Best Wellness Hotels in California

Set against the dramatic backdrop of California’s Coachella Valley, The Westin Mission Hills Resort Villas, Palm Springs, offers a restorative desert retreat with 472 spacious villas. Designed in soothing earth tones and complemented by natural textures, each villa includes a private balcony or patio, a fully equipped kitchen or kitchenette, and signature Westin Heavenly Beds.

Guests can unwind at the resort’s multiple outdoor pools, complete with cabanas and whirlpools, or tee off on the neighbouring Pete Dye and Gary Player golf courses. Dining includes Fireside Lounge for Californian fare, Las Brisas Snack Shop for casual poolside bites, and The Hideaway, serving cocktails and light dishes. The resort features a fitness studio, tennis courts, and access to wellness experiences at the nearby Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa. Perfect for families and couples alike, the property blends sun-soaked tranquillity with recreational energy, just a short drive from downtown Palm Springs’ galleries, dining, and mid-century landmarks.

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.

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.

Displaying a slightly bohemian, artistic flair, the Parker Palm Springs takes on Morrocan, maritime, pop art and retro American influences in its styling. The design plays beautifully with colour in the spaces and bedrooms are filled with unique, eclectic collectables. Guests can find nooks and crannies among the two swimming pools (one for families) croquet lawns, bocce courts, fruit trees and herb gardens; lie in a hammock, play ping-pong, play tennis, sip on boozy fresh lemonade and dine in the two restaurants. Those arriving at the wellness centre – The Palm Springs Yacht Club – are furnished with white cotton terry robes, flip flops and a thimble of cucumber-infused vodka.

A $20 million renovation in 2020 transformed this turn of the twentieth-century Spanish Colonial Revival-style property into a modern, luxury retreat. Listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, it was once the Hayes family home and a point of architectural interest. Inside there are 214 guest rooms decorated using mid-blue and deep brown hues, offset by crisp white linen and pops of vibrant burnt orange colour. The Palm & Ember restaurant has 170 covers, with a diverse menu and an award-winning Champagne Brunch. Small plates and cocktails are available in the more casual surroundings of the adjacent bar.

Set downtown in the lively Gaslamp Quarter, this smart 12-storey hotel opened in 2017. Geared toward a young and trendy crowd, it has a stylish rooftop pool house (the place to party on summer nights), a chic cocktail bar, a nightclub, multiple restaurants, a beer hall, coffee bar, Moët & Chandon champagne vending machine and a bijou boutique. Urban rooms have 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.

Located on Sunset Boulevard (a setting used by Billy Wilder for his 1950 movie by the same name), this glass-fronted hotel has a tiered, eco-friendly greenery-clad exterior. This was Edition’s first property on the West Coast, having opened in 2019 in collaboration with the Marriott group. It has 190 loft-like rooms with floor to ceiling windows, a basement, club, spa, two restaurants, a moodily lit rooftop pool, a screening room and oodles of artworks. 20 penthouse residences have been included in the build, for those who want to linger longer. There’s a focus on sustainability here, in a hotel that attracts cool, creative types.

A brand that needs no introduction, The 123 bedroomed Ritz-Carlton offers a British touch. This family-friendly property stands on the edge of the city’s downtown district. An in-house WP24 Restaurant by Wolfgang Puck serves fancy Chinese cuisine – and is one of the places to be seen in the local area. Or dine in one of its alternative cafes, eateries and bars. Take a dip in The Ritz-Carlton’s rooftop cabana-lined pool, or the outdoor hot tub, while soaking in the panoramic views of LA’s skyline. The spa is one of the largest in town and it has a state of the art fitness centre.

Towering above the neighbouring properties with its 12 floors, the Waldorf Astoria cuts a striking presence on Beverly Hill’s Wilshire Boulevard. As you may expect, this means it has the most breathtaking views around. Seek out its rooftop deck offering 360 degrees vistas – it has a hot tub, bar, a saltwater pool and a restaurant. Each of the 170 rooms has a private terrace and smart technology providing an extra wow factor. The hotel was designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon featuring an epic three-story lobby. Guests are treated to the hotel’s Rolls Royce chauffeur service within the local area and can book divine treatments at in-house La Prairie Spa.

A four-star property situated on Sunset Boulevard’s lively strip, the Mondrian received a trendy makeover to the tune of 19 million dollars in 2019. Concrete and glass contribute to Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz’s bold design aesthetic, alongside whimsical features like the indoor swing and mushroom style reception desk. 237 soundproofed contemporary rooms are spread across 12 floors and a sleek swimming pool area is surrounded by teak decking. Seafood is the speciality at the hotel’s Herringbone Restaurant. Pets and children are welcome to stay here too.

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.

For incredible views over Beverly Hills, head to the Altitude Pool and cocktail bar – in the summer, guests can take part in calming rooftop yoga by day and party with the Sounds Like Summer weekend DJ sessions by night. Seven categories of room are available in this large establishment (comprising a total of 297 bedrooms, 61 of which are suites). All of them come with a fully stocked minibar and Philippe Starck designer features. Its Ciel spa is one of the few in the city to offer the Biologique Recherche facial and anti-ageing treatments.