Chaminade takes its name from Father William Joseph Chaminade, a French priest and educator who founded the Society of Mary (Marianists) in the 1700s following the French Revolution. In 1930, Chaminade Boys High School was opened on the site of Chaminade at Santa Cruz. The school was located in the current main building, where today's guests will find the resort's meeting rooms and restaurants. Chaminade functioned as a school until World War II and later became a novitiate used to train novices in the Marianist order until 1970, when it became a retreat site for the church. In 1979 Chaminade’s buildings along with 280 acres of surrounding land were developed into Chaminade at Santa Cruz, which opened on May 5, 1985.

Today's Chaminade treats leisure guest and conference attendees to a scenic retreat featuring 156 sleeping rooms, two restaurants, a full-day spa, hiking trails, fitness center, four tennis courts, and a swimming pool. For our conference guest, we feature over 12,000 square feet of technologically savvy meeting space, ergonomic chairs and inspiring team-building activities.

Since 1988, Benchmark Hospitality Management Company, a recognized leader in hotel, resort and conference centers around the world, has managed Chaminade. With over 20 years of hospitality industry experience, Benchmark is the standard by which other hospitality management companies are measured.