this green — a true Fazio signature design.
Hole 12 (333 yards, par 4)
The course is designed like a true private club and, as first-time players, we missed the tee box on this hole and had to back up the path. The hole really has no surprises; it is ranked No. 18 on the handicapped level. A series of traps lies on the right side of the fairway, with one on the left. Position “A” would be right cen ter. Try to avoid the sloping hill on the left (where I landed and made this hole more difficult to play). Your drive should leave you out about 100 yards for an easy par.
Hole 13 (455 yards, par 4)
This hole is laid out as a dogleg right, with lots of traps on the right side, including two large ones. The green has one bunker in the front, which is high and deep. My chip to the green appeared too hard at first, but climbed to the back and around to stop within two feet of the cup. This made for an easy tap — I would like to say it was for birdie, but it was for par.
Hole 18 (577 yards, par 5)
Hole 18 is a beautiful ending to a beautiful course, with the clubhouse as backdrop. The par 5 has a big lake on the right — obviously something you want to avoid. Again, Fazio wanted to play games with me — my perfectly hit shot from the tee box cleared the lake, but spun back and rolled about 25 yards, back to the lake. Mr. Fazio, that’s not right! From your better position, a little more left, your next shot needs to avoid the traps which lie a little short of the green (about 90 yards off). Chip up for your par and head back to the clubhouse, where you drive your cart through a little stream — a nice finishing touch.
Start Living The Good Life
Now you can own a part of the extraordinary Borrego Ranch lifestyle. The Borrego Ranch Residence Club is a limited offering of exclusive, ultra-luxury homes. Here residents can enjoy the incomparable programming, services and amenities of Borrego Ranch, and all of the comforts of owning a second home.
The homes of Borrego Ranch are located on some of the community's most desired property, overlooking purple mountain ranges, the expansive desert and a new Tom Fazio Signature Golf Course. The only thing that surpasses the view from these homes is the beauty that owners will find inside. Borrego Ranch residences are fully furnished and exquisitely designed to capture the authentic spirit and luxury of Spanish Revival architecture and the delights of indoor-outdoor living. And, because each home is meticulously maintained, you can spend your time enjoying–not managing–the resort lifestyle.
There is no better way to experience exciting activities, boundless natural beauty and true California luxury than at Borrego Ranch. And there's no better place to experience it, than within our exclusive Residence Club.
Ownership Opportunities start at $289,000.
Please call 888.588.5856 for more information.
2019: A Nostalgic Trip to Borrego Springs, CA
The news in 2010 that the Borregora Ranch Resort was closing was disappointing. I had visited several times with my parents when I was a teenager and have fond memories of the place. I wanted to show my partner this part of California which includes the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, ranked by National Geographic magazine as the best state park in California, the Salton Sea and father east Joshua Tree National Park, a favorite of mine. Our plan was to go in mid March - mid April and hope to catch the blossoming of the dessert flowers that can be magnificent IF you arrive at the right time. While looking for a place to stay in or near Borrego Springs, I saw reviews of the La Casa del Zorro Resort & Spa located at 3845 Yaqui Pass Road. Was this a reincarnation of the Borregora Ranch Resort? It's the same address.
As we packed for our month-long adventure, I remembered our impromptu picnics at the ranch and how we'd always carry cleaning supplies to leave no trace behind as a courtesy to the next guests. With that thought, I added some to our travel essentials. The next steps were straightforward: purchase airline tickets from NYC to Palm Springs, rent a car, take advantage of the La Casa del Zorro Resort & Spa and Rams Hill Golf Club Stay and Play Promotion for a week, and find a house just outside of Joshua Tree for our two weeks there. In the meantime, I spent evenings engrossed in reading up on both national parks.
The trip was fabulous, the weather was accommodating. The golf we played at the Rams Hill Golf Club which is the same Tom Fazio golf course that my fathered played when we stayed at the Borregora Ranch Resort in my youth was challenging and fun. It was a nostalgic stay at what was once the Borregora Ranch Resort. And we we finally arrived back in NYC, there were all the carpets, freshly cleaned and looking better than ever.
YELP Comments - About the Closing
Madeleine M / San Francisco
1. Re: FYI- Borrego Ranch Resort & Spa closing
Jan 8, 2010, 10:07 AM
This place has a tie in with Montessoro (used to be Ram's Hill) which is up the hill about a mile. The Borrego Sun had an article around Christmas that employees had been notified of the closure under the 60-day plant closure law. However, that notice was the second one. Perhaps they'll find some new money before the deadline.
However, the Borrego Ranch Resort was operating as a "closed resort" meaning that if you weren't staying there (at $400 night and up) you were not welcome at the bar or restaurant.
Borrego Springs is a small (2500 or so year round residents) and somewhat funky place. Even when this property was La Casa del Zorro it was a little grand for Borrego. However, it was owned by the family that owned the SD Union-Trib and they kept it going. Since all that fell apart and it was sold to a group out of Beverly Hills, it's been difficult to understand the management decisions that have taken place.
I've stayed at La Casa del Zorro dozens of times since the 1970's but in the last 10 years the prices there have gone way over the top. Borrego is not the sort of place that will attract the upscale types who will pay those prices. Those folks generally head to Indian Wells or La Quinta.
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Riff M / San Diego
2. Re: FYI- Borrego Ranch Resort & Spa closing
Jan 8, 2010,
We too USED to enjoy staying at La Casa del Zorro! It is too bad that the folks who bought it made it sooo exclusive that no one would stay there or use it!!!!
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Joan Randolph / Santa Cruz...
3. Re: FYI- Borrego Ranch Resort & Spa closing
Jan 8, 2010, 9:10 PM
Ditto, riffsmom.
We enjoyed our stays there in the old days, (well, two of them) I don't know if RamblinSal will agree with me, but I didn't find a moderately upscale place to stay the last time we were there. Am I missing something?
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Madeleine M San Francisco
4. Re: FYI- Borrego Ranch Resort & Spa closing
Jan 10, 2010, 12:26 PM
Save
Puter, the Borrego Valley Inn is a very nice spot -- upscale without being ridiculous: http://www.borregovalleyinn.com/
I have been renting a Casita at Montesoro (was Ram's Hill) for a number of years now and have been very happy there. We get a one-bedroom (with very fully equipped kitchen) for $115 + a cleaning fee.
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5. Re: FYI- Borrego Ranch Resort & Spa closing
Jan 10, 2010,
Update on closure of Borrego Ranch Resort & Spa;
This from the 1/7 issue of the Borrego Sun:
"The principals of Borrego Ranch Resort and Montesoro Golf & Social Club were expected to make a decision this week on continuing operation at the two facilities.
"On Jan 4 ... a decision had not been made, but was expected later inthe week on whether the resort would close on Jan 8. More than 80 employees of both establishments have been officially warned three times of the possibility of a closure ...
"One potential investor is local businessman and Borrego Sun publisher, Patrick Meehan."