Sun, sand, sea, celebrities, breathtaking natural vistas on a grand scale and bustling city life, California is where it’s happening. And California’s coastline, where it meets the Pacific, beckons with long, long stretches of sand, windswept dunes, dramatic cliffs and a string of beach and port towns all with their own personalities. Then there are the cities, San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles, famous destinations with so many appeals. And there are just as many beach hotels and resorts in California as reasons for wanting to find the perfect one to stay in. But we’ve capped our recommendations for the best beach hotels and resorts in California to 20, choosing, we hope, something for everyone, from the classic, mid-century Los Angeles hotel right on the beach, to Spanish style villas along the coast in Santa Barbara, clifftop beach escapes in we don’t really know where, and plenty of choices for families or those on a budget. Our list of the best California resorts and hotels by the beach also includes a real blow-out option, which we’ve included for our celebrity readers...use our guide and start planning your coastal getaway.
For a beach view
- For unobstructed views of the Pacific Ocean it’s hard to top the 16 elegant, Japanese-style guest rooms of Nobu Ryokan. The rooms are arranged in a long line, with their terraces touching the sand and the water lapping along them at high tide, and all have floor to ceiling windows and doors, many which slide open. As well as private decks and skylights, and Japanese-style soaking tubs, all the rooms have their own indoor/ outdoor fireplace. And they’ll deliver your breakfast to you each morning in a bento box, so you don’t have to leave your beautiful cocoon until you want to. The restaurant is Japanese-Peruvian fusion, and there’s an oceanfront swimming pool. Discreet.
- Along the same stretch of beach, but in a more affordable price bracket, you’ll find the Malibu Beach Inn, just three minutes from Malibu’s pier. Outside the design is boxy, but boxy with lots of big squares of glass, perfect for making the most of the views, and inside there are 47 rooms and suites decorated with unfussy style, using pale wood, Ercol-esque furniture and natural materials. There’s an impressive onsite spa, a private beach and a hip restaurant with incredible views.
- Just a few minutes walk from Newport’s historic pier, and with a great view of it from many rooms, the Newport Beach Hotel is a cinch for the view category. It’s small, with 15 rooms and suites (and a self-catering guest cottage), and the decor is classic beach hotel: think shades of blue, rattan and white or pale wood furnishings. Newport Harbour is a great place for sailors or rowers of all kinds, and a great place to join a fishing charter. And you’re close to the nature reserve, but also Newport’s nightlife.
- Totally different from the long sandy beaches and city piers, the coastline around Santa Barbara is rocky and dramatic, covered in low scrub, which conveniently doesn’t obstruct your view much. And this is the view from the Bacara Resort & Spa, a 358 room hotel with the feel of a Spanish village, complete with low rise villas which follow the coastline along, with the odd outdoor bar, terrace and fireplace along the way. The decor follows the same theme as the architecture, with polished marble and tile floors, vast fireplaces and traditional furnishings. The rooms are large, and many have sitting rooms and balconies too. The size of this resort guarantees choice when it comes to activities, bars and restaurants, but the menus have a Catalan flavour.
For a hip beach stay
- Right on the long, long stretch of sand at Huntington Beach, Los Angeles, the Pasea Hotel & Spa is a 250 room property, with plenty of balconies and sliding glass doors to make the most of the incredible views. The decor is hip white on white, with chaise longues shaped like waves, wave patterned carpets, and large scale wave-inspired art and photography. The bar is lively and there’s a surf centre, where a ’surf butler’ will assist with your needs, and a trendy restaurant.
- Hip and affordable, the Shorebreak Hotel on Huntington Beach has a contemporary, minimal vibe, with pops of colour, and a popular bar and restaurant with a good reputation for cocktails. This is a fun spot, and it’s not just the cocktails that let on, it’s also the ping pong table, the surf shop, 24 hour fitness centre and yoga studio. They also offer board and bike rentals. The Shorebreak has 157 rooms and suites, including family suites and some with their own hot tubs.
For a romantic coastal stay
- The Surfrider is a small, and super cool, Malibu boutique hotel with incredible sea views and just 20 rooms and suites. They’ve totally nailed the balance between luxury and minimalism, and their simple decor and design, featuring lots of natural materials, gives the impression of being a guest at someone’s upscale beach house rather than a hotel. The rooftop restaurant is guests only, so the feeling continues. This is the perfect place to watch the sunset.
- Santa Monica’s Casa del Mar is a larger, more traditional hotel, right up against the beach, with rooms facing out onto the ocean and the pool. If you look at their photos you can see why we’ve put it into the romantic category: its 129 rooms and suites have elegance, comfort and sea views, and give the feeling of this being your home for your stay, not just a bare hotel room. The luxurious linens and eclectic objets d’art really finish the picture. There’s also a spa bath in all the suites. And live music every night in the lounge, which specialises in small plates and cocktails.
