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Sun-drenched, golden California, is known for its flash, from the bright lights of Hollywood, to the drama of the Northern California Coast and the treat-yourself-to-life attitude of California’s wine country. So this state is really rife with fantastically luxurious hotels. You’re spoilt for choice, whether you’re looking for luxury amongst the bright lights and the big city, along a hip stretch of sand, to relive the Hollywood golden age in the desert, or if you just want to eat and drink incredibly well in the Napa Valley. We’ve got some great recommendations for families too, and some great spa hotels. Hopefully we’ve picked out the perfect luxury hotel for you.
California’s Special Occasion Hotels
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- The Beverly Hills Hotel is a Los Angeles icon, and one that has played host to countless famous faces. This is luxury of the glamorous kind, with a red carpet and a grand foyer with pillars, the option of fine dining and suites with all the comforts of a home that features on the pages of House and Garden. It sprawls across 12 tropical acres of land off Sunset Boulevard, and with the facilities on offer there’s really no need to leave if you’re worried about being papped.
- The Post Ranch Inn is in an incredible spot, perched on the edge of a cliff, 1200 feet above the Pacific Ocean… just outside Big Sur. The award-winning hotel restaurant overlooks this one-of-a-kind view, as do many of the 39 rooms and suites, both from their private deck and their private hot tubs. The Inn has three infinity pools, two spas, an a gym as well. The surrounding countryside is spectacular, and you’re close to the beach and several galleries. Or, if you choose to hang out at the hotel, they offer morning yoga and pilates, and tai chi and stargazing…
- The Paramour Estate was a grand Hollywood mansion in smart Silver Lake, owned by various Hollywood elites, until it was converted into a nine suite boutique hotel. It still feels like old Hollywood, though; its pool courtyard comes complete with statuary, and its individually decorated rooms, with their antiques, treasures, and confident design choices. There’s no restaurant, but there are plenty to choose from nearby. This is your opportunity to live like a movie star…
Luxury City Breaks in California
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- There’s nowhere more central than the Four Seasons San Francisco, which occupies 12 beautiful floors of a 42 storey building in downtown San Francisco, right on Market Street, just around the corner from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. This is a Four Seasons Hotel, so you can expect ti usual elegant, contemporary decoration, marble-clad bathrooms and floor to ceiling windows. There’s complimentary access to the huge Equinox health club and an impressive steak and seafood restaurant, and of course hundreds of restaurants within walking distance. This is a good spot for families too, they really know how to make kids feel welcome here.
- The Battery is another San Francisco recommendation, though the feel is very different: this hotel is part of a private members club, converted from an old sweet factory on Jackson Square, and has just 14 rooms and suites. The rooms are all different, but they’re all hip and contemporary, filled with vintage and custom made furniture, and objets worth looking at. And of course you get access to the members club facilities.
- The Hotel Bel-Air is an elegant 1940s era hotel, dressed up as a Mediterranean villa, and surrounded by 18 ares of tropical garden occupying prime Bel-Air real estate. This is a popular celebrity haunt, but popular because its spacious suites are private, and it’s all very low key and relaxed, from its well considered European fusion restaurant run by Wolfgang Puck, to its outdoor pool, Turkish bath, and award-winning spa. The 103 rooms and suites are modern and stylish, and there’s good access to everything you need good access too.
- The Viceroy Santa Monica is a glossy boutique hotel, right by the beach at Santa Monica. As the name suggests there’s a colonial feel to the decor, but in monochrome, and blended cleverly with cutting edge design. The pool area feels especially luxurious, with a smart cocktail bar and private cabana dining. And the hotel bar and lounge are popular night spots, and not just for guests.
Luxurious Beach Resorts
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- Calamigos Guest Ranch and Beach Club is an exclusive ranch on the Malibu Coast, perfect if you fancy private beach club access, and boutique features. And if you want to go the whole way and pretend you have a private beach house with a private beach, you can book a whole bungalow or cottage, with a private patio and separate living space. All together there are 56 rooms, suites and bungalows, all effortlessly, and stylishly dressed, with lots of white, wood flooring, and designer touches.
- Shutters on the Beach offers classic Santa Monica service and style, promising “luxury without the stuffy”, in a really gorgeous setting. This hotel has been on top hotel lists for a long time, and is well loved by certain celebrities, to the extent that ‘The One’ spa, owned by Ole Henriksen, has such a following that it buzzes for months before the Oscars. The decor is Californian cool in a nautical colour scheme with rattan furnishings in the 186 rooms and suites, and in the three gourmet restaurants, and the spa. There’s a private beach too.
The Most Romantic Luxury Hotels
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- The L'Horizon Resort & Spa was built in the 1950s as a big shot Hollywood retreat, but has morphed into a small, elegant boutique hotel. The incredible Palm Springs surrounds haven’t changed, neither have the low rise, bungalow-style rooms and huge windows. And the decor still references the 50s, but with a chic, monochrome spin. There’s a picturesque infinity pool, plus a fantastic restaurant and a an equally good spa. This feels like a wealthy friend’s luxurious home. But with a spa and restaurant on site!
