The 11 best hotels in California

Given its grand-scale splendor along the California coast, simply pitching a tent in Big Sur can be a life-changing experience. Add infinity pools, organic contemporary architecture, and edge-of-the-world views, and you start to understand why this luxury, nature-filled retreat frequently tops best hotel lists. Rooms and suites vary – from a modern treehouse to a luxury home with infinity hot tub overlooking the Pacific – and come stocked with complimentary wine and goodies. Mornings offer outdoor yoga, guided hikes, and a hosted breakfast buffet at Sierra Mar, the resort’s signature restaurant, which features glass walls and ridiculous ocean vistas.

Situated amidst the rolling vineyards of Napa Valley, this luxury resort embodies Wine Country living with 100 sleek cottages and homes outfitted with chic, light-filled interiors and sprawling landscaped patios featuring fire pits and outdoor showers. The scenic 80-acre property includes a hilltop adults-only pool with vineyard vistas, and a trio of restaurants, from casual to fine dining. The resort just completed a multi-million dollar refresh of its spa which features indoor and outdoor body treatments that incorporate local herbs and flowers.

Situated in the quirky, tiny town of Boonville, this modern roadhouse offers rustic-chic perfection amid the stunning scenery of the Anderson Valley wine country. Choose from a handful of cozy inn rooms or cottages set within lush gardens strung with twinkling lights. Each feature farm-chic decor and unique amenities that might include outdoor soaking tubs and patio hammocks. The hotel’s relaxed eatery, Table 128, dishes up family-style dinners such as pan-seared chicken with peach chutney, and leg of lamb with braised greens. In the morning, wake to a cheery plate of homemade granola, yogurt, and scones.

Skip the round-trip tix to Switzerland for this modern mountain retreat with ski-in access from Northstar California chairlifts, and a gondola to the boutiques, restaurants, and ice-skating rink at Northstar Village. Awash in warm natural finishes, 170 rooms feature fireplaces, plush bathrobes, and deep, oversized soaking tubs. The hotel’s restaurant, Manzanita, serves seasonal fare such as braised short ribs and Sonoma duck. During the summer, a stylish Lake Club offers a cocktail lounge, outdoor dining, and a private pier with a cruise liner’s worth of activities, including stand-up paddleboarding, wave runners, and luxury boat rentals.

Los Angeles doesn’t lack for stylish, buzzy hotels, but none are as storied as this Sunset Boulevard celebrity hideout modeled after a Loire Valley castle. If the Chateau’s walls could talk, they’d reveal that Led Zeppelin rode their motorcycles through the lobby in the 60s, Lindsay Lohan got 86’d after racking up an astronomical tab, and John Belushi went to that big Animal House in the sky after one too many. Owned by trend-setting hotelier André Balazs, the fetching property exudes Golden Age Hollywood charm, its hillside bungalows decked with mid-century furnishings and a fetching pool ringed by lush palms.

Housed within in a cluster of striking 1905 military buildings tucked almost below the Golden Gate Bridge, this Sausalito luxury resort offers a stay in renovated officers' residences or sleek, newly constructed suites. Set within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area nature preserve, the serene property features an indoor-outdoor spa with a heated soaking pool and fire pit-warmed patio tucked into a green hillside. Yet the most popular spot might be the shared patio for Murray Circle restaurant and the adjacent Farley Bar, which fronts the former parade ground with the monumental red bridge looming in the background.

With a modern surf-shack aesthetic, this Santa Barbara hotel embodies the beachy, laidback lifestyle of the California coast. Housed in a former Holiday Inn, the reimagined property is centered around a lively pool lined with palm trees and fire pits. Rooms feature modern boho decor and fun perks such as Crosley turntables with vinyl supplied by the hotel’s record concierge. Grab a cocktail at the Good Bar, decked in a retro, cartoony mural by LA-based artists DabsMyla, before sitting down for battered fish tacos and pork belly bao buns at the indoor-outdoor dining room of Outpost.

This renovated 1963 property captures the rugged splendor of the Sonoma coast with Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architecture blended into coastal bluffs above the churning Pacific. Hotshot designers The Novogratz rejuvenated interiors with an eye to the natural landscape and mid-century design. Modern, cabin-like rooms feature wool throws, gas fireplaces, and portable turntables spinning vintage vinyl. Wander path-lined grounds to seek out quiet coves and overlooks dotted with colorful Adirondack chairs. Then warm up with a cocktail around a massive stone hearth in the lodge-like lobby, and nosh on local oysters and fried chicken from the excellent Coast Kitchen.

While Palm Springs brims with stylized properties that play up retro, mid-century vibes, the Ace’s desert outpost leans more towards Coachella than Rat Pack. The 179-room property features earthy bohemian design with handcrafted furniture, kilim rugs, and walls hung with tent canvas, and some rooms feature private courtyards and outdoor fireplaces. Weekend DJs ensure a lively pool scene while solitude seekers can find respite at a quieter, secondary pool. Kings Highway, a former Denny’s, is a hip take on a roadside diner, offering imaginative dishes like spiced buttermilk pancakes or grilled yellowtail tacos; work up to them with a frozen watermelon margarita.

San Diego’s sunny days and balmy evenings are on full display at this delightful reboot of a mid-century motel that blurs indoor and outdoor living. Retro-mod rooms wrap a courtyard pool deck with outdoor seating for The Pearl’s buzzy bar and eatery, Charles + Dinorah. On summer evenings, the property screens classic flicks such as Office Space and Bridesmaids on a giant screen above the pool. The surrounding Point Lomas neighborhood is slowly starting to perk up – check out the bars and boutiques at Liberty Station – while the lively Gaslamp and Little Italy districts are a quick jaunt away.

Choosing from the Madonna Inn’s 110 fantastically-themed rooms is like choosing your favorite Pez dispenser. Opened in 1958, the property’s Technicolor kitsch has gone in and out of vogue, but is enjoying a moment thanks to a new generation of Instagram-wielding travelers. They adore the shaggy pink carpet and private tower of the Love Nest, glittering pink wallpaper and crystal chandeliers of Merry, and boulder-lined interiors of the cavern-themed Rock Bottom. The merriment continues in public areas with the vivid pink Gold Rush Steakhouse, ornate Silver Bar cocktail lounge, and a men’s room with a waterfall urinal.