Luxury Hotels on the California Coast

California’s long coastline offers a huge range of luxurious holidaying opportunities, from remote regions where you can have long stretches of beach to yourself, to glamorous, lively hubs like Santa Monica and Malibu, known for their nightlife. Come for the surf, stay for the cocktails or the aquarium, or the farm-to-fork foodies culture, or the California lifestyle, but you probably won’t have time to do everything you hoped to do. We can’t necessarily help you fit in everything California has to offer, but we can save you time by pre-researching accommodation options, and our Guru’s curated list of 20 luxury hotels on the California Coast is a great place to start. From San Diego in the south to Crescent City in the north, and all the beach hubs in between, our Hotel Gurus have selected a wide range of properties and styles from all-singing-all-dancing resorts you don't need to leave to chic little B&Bs and urban hang-outs.

For Ocean Views

The Surfrider is a super cool, 20 room boutique hotel on Malibu beach. If your idea of luxury includes stylish, Scandinavian decor, mid-century antiques, coffee table books about art, scented candles and incredible ocean views, then The Surfrider will definitely be your cup of tea. The rooftop restaurant with perfect views is extremely thorough with its sourcing and menu creation — and it’s open to guests only.
Set on 20 acres of lush gardens right up against the sands of a Pacific beach, the Four Seasons the Biltmore is a spacious Spanish resort hotel with fabulous views and plenty of panache. There are around 200 rooms, suites and villas, plus a choice of three restaurants, and an impressive spa. But the palm gardens really tip this one over into paradise.

For a Luxurious Beach Break

Right on Santa Monica Beach, with pier views, Loews Santa Monica, is large, spacious and luxurious. All of the 350 odd rooms and suites have a private terrace or balcony, and both restaurants and the pool also have ocean and pier views. Our Gurus love the added touches, like daily morning yoga classes on the beach.
We have a number of spectacularly located hotels on this list, but the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel has got to be one of the most spectacular, positioned on a clifftop overlooking Salt Creek Beach. This is a big place, with almost 400 rooms, suites and villas, and its facilities are correspondingly impressive, with everything from ping pong to a movie library, yoga and Beach Butlers. There are kids clubs for all ages too.
Santa Barbara’s Rosewood Miramar Beach also has Beach Butlers, if that’s a fresh concept that piqued your interest. This family friendly hotel sits right on the sand of Miramar Beach and also supplies beach toys, chairs and umbrellas, and has a fantastic indoor clubhouse for kids, with an Explorers Club offering cool activities all day long. There are two pools, three bars, a beachwear boutique and around 160 rooms and suites, spread out along the coast.

For Direct Beach Access

Moments from the pier, and right on the sand, the Malibu Beach Inn is spacious and stylishly unfussy, with incredible ocean views and a private beach. There are 47 rooms and suites, some of them perfect for families, plus a super hip restaurant and spa.
Laguna Beach’s Surf and Sand Resort is perfectly positioned just above the sand, overlooking the ocean from an unbeatable number of balconies and terraces — plus the infinity pool. There are 167 rooms and suites, all of them simple and spacious, designed to make the most of the huge windows and private terraces. Plus an award-winning spa and romantic terrace restaurant.

For a Luxury Hideaway

The Hotel Californian is an exclusive bolthole on the Santa Barbara coastline, just off a Pacific beach. The deco is American Riviera at its finest, borrowed stylishly from the European versions — in monochrome. The chic pool, spa and restaurant mean this is the sort of hotel you don’t need to leave.
Terranea is a stunning resort on 102 acres of its own oceanfront land, only 30 minutes drive from L.A.. It’s big, there are 582 rooms, suites and villas, and there’s an excellent selection of bars and restaurants, and a list of facilities that includes golf, snorkelling, horse riding and a kids club.

For Romance

The Casa del Mar is a stylish hotel right on the beach in Santa Monica, with palm trees, Mediterranean style architecture, objets d’art and a lively live music cocktail bar. The hotel has 129 bright and airy rooms and suites — suites have their own spa baths — and you’re moments from Santa Monica pier.

