20 of The Best Hotels in Southern California

Southern California: SoCal: so cool! Cool all the way from super colourful, vibrant San Diego, to graceful Santa Barbara, with its wineries and Spanish-style architecture. And everything in between, from the spectacular natural sights, to the incredible man-made ones. You’re really spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing hotels in Southern California, what with the many Art Deco treasures of Los Angeles; achingly hip beach-side haunts in Malibu, Venice Beach and Santa Monica; lodges with views over the incredible landscapes of Death Valley, the Colorado and Mojave Deserts, and the Joshua Tree National Park; and quirky charmers in unique cities like San Diego and Santa Barbara.

Southern California’s Best City Break Hotels

• Petit Ermitage is a West Hollywood suite-only hotel, just off Santa Monica Boulevard. This is a cool place to stay, from its rooftop pool to its 80 suites packed with antiques and art, to its garden and Business Centre. Okay, the Business Centre isn’t the coolest, but the rooftop terrace, with its incredible views of L.A., its restaurant, bar and club, make up any of the shortcomings of cool.
• Don’t let the name put you off, Gold-Diggers is affordable, glamorous and stylish, with innovative contemporary design, and really beautiful furnishings. The location is ideal too, just a stone’s throw from Melrose Ave. The eleven rooms are grouped into guest rooms, suites and apartments, but they all have the same penchant for velvet, white walls and beautiful bathrooms. There’s no restaurant, but you don’t need one in this location.

Best Beach Break Hotels

• The Calamigos Guest Ranch & Beach Club is an exclusive beach resort on the Malibu Coast. This is a really chic stay, and its collection of 56 rooms, suites, cottages and bungalows are decorated in a way that many of us would love to replicate in our own homes: think rustic and industrial fittings with designer furniture, and separate living spaces and private patios. There’s also a spa and gym, hot tubs, a pool and gardens, a chic bar and restaurant, and family suites if you’re bringing your kids on a hideaway…
• The Shorebreak Hotel is just behind the beach, with plenty of public spaces which overlook the water and sand, including a chic cocktail bar and relaxed restaurant. This is a fairly large hotel, with 157 rooms and suites, simply and comfortably decorated with plenty of beach-y colours. In addition to fire pits, ping pong and the cool places to eat and drink, the Shorebreak also offers bike and surfboard hire.
• San Diego’s Tower 23 is a boxy glass, wood and concrete architectural masterpiece right up against the sand of Pacific Beach. The interiors are just as stylishly modern, with clean lines, sharp angles, and plenty of white. The 44 rooms and suites have really special sea views, as does the bar, and the Steak & Seafood restaurant is much recommended.

Southern California Hotel Escapes

• Halfway between L.A. and Santa Barbara, Westland Village is a pretty little garden city, and the Westlake Village Inn is a large and leafy complex within it, spread over 17 beautiful acres. There are 156 rooms, suites and apartments to the inn, comfortably spread out around large courtyards, pools, lakes and three restaurants. The best rooms and suites have fireplaces and balconies, with relaxed, leafy views. This is the sort of place with plenty of facilities, so you don’t need to leave the resort.

Romantic Recommendations

• The Hotel Joaquin is a boutique resort overlooking Shaw’s Cove in Laguna Beach. It has 22 rooms and suites, all individually decorated with Scandinavian simplicity — think white walls and linens, custom-made blond wood furniture, and an interesting collection of art. There’s a communal lounge, complete with all the coolest mod. cons. and more, looking out onto the chic outdoor pool and patio.
• The L'Auberge del Mar is a luxurious resort overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Del Mar, a picturesque village just outside Sand Diego. It has 120 rooms and suites, decorated in bright, airy, contemporary style, with luxurious, nautical influences. There’s an excellent restaurant, with the option to dine overlooking the ocean, a beautiful pool and poolside cabana, and a luxurious spa with treatments that focus on the healing powers of seawater and the ocean.
• The Chateau at Lake La Quinta is a small resort-like property on the shores of picturesque Lake La Quinta, nestled in the desert, close to Palm Springs. There are just 25 rooms and suites, all large, and individually decorated with custom made furniture, featuring fireplaces and private patios. This is a very grown-up, romantic, adults only retreat.

