Villa Maria del Mar Retreat Center

Villa Maria del Mar is owned and operated by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, a congregation of Catholic women religious. The beachfront property includes a chapel and three buildings that are used for bedrooms, meeting rooms, and dining areas.

History

Villa Maria del Mar has its roots in the late 1890s. The Catholic Ladies Aid Society of San Francisco wanted to build a summer hotel where women of limited means could go for a rest at little or no cost. The proceeds from the summer hotel would support Saint Margaret’s Residence, a home for single working women in San Francisco.

The land was donated by several local farmers and in 1892 the 3-story Santa Maria del Mar Hotel opened. In 1906, they built a chapel on the property next to the hotel.

In 1949, the women replaced the hotel building with a more modern structure, but kept the original foundation, and added a building with sixteen bedrooms. In 1952, the women enclosed the outside porch of the main building. By 1960, the Catholic Ladies Aid Society declared that they were no longer able to operate the hotel and in 1963 the Sisters of the Holy Names purchased the Santa Maria del Mar Hotel property and furnishings.

Today, the Sisters of the Holy Names welcome guests through the ministry of hospitality at the Villa Maria Del Mar. With a focus on the full development of each person, the Villa offers a sacred space for both group and individual retreats, and provides a peaceful environment where guests can be encouraged, restored and renewed.