By Mark Muckenfuss

Perched atop the near-vertical cliffs of Big Sur, backed by redwoods and fronted by crashing waves hundreds of feet below, it’s small wonder that Post Ranch Inn has a reputation as a top-tier global destination. 

But beneath that impressive natural veneer, it also boasts a strand of uniquely-designed guest rooms strung out like a jeweled bracelet along a precipitous ridge, customer service designed to focus on the smallest of details, and a commitment to maintain its 100-acre resort through sustainable practices. 

For the students of CSU Monterey Bay’s sustainable hospitality management course, it served as a near-perfect example of what they had been studying during the spring semester. The class has also gone on field trips to Monterey’s Escape Room 831, the Monterey Airport, Joyce Winery and Freeman Stadium.

“This allows them to better understand the concepts we talk about in class,” said Paige Viren executive director of the Sustainable Hospitality Management program. “It gives them exposure to the wide range of career opportunities that are available.”

At Post Ranch Inn, that range included facilities operations, guest relations, housekeeping, restaurant management, gardening – even serving as a nature guide.

A group of eight students toured the grounds of the inn, strolling in the shadow of dense forest, poking their heads into some of the rooms – which start at $1,750 per night – marveling at the view of the coastline, getting a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the employee housing and the resort laundry facility, and touring the garden that supports the inn’s restaurant.

Everywhere they stopped, there were examples of environmentally conscious behavior.

“They embody a lot of the sustainable things we talk about in class,” Viren said. 

Mike Higgens, vice president of operations and development for the inn, showed the students the solar panel array that can provide up to 30 percent of the resort’s power. He walked them by the pond that serves as habitat for the endangered red-legged frog. And he showed them several wells that help feed the property’s sustainable water system.

“A lot of destination markets are moving to destination stewardship programs,” Higgens said of the industry trend in sustainable practices. “But we’ve been living that for 31 years. We have a three-way intersection of nature, hospitality and sustainability.”

Built on the historic homestead founded by the Post family in the 1860s, the inn opened in 1992. That same year, it partnered with Passport Resorts, a Bay Area-based company that manages high-end boutique hotels with an eye on social and environmental responsibility.

Cierra Verdone is a third-year sustainable hospitality and event management student. She found inspiration in touring the grounds.

“This is a dream goal,” Verdone said. “Something similar to this is what I hope to get into one day.”

She said her family owns a ranch in Turlock and, while the scenery afforded by the surrounding Central Valley is significantly different, she thinks there is potential for a sustainable property offering unique amenities. 

“Maybe one day, I could start something like this,” she said. 

The offsite experience of such a visit is important, she added.

“You can’t learn hospitality in the classroom,” Verdone said. “It’s all about interacting with people. This is where you learn. That’s why I feel these trips are so important. It documents the real-world experience.”

For Julien Lopez, a third-year SHM student, it was an opportunity to build on and solidify his knowledge and perceptions of the hospitality industry. 

“I gained the experience of what it’s like working for a lodge,” he said. “I have a better understanding of what I want to do, which is work for a large company in Pebble Beach.”

Higgins said getting a chance to look behind the curtain is important. 

“I hope they get out of it that there’s more to it than meets the eye,” he said. “I hope they see there are opportunities across the property. I hope, for them, their careers are meaningful, that they’re making a difference somehow.”

To the students, he said, “There’s probably never been a better time to be a hospitality student. The experiences are incredible out there, so choose wisely.”

For more information, visit  the Sustainable Hospitality Program web page.