For the best beach escapes
- Along a quiet stretch of coast from San Francisco, right against a sandy stretch of quiet beach, you’ll find the Beach House Hotel Half Moon Bay, a spacious, comfortable hotel in a stunning spot. This is an idea spot to come to relax, with your family, or without. The 54 rooms and suites have private living space, fireplaces and balconies, as well as comfortable beds, and the hotel advertises the spaciousness of their bathrooms too. This is the perfect spot for watersports, and Half Moon Bay is part of a wetland reserve — around 200 different species of birds live here. There are lots of walking and cycling trails from the hotel too.
- Perched on a spectacular clifftop overlooking a private beach on Mendocino’s coast, The Heritage House Resort is a 47 room hotel that’s smart and spacious, with huge windows letting in lots of light and incredible ocean views. If the view alone isn’t enough to make you feel a sense peace there’s the beach itself, just a minute's walk away through lush gardens, or the excellent bar and restaurant, which also have incredible views.
For family friendly options
- The Pavilion Hotel is right on the water in Avalon, a gorgeous film-set of a town on Santa Catalina Island. This is a relaxed and relaxing hotel, set amongst its own tropical gardens, with 71 rooms and suites arranged in low rise buildings hidden from each other by the palms and other foliage. This is the perfect place to bring your family for some watersports fun, with all sorts on offer, including surfing, sea kayaking, sailing, fishing, diving and dolphin spotting. Of an evening the hotel has its own fire pits in the sea facing gardens.
- If you want an all-singing all-dancing resort hotel then consider Terranea, a 582 room behemoth set on 102 acres of oceanfront just 30 minutes from Los Angeles. You can book a room or suite, sure, but at Terranea you can also book a whole villa, or penthouse with a private pool and hot tub. The list of hotel facilities is long, and features a kids club, an eight hole golf course, a horse riding stable, a conference centre, a vast spa and a vast wine list, and a huge range of restaurants and bars, to accompany the huge range of pools.
For great value
- Just across the street from Moontstone Beach and the ocean, the Cambria Beach Lodge is a small beach-chic hotel, perfect for a romantic escape involving long walks along the beach and sunset suppers. The decor feels very beach-holiday-y, with lots of white paint, raffia, pale wood and pops of colour. And their sun terrace is hard to top.
- The Beach Terrace Inn is shaped like a ‘V’ looking right out onto the hotel pool, then the beach and then the ocean, so all of the 48 rooms have sea views from private balconies. The decor is simple yet stylish, with comfort at the top of the list of priorities. And the location, in Carlsbad, is just half an hour from the attractions of San Diego.
For an eco stay
- Treebones Resort is a unique glamping hotel for a real escape to nature. Stylish yurts offer a very comfortable low-impact stay. With organic food, on-site yoga classes, and gorgeous walks in the area - this is an eco-friendly option perfect for a rejuvenating stay.
For foodies
- Harbor House Inn is a luxurious boutique option set on a spectacular section of rugged and secluded coastline. Design blends elegant traditional style with modern luxuries. The excellent seafood restaurant is the real draw here and serves dishes made with produce found only within a 30-mile radius. Plus the Mendocino wines are particularly good. Perfect for a couples' escape.
For Los Angeles
- The Oceana Beach Club Hotel is one of those hotels with a happy, sunny vibe, with summery decor in a style many of us would choose to have in our own homes. Its location is right by the beach, but up the hill from it, and the hotel runs a regular shuttle bus down and back, or you can borrow a bike for the same trip. But you still have beautiful beach views, just with a few palm trees in the foreground. There are 70 rooms and suites, with generous proportions and, in many cases great views from private balconies. The hotel also has a heated outdoor pool and a gym where you can arrange yoga or pilates classes. The restaurant is well regarded too.
- The Beach House is the sort of hotel you see in films set in L.A., a bit boxy and right up against a broad promenade and sand that stretches a long way in three directions. It’s in Hermosa Beach in Redondo, which is only a short drive from the centre of town, and it’s the ideal spot for beach cafes, bars and restaurants, and a bit of city exploration as well. Its 96 rooms are light and airy, with private balconies and fireplaces. There’s also a spa, gym and hot tub.
For San Diego
- Just a few benches and a pavement from the sand, and the pier, Tower 23 is a recent addition to the view: a contemporary architectural masterpiece with sharp lines and lots of glass — which is perfect if you’re all about the sea views. Inside, the hotel has 44 rooms and suites, with are also fresh and minimally styled, with spectacular sea views. You’re close to the centre of town too, with its myriad of places to eat and drink, although the hotel’s restaurant is supposed to be pretty darn good.
For Santa Barbara
- Set in 20 acres of lush gardens just off the beach, Four Seasons The Biltmore is a long, low Spanish style villa with 207 rooms and suites — some of them huge. The views of the Pacific are obstructed only by the hotel’s own palm trees and elegant outdoor seating, and the rooms that don’t have sea views have serene views of the gardens or the chic pool. The decor is luxurious, with heavy drapes and four-poster beds. There are three restaurants onsite: one Italian, one specialising in seafood and one more a cocktail and tapas lounge. And there’s a huge spa too.
Still not sure which to book?
