Best California Beachfront Hotels

Perched 1,200 feet above the churning Pacific, Post Ranch Inn feels at once intimate and expansive. With only 40 guestrooms and private houses, the hotel is seamlessly integrated into the wild landscape. Rooms offer yawning views of the ocean and mountains and the property is hugged by a redwood forest, making it the ultimate California nature escape. 

Guests can start the morning with an invigorating yoga class, then book a private guided hike in the area. But visitors should leave time to savor the on-site amenities, too. The spa offers signature organic treatments, including an aromatherapy massage with Big Sur flower essences, and guests looking for inner reflection can book a private session with the Inn’s resident shaman. The cliff-top pools are made for lingering under a vault of stars in the evening.

• On-site spa
• On-site shaman
• Unique experiences like falconry lessons, forest meditations, and sound baths

This intimate, 16-key boutique hotel is the first in Nobu’s Ryokan Collection and takes its minimalist design cues from the traditional inns of Japan. Once through the private main entrance, guests are greeted by a lush garden dotted with California palms and ferns where a pathway leads straight to serene Carbon Beach.

The spacious rooms are outfitted with teak soaking tubs, tatami mats, shoji screens, and kimono robes. Every room is one-of-a-kind, but each includes an ensuite fireplace, skylight, and private deck. Indulge in an in-room spa treatment or classic Nobu dishes like the black cod miso or king crab tempura amazu.

• On-site spa
• Lauded on-site dining
• Valet parking
• Gym

Whether traveling as a family or a couple, guests may never want to leave this sprawling resort, and with a golf course, spa, pool, and restaurant, they might not have to. If visitors are seeking an escape that doesn’t require much pre-planning and offers plenty of activities right outside their door, this is it. Guests can hike throughout the surrounding hillsides, or head down to Aliso Beach to surf and sunbathe.

Rooms and suites are peppered throughout a park-like setting where deer and other wildlife can often be spotted over breakfast. A two-bedroom, three-bath treehouse suite is the ultimate family getaway, but all rooms are spacious and decorated in a warm, neutral palette. Ingredients for the Harvest restaurant and bar are plucked straight from the property’s organic garden. 

• Free parking
• Pool
• Fitness centre
• Golf course
• Conference facilities

Set on 22 acres of lush gardens with beachfront access, there are plenty of secluded corners and courtyards to cozy up in at The Biltmore Santa Barbara. The property’s jungle-like, lantern-lit brick pathways lead to rooms and suites filled with historic, hand-crafted furnishings, polished mahogany antiques, and artwork. Old Spanish adobe buildings with red roof tiles and in-room hand-painted Andalusian Talavera bathroom tiles evoke another era of Mediterranean travel.

The atmospheric Ty Lounge is the perfect place for tapas and cocktails for two, dimly lit with hand-blown glass chandeliers and a fireplace. Before dinner, book an 80-minute couples’ massage on a sea breeze terrace, complete with champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries. Palm-lined Butterfly Beach is never far away, whether you’re taking in the view from the pool or under the stars on the candlelit Bella Vista restaurant.

• Valet parking
• Pool
• On-site restaurant, bar, and fitness center

This Instagram-worthy 1953 motel turned modern boutique stay is all about laid-back vibes and easy beach access. With its neutral, organic aesthetic, outdoor shower, hammocks, and rooftop lounge, the property is an ode to California surf culture. Travelers can choose to rise with the sun and get out on the water or spend the morning lingering over an espresso at the Roof Deck Bar and Restaurant. The terrace eatery is open to guests only and serves up chamomile-infused hot toddies alongside live music in the evenings.

Twenty monochromatic rooms decorated with teak furniture, Bellino linens, and woven jute pendant lights are a calm respite at the end of a day in the sun. Guests won’t want to leave without popping by the boutique to snag an artisan candle, market tote, or surf-inspired book to take home with them.

• On-site parking
• On-site restaurant, bar, and room service

Right on the Pacific Beach boardwalk in San Diego, this hotel underwent a property-wide renovation in early 2021. Brand new suites have a streamlined, mid-century aesthetic decorated with pops of sunny yellow and mint green. Oceanview rooms come with a private patio where guests can bask in the morning sun over a coffee.

Visitors will find a heated pool and spa in the interior courtyard, but with the beach only steps away, might be tempted to opt for a day in the sand and surf instead. Bikes are also available to rent on the property, giving visitors another way to explore the boardwalk and surrounding area. In-room massages, a 24/7 concierge, and a complimentary breakfast elevate the experience. 

• Breakfast included
• 24/7 concierge
• Pool

Shutters on the Beach has long been known as a people-watching mecca that also boasts sun-drenched views of the Pacific Ocean and Santa Monica Pier. Hollywood A-Listers and creatives can be spotted lounging in the poolside cabanas and on the patio. But it’s really the timeless, white-shingled, Cape Cod decor and the breezy rooms that keep travelers coming back.

The 186 guestrooms and 12 suites are outfitted with a serene, seaside color palette, with hardwood floors covered in hand-woven Tibetan rugs and sliding shuttered doors that let in the salty ocean air. Shutters designer Michael S. Smith—best known for decorating the White House for Obama—also designed the hotel’s 1 Pico restaurant where guests dine on plates of coastal California cuisine like seared day boat scallops in a light-flooded, nautical room.

• Valet parking
• Pool
• On-site restaurant and café
• Pet-friendly