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The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay, California, United States · Ritz-Carlton · Grand Luxury
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay opened in 2001 on a bluff at Miramontes Point, 261 rooms above the Pacific a mile south of town. Arnold Palmer and Arthur Hills routed two golf courses along the cliff, and a 16,000-square-foot spa sits with them. Forbes named the resort Five-Star in 2026. The fire-pit lawn faces the same coast that throws Mavericks, the big-wave break off Pillar Point. Chef Xisco Simon runs Navio, the ocean-view dining room.
- 261 rooms
- Opened 2001
- Rooms from 450 sq ft (42 m²)
- Architect: Arnold Palmer and Arthur Hills
About The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay
- The waves visible from the hotel's bluff include Mavericks, the big-wave surf break off nearby Pillar Point that produces some of the largest rideable waves on Earth.
- The resort opened in 2001 on a bluff at Miramontes Point, with 261 rooms a mile south of town.
- Arnold Palmer and Arthur Hills routed two golf courses along the cliff, and a 16,000-square-foot spa sits beside them.
- Chef Xisco Simon runs Navio, the ocean-view dining room, and Forbes named the resort Five-Star in 2026.
History
The coastline south of San Francisco breaks dramatically from the gentle curves of the Bay into something far more confrontational with the Pacific: bluffs, sea stacks, and headlands carved by an ocean that has no continental shelf between the California coast and Japan. Half Moon Bay sits at the center of this geography, its state beach and farmland interior surrounded by a marine environment that produces the underwater canyon conditions responsible for Mavericks — the big-wave surf break that generates some of the largest rideable waves on earth, positioned just offshore from Pillar Point on the north end of the bay.
Construction on the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay began in 1998 on a bluff at Miramontes Point, one mile south of Half Moon Bay town, at an elevation that places the hotel directly above the surf line with unobstructed Pacific views from every room facing west. The building was completed and opened in 2001, operating from the start as a self-contained destination resort: two oceanside golf courses laid along the bluff edge, a 16,000-square-foot spa, and a fire pit lawn where guests can watch fog roll in off the Pacific at sunset. The hotel is the only Forbes Five-Star resort on the entire San Mateo coast.
A 2022 county study identified the bluff on which the hotel sits as vulnerable to long-term sea level rise and erosion — a finding that placed the property in the ongoing civic conversation about California's coastal resilience that will shape development decisions along this stretch of coast for the next generation. A major renovation completed in 2024 updated the hotel's interiors and amenities while the physical setting remained as unchanged as the Pacific Ocean allows. The combination of Mavericks offshore, the pumpkin fields and artichoke farms of San Mateo County visible from the hotel's landward windows, and the cliff-edge golf and fire pits at the ocean's edge makes Half Moon Bay one of the most geographically specific addresses in American luxury hospitality.
The setting
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay commands a Pacific Ocean bluff at 1 Miramontes Point Road, 23 miles from San Francisco International Airport. Completed in 2001, the grand resort recalls 19th-century seaside lodge grandeur with gabled rooflines set against an infinite sky. The Half Moon Bay Golf Links, designed by Arnold Palmer and Arthur Hills, is a three-minute walk, offering championship courses where the ocean is visible from every hole. Half Moon Bay itself carries deep agricultural heritage as a historic produce garden for Gold Rush-era San Francisco, now celebrated for its Pumpkin Festival and the legendary Mavericks big-wave surf break nearby. 4 miles from Burleigh Murray Ranch State Park.
Restaurants and bars
- Navio — Restaurant · Contemporary California · Chef Xisco Simon
- The Conservatory — Restaurant · California
- Ocean Terrace — Restaurant · Seafood / casual
Experiences
- Taste of Santa Cruz Mountains — A curated journey through the Santa Cruz Mountains wine region.
- Beneath the Purisima Giants — A guided hike through the California Redwoods led by a local naturalist.
- Signature Shortbread Pastry Masterclass — A hands-on baking experience in the Navio kitchen led by the resort's Executive Pastry Chef.
- Golfers Paradise — Access to two on-property championship golf courses, one with ocean views from every hole, plus a golf pro shop.
- Taste of the coast dining and fire pits — Three restaurants, including Navio, The Conservatory and Ocean Terrace, with three gas fire pits overlooking the Pacific.
- Sunset bagpiper serenade — Guests in the Ocean House Fire Pit Suite can listen to the resort bagpiper's sunset serenade from the expansive terrace.
Amenities
- Two oceanfront 18-hole championship golf courses on the cliffside bluff
- Full-service spa
- Outdoor fire pits; ocean-view fire pit rooms with Adirondack chairs
- 107-acre property including the main lodge, three guesthouses, spa, and two golf courses
- Private cliff access to the Pacific Ocean
- Outdoor heated pool with ocean views
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
- Tennis
- Beach
- Pet-friendly
- EV charging
Awards
- AAA Four Diamond (2026)
- Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star (2026)
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