- If your idea of luxury includes dark velvets, gilt frames and antiques, the 12 room Mansion on Sutter in San Francisco might be ideal for you. This is a beautifully refurbished and redecorated mansion, where all the details have been considered, from the gold on the exterior, to the intricately tiled floor of the smallest bathroom. There’s no restaurant, but there are plenty in the vicinity, but there is a chic bar, a breakfast room, and a little gym.
California’s Best Luxury Escapes
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- The Chateau du Sureau looks like a castle or chateau, surrounded by pleasant European gardens, but its setting, in Yosemite country, is just beyond the green grass and the pool area. There are nine rooms and suites in this 19th century build, and the decorations are traditional, and in keeping with the original fireplaces and hard wood floors. There’s a library as well as a spa. And some of the rooms would suit a family.
- Rosewood Cordevalle is a small, elegant and secluded golf resort in the Santa Cruz foothills. There are only 44 rooms and suites, but lots of public living space, so it feels both intimate and spacious. As well as having a choice of where to sit and relax, there’s also a choice of where to eat and drink, and the cuisine in all three restaurants comes highly recommended, as does the impressive wine list. There’s a pool to relax by, but the main draw is probably the golfing facilities, including the championship course, the pro-shop and fitness centre. But it’s family friendly too.
California’s Top Spa Hotels
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- The Bardessono Hotel & Spa prides itself on being both luxurious and eco-friendly. Located in Yountville, in the heart of the Napa Valley, this hotel is clever. Its 62 spacious rooms and suites are designed like private spas, heated geothermally — both the rooms and the water — and there are solar panels to provide the rest of the hotel’s energy. As well as the innovative architecture and design there’s an obvious focus on wine too, with an exceptional wine list and regular tastings.
- The Napa Valley’s Solage Calistoga bills itself as an ‘adult playground’, but we think it’s more peaceful than a playground, what with the huge spa with its impressive array of treatments, its pool and cool, relaxed bar, its fussy-foodie-friendly restaurants, and its saunas and hot tubs. And proximity to the vineyards, and complimentary bikes for exploring the area. The decor is simple, and lets the surrounds do the impressing, but they have everything you need. Plus family suites.
Luxurious Wine Country Retreats
- The Auberge du Soleil is a fantastically rural-esque escape, deep in California’s wine country, just outside St. Helena. It’s ‘rural-esque’ because it looks wonderfully simple, like a collection of treehouses and cottages poking out over the olive trees that surround the resort, but this is just the look. Inside, as well as all the charm of rural features, these 50 rooms and suites are seriously luxurious. The best have views over the valley, and the gorgeous pool area. This resort started out as a restaurant, and the food is still one of the main draws, and the accompanying 15,000 strong wine cellar.
- The Kenwood Inn & Spa is a small, romantic escape in the heart of wine country. The exterior has a Spanish vibe, though the hotel’s excellent restaurant is Italian. And the 29 individually decorated rooms and suites have an Italian feeling too, some of them Tuscan-villa chic, some contemporary-Milan. All with beautiful, designer bathrooms, and most with open fires too. This is an excellent base for exploring the region’s wineries — you can reach some on foot, and others are only a short cycle away. There’s also a courtyard with a pool and spa to relax in afterwards.
- Set on 258 acres of vineyards in the Sonoma Wine Country, the Montage Healdsburg is one of this list's most state-of-the-art properties, with fresh-feeling architecture that features a lot of glass, clean lines, and clever angles that give the impression that most of the rooms are sitting amongst vineyards with only a few neighbours, rather than the 130 rooms and suites the hotel actually has. The spa is state-of-the-art too, and there’s a beautiful pool area which also overlooks the vineyards, and a French-inspired fine dining restaurant.
Luxury Hotels for the Whole Family
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- The Rosewood Miramar Beach is a beach resort right on Miramar Beach, in that it has terraces and balconies that hover over the sand. This hotel is simply luxurious; it has all the valuable elements of luxury, including superb service and surrounds, but none of the ‘fluff’. There are 161 rooms and suites, including family suites, and all of them are light and airy, with huge marble bathrooms — the best have private terraces and balconies too. There’s a relaxed family pool area, a private adults pool, and a choice of three innovative cocktail bars, plus the Malibu Farmer restaurant.
- The San Ysidro Ranch sits above Santa Barbara, looking out over the city to the Pacific Ocean. It’s sprawling, but low rise, with a romantically rustic, traditional touch to the decor — which includes four-poster beds and private hot tubs. There are just 41 suites and cottages, all of them luxurious and intimate, with outdoor rain showers. The restaurant specialises in locally sourced produce (some sourced as locally as the hotel’s huge vegetable patch). Even though it all sounds super romantic, it’s also a great place for families, because there’s just so much space and so much to do.
Still not sure where to book?