We hear that Auberge Resorts has picked up the management contract to operate the Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa in Rancho Sante Fe, CA, along with sister property, La Valencia Hotel, in neighboring La Jolla. Along with the announcement, Auberge is installing David Friederich as managing director of both properties.

Under the agreement, Rancho Valencia will be branded as an Auberge Resort, while La Valencia will not. It will become, instead, an affiliate hotel managed by Auberge.

Rancho Valencia, located in the affluent and exclusive enclave of Rancho Sante Fe, is an all-suites property, wherein each suite features a fireplace and private garden terrace. For those who like an active vacation, the property boasts 18 hard-court tennis courts, complemented by a comprehensive tennis program. There, too, is Spa Rancho Valencia—the perfect place to unwind after a day’s worth of pounding the courts.

Sister property, La Valencia Hotel, endearingly nicknamed the “Pink Lady of La Jolla” for its pinkish exterior hue, is 82-years old and offers an assortment of room categories, along with four dining venues, all overlooking La Jolla Cove and the Pacific Ocean. The hotel is a member of Preferred Hotels and Resorts.

The properties will be under the watchful eye of Friederich, who, for the previous five years, worked at the Cloister Hotel on Sea Island, GA, most recently in the position of general manager. He also spent 11 years with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.