This Hotel Was Just Named California’s First Ocean-Friendly Hotel

The Ranch at Laguna Beach was recently recognized as California’s first Ocean-Friendly Hotel by Surfrider Foundation, setting a new benchmark for eco-friendly travel on the Californian coast.

The Surfrider Foundation’s Ocean Friendly Hotels program is a brand-new initiative launched this September and is an expansion of Surfrider’s nationally recognized Ocean Friendly Restaurants Program.

© The Ranch at Laguna Beach

To earn the Ocean Friendly Hotel distinction, The Ranch at Laguna Beach met a set of criteria to reduce plastic pollution, and build an inclusive community of eco-conscious hotels, activists and patrons. The hotel removed single-use plastics from all operations and replaced them with eco-friendly alternatives, including eliminating plastic bottles, straws and bags. The Ranch at Laguna also utilizes reclaimed water for irrigation, saving 20 million gallons of water annually to ensure sustainable landscaping practices. The hotel even recycles its glass bottles into sand for its golf course and operates an on-site composting program.

Additionally, the hotel’s on-site restaurant Harvest earned the distinction of Laguna Beach’s first “Ocean Friendly” restaurant, sourcing local and sustainable ingredients for its seasonal menus. Harvest only uses seafood from the James Beard Sustainable Seafood Standards list, as well as produce from the resort’s own half-acre biodynamic farm.

© The Ranch at Laguna Beach

Surfrider Foundation also awarded the hotel thanks to its engagement in community initiatives that foster environmental stewardship, such as partnering with The Ecology Center for tree-planting programs and supporting local wildlife conservation projects.

The Ranch at Laguna Beach features 97 guestrooms and suites, the only golf course in Laguna Beach, a 3,000-square-foot spa, a signature restaurant, café, experiential programming and more.