SoCal Chic Hotels

• Surfrider in Malibu is a laid back, super cool, 20 room boutique hotel directly overlooking the beach and the Pacific Ocean, and just a short walk from Malibu Pier. Here they have the perfect blend of simplicity and luxury, with beautiful, beach-chic decor in pale, neutral colours. There’s a rooftop restaurant and terrace, which is open only to guests, and is known for its great food and cocktails.
• La Serena Villas is a collection of 18 private villas making up an elegant, exclusive-feeling resort in one of the trendiest neighbourhoods in Palm Springs. There’s an elegant Mediterranean restaurant, an excellent spa, and a beautiful outdoor pool. And romantic details, like four-poster beds, private patios and you’re surrounded by Sonoran Desert views.

Family Friendly Picks in Southern California

• The Inn at Playa del Rey is a small boutique hotel, in an elegant, New England-style building overlooking the water of the Marina del Rey and the Ballona Wetlands. The interiors are casual, yet chic, like something from a Country Living magazine, and the 21 rooms and suites have pale linens and furnishings, and timelessly elegant details. There’s no restaurant, but there are some excellent ones to choose from within a short walk, and they offer a very gourmet breakfast, and Californian wine and hors d’oeuvres every afternoon. Some of their rooms are perfect for families, but it’s also a romantic feeling spot.
• The Mosaic Hotel is one of the smallest boutique hotels in Beverly Hills, but we like it for its sleek, cosy intimacy, places to sit outside and take in the view, its American restaurant and heated pool surrounded by cabanas. There are 49 rooms, suites and apartments, all decorated with classily shaped monochrome furniture. Rodeo Drive and Melrose Avenue are just a short walk, or an even shorter drive! The spacious family suites make this one of the best places to stay in Los Angeles for families.
• The Newport Beach Hotel is a chic spot, ideal for absorbing Newport’s vibrant beach scene. The 15 rooms and suites are perfectly beach-y, with a white and blue colour scheme, and light, airy bathrooms. Some of the suites are suitable for families, and there are private apartments too, which are ideal for larger families. The best of the rooms have private balconies and water views. There’s a restaurant onsite.

Best Hotels for Outdoors-folk

• Close to the Joshua Tree National Park, the Pioneertown Motel is a 19 room meeting of pioneer rustic remoteness and desert chic. It’s woody on the outside, and woody on the inside, with welcoming terraces filled with succulents and cacti. Charmingly, this motel was originally built as a waypost for Hollywood actors making Western films, and the incredible scenery is probably much the same as it was during that golden age. Remote and romantic.
• The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe is s luxurious resort in wonderfully named Rancho Santa Fe, with 80 rooms, suites and cottages surrounded by 21 acres of landscaped gardens. These are stylish places to stay, with elegant decoration, large terraces for relaxing upon, a large saltwater swimming pool, tennis courts, a wellness spa and fitness centre, and an impressive restaurant. The resort is also close to a golf course, the Torrey Pines Coastal State Park, horse riding centres and a surf school.

Southern California’s Best Spa Hotels

• The Colony Palms Hotel is a charming spot, hidden away in the heart of Palm Springs. There’s a definite Moroccan/desert feel to these 57 rooms and suites, which makes it a memorable, and stylish, stay. The rooms are all individually decorated with rugs and wall hangings, there’s a pool, spa and hot tub, and best of all there are incredible views of the San Jacinto mountains — especially at sunset. The Moroccan style spa is why it qualifies in this category.

Great Value Hotels in Southern California

• Pleasantly sandwiched between three wineries, The Inn at Europa Village is a a chic little spot, with a very Mediterranean feel, and just ten rooms and suites. This whole area is known for its Spanish style, but there’s definitely a hint of Italy and France here too, and the results have a definite appeal for romantics. Each of the ten rooms is unique, with its own collection of antiques, but the best have wood panelling, vineyard views and private hot tubs.
• The Surfhouse is a stylishly laid-back property right on the beach, something like a coolly updated motel, with wooden floors, white walls and beautiful bathrooms, and surf-inspired art works. As well as eight contemporary rooms, the Surfhouse offers complimentary bike hire, and hot showers outside. There’s no restaurant, but there are lots within a short, sandy stroll.
• The Channel Road Inn is a beautifully renovated shingle-clad Colonial Revival house, on a peaceful residential street just two minutes from Santa Monica Beach. Each of the 15 rooms have large windows and traditional decorations, with a luxurious flair. This is a really charming spot, and in the afternoon they offer complimentary wine, tea and snacks.

Still not sure where to book?

• You could browse our recommendations for California Hotels?
• Or refine your search to just the best hotels in Los Angeles? or Malibu? or Santa Monica?
• Or head for the dramatic interior of the Joshua Tree National Park? or pick from the best hotels in Death Valley?
• Or you could contact one of our friendly Gurus for personalised advice.

 

Written by Kat Parr Mackintosh

posted Wednesday, 16th November 2022