The Best California Beach Resorts

Whimsical, retro guest taxis shuttle guests around Montecito, bocce courts, babysitting services

Guests of Rosewood Miramar Beach in Montecito, a well-to-do enclave of Santa Barbara, cannot praise the resort’s understated luxury enough. Set across 16 acres of manicured lawns and oceanfront views, its 158 upscale guestrooms and suites include a furnished terrace, garden view bungalows, and beach house guest rooms. Two cabana-lined pools offer both adults and families their own peace and enjoyment. Dining options include fancy Italian fare, a casual beach bar with light bites, a poolside bar and ice cream shop, an all-day restaurant, and more.

Also on offer: a fitness studio with TRX-strength training equipment, private reformer Pilates instruction, and a spa for seasonal, and sleep-enhancing treatments. Guests can also reach out to the beach concierge to set up a beach day and water-based activities.

16,000-square-foot spa, championship oceanfront golf course, outdoor fire pits and adirondack chairs for lounging

In northern California, The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay is perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. From two oceanfront golf courses, sprawling grounds dotted with fire pits and Adirondack chairs, to a spa boasting a whirlpool, sauna, and steam rooms, and seafood-centric dining, guests are afforded an all-around luxurious experience.

Its rooms, suites, and guest houses offer a golf course, mountain, or ocean views. Guests in higher-category rooms can access the Club Lounge, which includes complimentary food and beverages, and a dedicated concierge. Guests traveling with dogs can book one of its Guest Houses, where a portion of the pet fee goes to the Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA. The nightly resort fee covers a welcome glass of wine, WiFi, access to group fitness classes at The Colony Club, use of the practice green, and family board games and videos.

The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay is located 40 minutes by car to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and is about 45 minutes to downtown San Francisco. Beach access is a few minutes walks from the resort.

Ocean Explorers kids program, beachfront and poolside cabana and daybed rentals

Across the San Diego Bay and the Downtown city skyline, the iconic Hotel Del Coronado offers a wealth of family-friendly activities within its historic resort. In 2022, it launched Ocean Explorers in partnership with Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, an interactive kids’ program packed with engaging activities around marine life and preservation. Guests can book a half and full-day session with activities taking place inside and on the beach, including in its tidepools. Its private poolside cabanas or daybeds and a beach umbrella set up on the sand give families a respite from the sun.

When you’re ready to settle down after a day of activities, you can find the same level of comfort amidst the newly renovated hotel. The Hotel Del Coronado completed a $400 million renovation in 2021, which included the historic restoration of its front porch and lobby. Other renovations include the renovated “neighborhood” rooms with outdoor terraces and fire pits on its ground-level floor; a refreshed spa; and four upgraded dining outlets.

In-room collapsible telescopes to scope out the night sky, curated experiences like a local wine tasting, spa

Vespera Resort (named after the evening star) in Pismo Beach, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, is a sophisticated oceanfront hotel that offers something different than a typical oversized California beach house. In addition to direct beachfront and boardwalk access, most of its nautical-themed rooms come with soaking tubs and balconies with Pacific ocean views. If you’re one for looking at the stars, Vespera–named after the evening star–has a stargazing program. All rooms have collapsible telescopes and a star chart for guests to explore the night sky. The hotel also hosts events like stargazing nights in the lawn area. 

An onsite restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. And don’t miss The Vintners Club which hosts rotating wine dinners from local producers within the Edna Valley, Arroyo Grande Valley, and Avila Valley. 

The $35 amenity fee covers daily well-being classes like outdoor yoga, shuttle service within Pismo Beach city limits, beach chairs, umbrellas, toys, fishing gear, and upgraded WiFi. Beyond the beach, a number of outdoor pursuits abound, including Pismo Reserve, the Monarch Butterfly Grove, and ATV-ing around nearby Oceano’s sand dunes.

Onsite restaurant and poolside bar, discount on poolside cabana rentals included in resort fee

Numerous amenities, a private beach, a marina, and San Diego Bay views are found at the Kona Kai Resort. Located at the laid-back, southern tip of Shelter Island, the resort’s offerings include bonfire nights and more than 30 fitness classes per week (included in your daily resort fee). The resort’s location helps make its nightly rate more palatable compared to other waterfront resorts in California. Business travelers will appreciate the brief car ride from the airport and the hotel’s several meeting spaces, while families will enjoy the adults-only and kid-friendly pools.

Rooms and suites are decorated in calming whites and blues, come with a stocked minibar with local SoCal items and feature marble baths with rainfall shower heads. All rooms also either have a private furnished patio or balcony with views of the bay. Pets are also welcome at the resort; guests can have two dogs up to 65 pounds for a pet fee of $100 for up to three nights. Your furbabies can also access dog-friendly amenities that include a dog-approved menu. 

The $42 daily resort fee includes internet access; bicycle rentals; fitness center, steam and sauna room access; lawn and beach games, and electric vehicle charging. A full-service spa offers open-air massages, a Eucalyptus steam room, and a jacuzzi. 

The resort also has a private beach area that hosts sandcastle buildings and nightly bonfires. You can ask the front desk for a s’more kit to have a cozy night on the sand. Guests should note that while the beach is right on the marina, it is more suited for lounging and recreational activities than swimming.

Parking included in amenity fee, heated outdoor pool

For a charming beachfront hotel in southern California for a comparatively affordable rate, and in affluent Laguna Beach at that, the whitewashed building of Mediterranean-themed Capri Laguna is a bit of an anomaly. Virtually all of its 45 guestrooms and suites present ocean views from its large windows. Its King Suite includes a pull-out sofa bed, kitchenette with refrigerator and microwave, and a private, furnished balcony with wide ocean views. Bathrooms appear more modern than their living spaces, featuring marble throughout and rainfall showerheads.

The amenities are fewer than other larger resorts, but the deck and beachfront area with tables, chairs, and sun loungers maximize vitamin D time from its petite surroundings. The hotel serves a continental breakfast in the lobby each morning, but for other meals, guests will have to look off the property. Parking for one vehicle per party is included in a daily $35 amenity fee, which is a plus as other resorts charge separately for parking.

Four outdoor pools (adults-only, kid-friendly, spa), fire pits for elevated outdoor lounging experience, complimentary curated experiences

First opened in 2009 as California’s first theme park, Marineland, Terranea is now a destination spa where its wellness services are a big draw for its guests. The resort holds court on bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Los Angeles County’s Rancho Palos Verdes. 

Terranea’s award-winning spa approaches wellness according to the time of your visit, factoring in nature and the circadian rhythm when suggesting treatments. The expansive space features 25 treatment rooms where you can receive treatments like the Honey Body Bliss body scrub and massage duo utilizing honey from its own beehive, along with moisturizing coconut oil. The spa also offers non-psychoactive, hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) massage to assist in relaxation and promote better sleep. Guests can also access indoor and outdoor spa lounges, where there are additional saunas, steam rooms, whirlpools, and cold plunges.

For a more active experience, guests can also indulge in its indoor and outdoor movement classes such as seaside yoga, cycling, and stretching. A concierge is available to coordinate nature walks, falconry experiences, and other outdoor pursuits.

Its 102-acre resort area features more than 582 rooms, suites, and villas; a host of restaurants; an oceanfront golf course; and meetings and events spaces that make it popular with weddings and conferences.