Best Luxury Hotels in California

Lido House, Autograph Collection occupies the site of the former City Hall and is now a beautiful boutique hotel which perfectly encapsulates an authentic beach house experience. It has a Cape Cod meets nautical feel, designed by Los Angeles-based architect Rob Sinclair and a five-storey lighthouse as part of its makeup. Comprising 130 stylish guest rooms, including five unique cottages with private roof terraces with BBQs. Dining takes place at the Mayor’s Table restaurant with its open kitchen, bar and glass-walled wine room, while outdoors guests can enjoy drinks at Topside, the only Newport Beach wine bar with a rooftop, it’s a sophisticated space with celebration-worthy views. Leisure facilities also include an outdoor pool, 24-hour fitness centre and a Spa.

Set downtown in the lively Gaslamp Quarter, this smart 12-storey hotel is geared toward a young and trendy crowd with a stylish rooftop pool house and premier rooftop lounge. Pendry San Diego is a true culinary and entertainment hub. With modern coastal cuisine at Lionfish, Southern California-driven seasonal fare at Provisional, light bites at The Pool House, the perfect cocktail at Fifth & Rose and local craft beer at Nason’s Beer Hall. The hotel boasts 317 guestrooms and hotel suites with city skyline views, ocean-inspired artwork, vintage writing desks, 50” TVs and French macarons popped on the pillow during the nightly turndown service. On higher levels, guests can enjoy views across the city and toward the bay.

Occupying 16 acres, this 2009 build (renovated in 2020), has a more resort feel, with sprawling grounds incorporating courtyard gardens, a chic pool terrace and low-rise accommodation. It has 121 bedrooms and a Forbes Five Star rating. Guest amenities include a Sense Spa, an Alex Chases Salon and meeting rooms including a glittering 2,800-square-foot ballroom. Madera is the hotel’s signature restaurant, with a wood-burning kitchen cooking up Bay Area favourites and private dining areas. Additionally, there’s The Library & Bar for cocktails and light bites and The Pool Bar & Grill for snacks, sandwiches and smoothies.

Stay among the gated communities of Rancho Mirage, in this Ritz-Carlton property overlooking Coachella Valley, the hotel’s Edge Steakhouse offers some of the best vistas. State Fare offers an atmosphere of relaxed sophistication with expertly crafted dishes paired with an extensive selection of local wines and artisanal cocktails, all while enjoying panoramic views. With 16 treatment rooms, many featuring private terraces and breathtaking scenery, our Palm Springs resort and spa also offers plunge pools, spaces for yoga and meditation, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a full-service salon, and a retail boutique. Its spa treatments take their inspiration from the surrounding land, using indigenous botanicals within the treatments. Bedrooms exude a typical Palm Springs feel, with polished dark wood, offset by light-coloured soft furnishings.

A veteran of the LA hotel scene at over a century old, this grand hotel was rebuilt (to be earthquake-proof) in the 1980s. Flanked by the San Gabriel mountains, its 23 acres include Japanese gardens, a croquet lawn, a badminton area and an outdoor pool. Inside, guests can enjoy a European style vintage opulence. Chinese medicine-based treatments are offered at the Chuan Spa. And meals are taken alfresco on a poolside terrace, or in The Royce Wood-Fired Steakhouse, while an art deco era prohibition-style bar is a sophisticated spot for cocktails.

With 100 rooms and suites, The Exchange brings Hilton’s Curio Collection to a historic bank building in downtown Sacramento. Retaining the grand proportions of its early 20th-century architecture, the hotel now showcases industrial-chic interiors that mix exposed brick, steel detailing and sleek contemporary design. Its location places guests minutes from the Golden 1 Center and the vibrant restaurants of the city centre.

The hotel’s restaurant, Willie’s, is a local favourite for modern comfort food with a Californian twist, while the bar buzzes with craft cocktails and small plates. Guests have access to a fitness studio, and concierge staff can arrange transfers and experiences around town. This is a property that merges history with modernity, creating a boutique-style stay within an urban landmark.

