California Hotels & Resorts

If heart throbs were hotels, Fairmont San Francisco would be one of them. With regal looks, historic spirit and unrivalled Bay and city views, this is the go-to for a sophisticated stay.

An ode to both the Gold Rush era and its waterfront location, The Argonaut crushes on-trend nautical elegance without sacrificing history and is our default choice for San Fran.

Centrally located in Hollywood, the Loews is stylish, contemporary and right at the heart of the action.

Elegant hotel in the hills above Santa Barbara.

A waterfront hotel at the heart of Monterey's famous Cannery Row.

In a ‘blow your own trumpet’ location in downtown Santa Barbara, hacienda-style Kimpton Canary has a Mediterranean mood and a rooftop pool and terrace that spark a golden state of mind.

Luxurious retreat for nature lovers

Deep in the forest with spectacular ocean views.

A leisure-focussed resort with a golf course, pools, tennis court, and spa. The perfect spot for downtime on a Californian road trip.

You get the Gucci of all views at Monterey Bay Inn. The Pacific Ocean dominates this peachy little place where the Cali way of life is all footprints in the sand, orcas in the water and rugged coastline paths.

Turn off your emails and leave the glad rags at home; Portola Hotel & Spa at Monterey Bay cruises the coastal way. Think stylish indoor-outdoor spaces, natural materials and feel-good maritime vibes.

Need a reason to try out ranch life? Carmel Valley Ranch will give you ten. With plenty of noteworthy add-ons, this sultry and sustainable escape is all at once a holistic hideaway and a wild card of adventure.

An everything-you-need-nothing-you-don’t kind of hotel where the prime oceanfront location does all the convincing.

California beach bliss awaits at this oceanfront beauty that’s right on Pismo Beach. It has everything you need to stay put for a few days, but the California coast might just tempt you out to play.

A Santa Barbara oasis with a typical hacienda style.

Get a front-row seat to the Pacific coastline at Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort, a modern resort in a prime position for exploring this gorgeous stretch of California.

A small package it might be, but Riviera Beach House has artsy edge, swift passage to the shore and plenty of local flavour. Hit the beach, the breweries and the artisanal shops.

Feast by the beach, cruise the coastline and kayak by the pier. Sprinkled with all the shades of summer, Hotel Milo is a charming little place to sleep, swim and savour those oceanfront views.

Our fave Santa Monica hotel, Shutters on the Beach is the kind of place you want to retreat to every weekend. Think sun-drunk beach days and Pacific Ocean views at one of the best addresses on the Californian coast.

Laguna Beach House is all light filled rooms, saltwater swells, vintage surfboards and a bohemian crowd.

The Ocean View Hotel marries beachy blues with green initiatives in a knockout location right by the iconic Santa Monica pier.

Just a 15-minute walk from Disneyland Resort’s main gate, Hotel Indigo Anaheim is a great stone’s throw away base to rest and relax after blasting through Space Mountain’s cosmos.

If the idea of an airport hotel conjures a vision of dated décor and a personality vacuum, Renaissance Los Angeles International Airport stands ready for some myth-busting.

An aura of endless summer permeates this buzzy boardwalk hotel.

Checking in to Dream Hollywood lets you behind the velvet rope.

Santa Monica’s Shore Hotel is where breezy energy meets sustainable style.

You get a real sense of The Beverly Hilton just by knowing that the Golden Globes has been hosted here since forever.

The Garland has a playful indie resort feel that leans towards lawn games, yoga and rosé all day.

Situated in LA’s oceanfront burb of Newport Beach, Lido House is everything a dreamy and docile escape on the Californian coast should be. Sandy footprints, Pacific Ocean views and the tinkle of ice in glasses at the rooftop bar.

Pasea Hotel & Spa reflects its cool Huntington Beach location with a jazzed up surf shack feel that’s got all the designer touches.

Draped in greenery and rooted in reclaimed timber, 1 Hotel Hollywood gives sustainable design a sexy edge.

The ‘Pretty Woman’ of Hollywood hotels, Beverly Wilshire is a magnet for anyone with a crush on movie star glam.

This large and modern resort hotel in Surf City USA packs in a ton of facilities for an easy-breezy beach break, LA style.

Oh, how we love Newport Beach. And the Hyatt Regency is a plum place to stay and revel in the SoCal lifestyle epitomised in this enclave of LA.

Bagging an impressive address on Wilshire Boulevard, Kimpton Palomar brings its so-called ‘SoCal Swank’ to Beverly Hills. It’s modern, stylish, rebellious – maybe, just maybe, everything you could wish for in an LA hotel?

Set back from the beach but still within easy reach of the area’s must-sees, Le Méridien Santa Monica injects colour and verve to its LA address without being as trendy (or lively) as some of its neighbours. So it’s ideal if you fancy staying somewhere a little calmer.

An enclave of style in the lively WeHo area of LA, at the crossroads of Beverly Hills.

Award winning spa and restaurant.

A favored mix of modern-classic vibes and high country cuisine; at River Terrace Inn it’s all sophisticated ‘bottoms up’ relaxing with the enchantment of Napa Town on your doorstep, and vineyards not much further.

For style warriors looking for space to breathe and taste the wine, Andaz Napa has cool country charm, a popular music scene and a prime spot on 1st Street, ‘Downtown’ Napa.

The Napa River-fronting Westin Verasa has certainly got some sass. It wins all the points for its glinting saltwater pool, Michelin-starred dining and wine list almost as long as the mileage from Napa to NYC.

