Happy Holidays Message from Kathleen Cochran,
General Manager of The Alisal
Guiding a world-class guest ranch takes a dedicated team effort. This year the team that makes up The Alisal family, outdid themselves! The result was satisfied guests, exciting new programs and some great improvements to the property. I am pleased to say all the pieces came together to create a record-breaking year for The Alisal.
At the heart of The Alisal, are our people. This year we were pleased to elevate our Acting Head Wrangler, Meghan Taylor, to the official title of Head Wrangler, and promoted 40-year team member Lily Larralde, to the title of Director of Guest Services. We also brought on Jeff Raymond to be the Head Golf and Teaching Pro at our River Course and added some terrific managers for housekeeping and engineering. All of them share a passion for making guests feel welcome and creating great vacation experiences.
In keeping with the theme of creating “unforgettable vacation experiences” we have also been making some significant investments into maintaining and upgrading the property. Some of the changes were subtle. We put in new smooth asphalt drives, and a cozy new fire-pit area on the Creekside Lawn. We also made some big improvements that are already getting raves from the guests. Projects like our major makeover of three cottages that line the main drive that we are now calling the “Turner House.” Designed by internationally acclaimed interior designer and author, Nathan Turner, the cottages can be reserved separately, or all as one grand accommodation. We are also well into completing bathroom upgrades to all the cottage bathrooms throughout the property. This year we have also made exciting additions to our ropes course and added 50 new horses to our team. In 2020 the improvements continue, with grand plans for upgrading our pool, including refreshing all the pool area furniture.
Along with new improvements, many of The Alisal traditions keep evolving and getting better. This year the bi-annual BBQ Bootcamps were huge hits. The latest Bootcamp, featured not only culinary talents of our own Executive Chef Anthony Endy, but also attracted celebrity guest chefs, that helped take the event to a whole new level. The event sold out in record time. Another improvement we made this year was adding more flexibility to the seating times at dinner. This simple change has allowed us to offer even better service.
With so many successes in 2019, we are looking forward to making 2020 even better. Plans are already in the works for giving guests more, as we gradually move towards offering a full “all-inclusive” experience. Some inclusions coming your way in the summer of 2020 will be beverage services, all non-motorized boats at the lake included, and many of the favorite children’s activities also included.
Being head of The Alisal team is a real honor for me, and as I close out my third year as General Manager it has been a pleasure to get to know so many of our guests.
I am always eager to hear about your experiences at The Alisal and listen to your ideas for making the Ranch even better. My door is open and don’t hesitate to call me at my personal number (805) 686-7604. I look forward to connecting with you soon.
Thanks, to all who help make The Alisal a very special place.
Kathleen Cochran, General Manager