Surrounded by hundreds of acres of vineyards and a backdrop of forests and mountains, the Four Seasons Resort and Residences offers a supreme location, set on a highly esteemed vineyard in Calistoga. The resort has 85 bedrooms and suites and a stone spa sanctuary with the option of alfresco treatments using local mud. Auro brings Michelin-starred dining to Calistoga with seven extraordinary courses of contemporary American cuisine, refined through French technique with Mexican and Japanese influences.There are two outdoor pools one of which is adults only and a programme of activities for younger guests, making it ideal for families wishing to relax together. From fireside chats and wine tastings to soothing yoga classes this property offers inspired experiences for friends and families.

With 618 rooms and suites, The Westin Anaheim Resort is a polished, modern retreat perfectly placed opposite the Disneyland Resort in Orange County. Designed to bring together Westin’s signature wellness philosophy with California’s sun-drenched lifestyle, the hotel’s light-filled interiors feature warm neutral tones, contemporary furnishings, and locally inspired art.

Guests can dine at seven on-site venues, including Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Puesto Mexican Artisan Kitchen & Bar, Bella’s Kitchen, and the rooftop RISE Rooftop Lounge, offering panoramic views of the Disneyland fireworks. The resort also houses a large outdoor heated pool, whirlpool, WestinWORKOUT Fitness Studio, and a full-service spa offering facials and massages.

Ideal for both leisure and business travellers, the property includes 47,000 square feet of event space and is within walking distance of the Anaheim Convention Center.

First imagined by the French restauranteur Claude Claude Rouas in the 1980s, this was the valley’s original fine-dining destination. Here hotel guests get a taste of Provence, surrounded by US wine country. There are 50 bedrooms at the property ranging from private Maisons to classic rooms. But of course, it’s the culinary offer that is the highlight at Auberge du Soleil. Three and four-course set menus are offered alongside five and six-course tasting menus – these are sensory experiences that excite the pallet. Meals are accompanied by French-inspired cocktails, bubbles from the tableside champagne cart and of course the extensive wine list. There’s also a bistro and bar for a more relaxed approach to mealtime, with stunning sunset views at the end of the day. Auberge du Soleil has been in receipt of a Michelin star for 14 consecutive years.

This 62 room boutique hotel and spa are set on a five-acre site in Yountville. The brand is committed to sustainability with reusable materials, including salvaged wood, found throughout the property. Bardessono Hotel may be eco-friendly, but it’s nevertheless extremely luxurious. The rooms teem with natural light thanks to large picture windows, fountains bubble outside and art adorns the walls. It has a heated rooftop pool with a hot tub, infrared sauna and gym, yoga classes and complimentary bike hire for those who wish to get active and explore the Napa Valley. Guests seeking the VIP treatment can book a steam spa suite with champagne soaking tubs and massage tables. Many rooms offer 100% Egyptian cotton linens, gas fireplaces, hand crafted bath products and iPads for use during the stay. A turn down service completes that final top class touch of the day. This hotel loves pets and they even offer a Yappy Hour at Lucy Restaurant and Bar.

Previously named the best hotel in Los Angeles by readers of Travel + Leisure, this is the only hotel in the region to have received an AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star accolade every year since 1993. Offering an enhanced level of flexibility, check-in (and out) can be arranged at any time of the day or night as part of the brand’s Peninsula Time experience. Accommodating 195 rooms, suites and villas, it’s nestled in lush tropical gardens, with an additional rooftop garden home to a pool and dining area. The Peninsula is on Santa Monica Boulevard (an address made famous by Sheryl Crow’s song All I Wanna Do), which is a short walk to Rodeo Drive.

Located in St Helena, a stroll away from shops and restaurants, this Hyatt hotel is linked via a wooden footbridge to the prestige Beringer Vineyards. Book a room on one of the upper floors to take advantage of the best views over the winery and a suite, if you want a space the size of an entire apartment (with an expansive terrace). The gym has Peleton bikes, or you can use one of the hotel’s Trek bikes to get outdoors and there’s a small outdoor pool, set into a sleek terrace. Acacia House is Alila’s restaurant and it’s open to the public. Order small plates like burrata and tuna tartare, with mains including diver scallops with smoked pork belly, local McFarland’s spring trout and California burger.