Luxury for Families

The Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica is an old charmer, having hosted guests in its luxurious embrace since 1921. Its 300 odd rooms, suites and private bungalows are spread amongst five acres of palm-dotted gardens, and you can see the ocean though the trees from almost everywhere. The facilities are really top notch, and kids get the full treatment of toys on arrival and child-sized bathrobes.
Tower 23 isn’t a tower, it’s more of an oversized low-rise villa, sitting on a precarious sandy ridge just off the beach at San Diego — and an elegant contemporary architectural masterpiece with it. Its 44 rooms, suites and family suites are spacious, with fantastic ocean views, and there’s plenty of space for families to spread out and feel at home. The restaurant has an excellent range, and the location is ideal for exploring, as well as enjoying the beach.
The Lido House, just off the main street of Newport Beach, is a Cape Cod-style hotel, with 130 beach-y feeling rooms and suites, an impressive spa, and Newport’s only rooftop bar. The pool is really something, bound to be a crowd pleaser if you’re travelling as a family, and there’s a games room, and great children’s menu too.

For Californian Chic

Shutters on the Beach is known for its classic Californian cool, low key luxury, discreet service, award-winning celebrity spa and private beach. It’s just a short drive from Beverly Hills and Hollywood, but if you book a sea view room, your views of the Pacific sunset will make you feel a lot further away… Expect nautical chic and inbuilt hot tubs, three restaurants and an impressive wine list.

For Foodies

The Calamigos Guest Ranch & Beach Club is an exclusive ranch in beautiful wine country just back from the Malibu coast, with rustic-luxe decor in its 56 rooms, suites and bungalows. The resort isn’t on the beach, but it does have a private beach club, and will ferry you between the two, so you’ve got the best of wine country and the beach! And there's a couple of great dining options.
The Harbour House Inn is a charming six room lodge with a really impressive restaurant, right on the coast, backed by the Mendocino National Forest. The accommodation is beautiful and traditional, and you can have a room in the main house, or a private cottage. The 2 Michelin starred seafood restaurant, known for its strict 30 mile radius sourcing, is worth the journey on its own.

For Oceanside Relaxation

The Ritz Carlton Bacara is a collection of Spanish style buildings housing a large, spacious resort of 358 rooms, just 15 minutes from Santa Barbara. The ocean views are unobstructed, and the vast majority of rooms have sea views and private balconies. And the scale of the resort means the facilities are excellent, including a vast spa which offers the best in relaxation.
La Playa Hotel is a grand, ocean-view mansion right by the beach at Carmel-by-the-Sea — it’s officially the closest hotel to the beach. La Playa’s 75 rooms and suites are elegantly decorated in unfussy neutrals, making the most of the large windows and sea views. The grounds are lushly beautiful, with an outdoor pool and giant chessboard.
L'Auberge del Mar is a luxurious resort overlooking the Pacific Ocean in pretty Del Mar, with a private track down to the beach, complimentary beach gear and a beach valet in season. The hotel has 120 coast-themed rooms and suites, with lots of natural light and private outdoor spaces. The spa is ocean themed too, and the restaurant offers the best seasonal southern California produce.

For Great Value Luxury

In a spectacular spot overlooking the Mendocino coastline, The Heritage House Resort has 47 smart, spacious rooms-with-a-view, and a restaurant and bar with a view too. Chic and affordable, and perfect if you want to watch the waves from your tub.

Still not sure where to book?

You could refine your search to just the best places to stay in Malibu, the best places to stay in Santa Monica, the best places to stay in Newport Beach, Santa Barbara or Santa Cruz
Consider our picks on the list of 20 Luxury Hotels in California
or 20 of the Best Beach Hotels in California
You could expand your search to include ALL the best places to stay in California
Alternatively, you could contact one of our friendly Gurus for personalised advice.

20 Luxury Hotels on the California Coast

Shutters on the Beach

Santa Monica (California)

A stylish beachfront property providing the ultimate low key luxury stay in Santa Monica. With three gourmet restaurants, a spa, fitness centre, pool and private beach there is no end to the ways you can relax and unwind. Rooms are classic California cool design with nautical colours and balconies.

Beach Life - With its stunning beachfront location, you can't be better placed to enjoy both city and beach.
Great walks - Grab a gelato and take a stroll down the popular Third Street Promenade.
Sailing
Views

from AU$874 for 1 room, 1 night including taxes & fees

20 Luxury Hotels on the California Coast

For Ocean Views

For a Luxurious Beach Break

For Direct Beach Access

For a Luxury Hideaway

For Romance

Luxury for Families

For Californian Chic

For Foodies

For Oceanside Relaxation

For Great Value Luxury

Still not sure where to book?

20 Luxury Hotels on the California Coast

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