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With the iconic coastline to the west, the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the east and the Redwood deserts and forests in between, California is an vacation spot for all kinds of travelers from around the world. Now here comes the big question: Where to stay ? From Newport Beach to Napa, find out which are the best Hotels in California.
10) Villagio In & Spa, Yountville, California
Within this 23 acre estate, fountains, flowing water pathways and Mediterranean style gardens surround a two level Tuscan style villa that holds 112 guestrooms and 24 mini suites. Since the opening, in 1998, the property has been family owned and operated. All the rooms come with a wood-burning fireplace, a private balcony or patio and a complimentary bottle of Sauvingnon Blanc. A champagne breakfast buffet and afternoon tea are included for guests every day. Being in downtown Yountville, there are several nearby options for shopping.
9) Post Ranch Inn, Big Shur, California
The hotel has opened it’s gates in 1992 and is made up entirely of small buildings that are set on a ridge high above the Pacific. Post Ranch added 10 new sculptural structures, spiraling Pacific Suites, cantilevered Peak Houses and Richard Serra esque Cliff houses clad in torques of rusted steel, in 2008. The hotel restaurant will pack you a lunch to take down the Pacific Coast Highway in a Lexus convertible that guests can borrow for free and you can also take advantage of the mini-bar that is complimentary.
8) Lodge at Pebble Beach, California
The resort has 161 rooms and it is best known for caliber of its gold course. If you are going there, you should request ocean view rooms which overlook both Carmel Bay and the 18th green. If you want to avoid throngs during major gold events, you should check in the inn’s calendar before planning your trip.
7) Hotel Bel-Air, Dorchester Collection, Los Angeles, California
Despite the property’s relatively large size that is 12 acres, the warm staff, the old-world gestures and the cozy Spanish Mission style architecture, there is an intimate ambience here. The hotel has 103 rooms that are uniquely decorated and are all luxurious and have understated touches. Lunching on the Bel-Air terrace, while gazing over the swan pond and pretending not to notice the Oscar winner at the next table, is a decades-old L.A. pleasure.
6) Shutters on the Beach, Los Angeles, California
This beach house style inn looks like it was lifted from Nantucket and dropped on the Santa Monica shore. Inside, the 198 rooms that are all made from whitewashed wood and blue & white patterned upholstery, with wicker-furnished balconies, reinforce the laid-back summer house vibe. Besides this, there is also real luxury here too, like the on-site spa that offers decadent massages, facials, and body scrubs using OleHenriksen products or the nautically themed Pico restaurant where you can be served with elegant seafood dishes.
5) Inn at Spanish Bay, Pebble Beach, California
Set amid Monterey pines, next to the famed golf course, look for Spanish influences in the rooms and restaurant interiors around here. The rooms that overlook the fire-pits can see the bagpiper play at sunset. An area native and 16 year veteran of the hotel, John Ramos Jr., can create personalized maps for local jogging, wine tasting and hiking. If you want to play Pebble Beach Gold Links, there is a two-night minimum required.
4) Four Seasons Resort, The Biltmore, Santa Barbara, California
Four Seasons Resort is a 207 room property that is located on Butterfly Beach and the area’s signature is 1920’s style gardens and titles. The resort arranges wine tours at the Santa Ynez Valley that include visits to wineries that are not typically open to public. If you want a room that borders the courtyard pol, you have to book one in the 200’s.
3) Auberge du Soleil, Napa, California
This was the first modern resort to open in Napa Valley, in 1985, and is still on of the best in that area. From the outside, you can see Auberge’s sandstone-colored villas and 33 acres of olive groves. Inside the resort, the 52 rooms continue the outside theme terracotta-tiled floors and rattan ceiling fans, wood-burning fireplaces and French doors leading to private verandas. The treatments at the spa all include ingredients harvested from the local hillsides.
2) San Ysidro Ranch, Santa Barbara, California
The property is 500 acre long and gives the impression of stretching on forever even if a few neighboring mansions creep into the picture. The property got a $150 Million re-investment in 2011-2012 and I have to mention that this was JFK’s honeymoon spot. When you arrive at the long driveway that is lined with olive trees and lavender, you have the sense of bein at the frontier of civilization that gives way to the scrubby Santa Ynez Mountains. The main house has 27 rooms and most of the vine-covered cottages have decks and hot tubs. You could have a perfect daytrip for wine tasting by going to the Santa Ynez Valley, which is just one hour north.
1) Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Beach, California
The Resort at Pelican Hill redefined the Orange County enclave of Newport Beach as a world-class destination since 2008, when the hotel opened it’s gates. The 504 acre resort, includes a classically designed bridge that is similar to the bridges that span the Arni River in Florence, but the masterpiece of the resort is the Coliseum Pool which is the largest circular pool in the world. The hotel has 332 guest rooms, Bose music systems, 30 inch HD TV’s, refrigerators, pool butlers and a dining table.
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