In a sweet wine country suburban spot on the edge of Napa Town, and with a small outdoor pool, Hotel Indigo offers an easy on the pocket stay just 10 minutes drive from downtown Napa and easy access to the Valley’s wineries.

Fizzing with chic style and Cali country roots, The Lodge at Sonoma comes with garden party flavours, a gorgeous pool and the hippest of dinner spots helmed by a celebrity chef.

With hundreds of wineries within a 30-minute drive, DoubleTree by Hilton Sonoma covers all bases.

The Del is truly iconic. With its turreted red roofs atop whitewashed redwood cladding, you’ll spot it a mile off in all its Victorian splendour. Yet while the 1888 building is indisputably grand, newer additions to the hotel bring contemporary beach vibes to give you the best of both worlds.

Warmly welcoming and with a knock-it-out-of-the-park rooftop pool, this is a great option when you like your hotels to have a bit of personality and buzz about them. Oh, and the super central address helps seal the deal on this one.

A fantastic choice for golfers

Kimpton Rowan’s crown jewel might be its hip Champagne and swimming pool rooftop scene, but with striking desert views and art-strewn interiors, any floor you land on feels just as swish.

For the crowd that craves plenty of sports and leisure – golf, swimming pools, waterslides and whirlpools – Westin Desert Willow Villas is an easy-going escape. With mountains, desert and lively downtown hubs around, it also ticks the experiential travel box.

Hotel Indigo is part of a high energy scene in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. Gather around a rooftop fire pit for cocktails with a city view before heading out to find some Californian fare and live music. 

The toughest choice at Pacific Terrace hotel is deciding whether it’s a pool day or a beach day. This area epitomises a California beach break – surfers tackle the waves, and the boardwalk bustles with skaters and cyclists.

Fun-loving yet sophisticated, Kimpton Hotel Palomar boasts a rooftop pool and laid-back Mexican cantina. With its central Gaslamp Quarter location, it’s just as easy to spend time out and about as it is to hang at the hotel. 

The US Grant is a palatial pad in San Diego and perhaps the city’s most storied hotel, thanks to its 1910 beginnings. It’s held on to its reputation for elegance and lavishness over the years and continues to be a magnet for lovers of luxury.

Overlooking the Gaslamp Quarter, Andaz San Diego has an enviable address amid this lively destination. Other than its location, it’s most lusted after for its rooftop pool, bar, and restaurant.

Mix up your sightseeing with some downtown downtime at The Handlery. This smart city choice sits in prime position for Union Square and has a hacienda style courtyard with an outdoor heated pool.

Devilishly stylish Hotel Emblem is a wild-child mix of luxe cocktails and Beat Generation literature.

You might just mistake Hotel Triton for the home of a globetrotting art collector friend.

The Hyatt Regency sits right on the waterfront and is just steps from the Ferry Building where you’ll find the best cheese, coffee and chocolate in San Francisco.

If you’re allergic to the stuffy and the formal then you’re on the same wavelength as creative crash pad Staypineapple. Here, it’s all about complimentary sweet treats and interiors that flirt with a playful sunshine palette.

Every inch a tourist hotel geared towards leisure travellers, Hotel Caza is just a few minutes from the sidewalks and sourdough of famous Fisherman’s Wharf.

Inspired by the Italian flavours of its nearby North Beach neighbourhood, Hotel Zoe is all Tiffany blue cruiser bikes and trendy trattoria with a memorable fire pit courtyard garden.

Creativity collides with cool city vibes at Hotel Zephyr. Expect playful experiences and phenomenal Bay views against a backdrop of raw shipping container design.

Matching Sausalito’s slow mo seaside scene, Casa Madrona is all siesta-ready rooms and bobbing-boat views.

Crushing it in the classic hotel/trendy location stakes, The Westin St. Francis sits right on Union Square’s fashion-forward open air plaza.

With an enviable central address just a stroll from Chinatown and Union Square, It’s nicely topped up with enough comforts to make it a great ‘city explorer’ choice.

With guides and gear on hand to help you discover Northern California in an entirely new way, Tenaya Lodge is packed with adventurous spirit and resort-style vibes. Bike hike, climb and raft. Swim, spa and sleep.

The Ranch at Death Valley is a casual and fuss-free place to hang your hat. Pockets of green and a great pool feel like a covert refuge from the desert heat.

Sequoia National Park's premier accommodation.

It might be basic in design but Yosemite View Lodge has got a big ace up its sleeve. Making the wild so much more reachable, you can almost make eyes at Yosemite Park’s west entrance and tune into beauty at every angle.

Rum floats on pretty patios, night time swims under a galaxy of stars, and pampering wellness treatments define a desert experience at the Inn at Death Valley.

Stovepipe Wells Village is a 'cowboy casual' base for go-ahead explorers who want to dust off their boots and get lost in Death Valley’s devilishly hot and expansive desert.  

Don’t fancy roughing it in the wild? Wyndham Visalia plugs you into city life but puts you close enough to Sequoia National Park for head-clearing outdoor adventure.

Visalia Marriott at the Convention Center is a practical downtown base offering easy access to the epic wilderness of Sequoia National Park.

The Ahwahnee is an earthy Hansel and Gretel hideaway with extraordinary views and epic adventure all around.

With everything from a private beach and marina to tennis and canoeing this feels like an all-American summer camp upscaled for grown up fun.

The Sawyer is a modern hotel with huge windows that flood the 11-storied building with Californian sunshine. Well and truly in the heart of the action, the Golden 1 Centre sport and entertainment venue is right next door.

A warmly inviting and historic hotel, The Citizen boasts a well-regarded farm-to-fork restaurant and brings oodles of classic character to its downtown address.