Our Story
See What Sets Moonstone Hotels Apart
In 1983, Dirk Winter built his first hotel, the Sea Otter Inn in Cambria, California and started Moonstone Hotel Properties. As a family man, Mr. Winter hired many of his family (his mother was the head housekeeper) and friends to run the hotel.
In 1990, he grew the business and purchased the historic Cambria Pines Lodge, establishing a true landmark on California's Central Coast. Here, he created a Garden Center and Nursery (Cambria Nursery) and hired a staff of horticultural professionals to oversee his ever-growing gardens.
With a genuine passion for gardening, Mr. Winter went on to open many unique, garden-themed hotels and spa resorts in California and Oregon under the banner of Moonstone Hotel Properties. In 2008, he built the Oregon Garden Resort, which overlooks the beautiful Oregon Garden, a nonprofit botanical garden in Silverton.
In 2020, the company purchased the J. Patrick House, which is Cambria, California's original bed and breakfast.
Currently, Moonstone Hotel Properties owns the following properties in California: Cambria Pines Lodge, Sea Otter Inn, J. Patrick House and Inn, and The Monterey Hotel. And in Oregon, the Oregon Garden Resort.
Mr. Winter remains committed to working with his family and friends, while retaining a reputation for exquisite boutique hotels with beautiful grounds in West Coast destinations. You don't need to be a gardening enthusiast to enjoy our guest experience, but, if you have an appreciation for gardening, we encourage you to dig into everything our unique properties have to offer.
