It’s literary lore now, but poet and wit Dorothy Parker supposedly said that Los Angeles was “72 suburbs in search of a city.” It was typically crass of Parker, who called the city her home off and on for more than 30 years, but she was onto something.
Los Angeles sometimes feels more like a medley of municipalities rather than a monolithic metropolis. It’s only become a more motley mishmash of neighborhoods since her apocryphal pronouncement. In fact, it’s estimated that Los Angeles now comprises 272 distinct districts spread across the county’s 4,100 square miles populated by its 10 million or so residents (the city of LA itself is smaller, with around 4 million inhabitants).
That might sound overwhelming, but it just means there’s an attraction and locale for every inclination and plenty to see and do in the City of Angels. (Fun fact: Did you know the city’s original full name when it was established as a colonial outpost by Spanish missionaries was El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Ángeles? So LA is actually an abbreviation of an abbreviation.)
It also means there are hotels for every taste and budget, even within the same vicinity, like the historic Hotel Figueroa and the ultra-modern Conrad Los Angeles, both downtown, as well as plenty of beachy hideaways along the coast in Malibu and Santa Monica, such as Oceana Santa Monica. You’ll even find a few low-key, low-cost hotels near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for travelers on the go.
So whether you’re after the luxury lifestyle in Beverly Hills or a more bohemian jaunt on the Eastside, here are the 27 best hotels in Los Angeles.
Conrad Los Angeles
Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: Art and culture connoisseurs who want a swanky home base in the heart of downtown.
Why stay here: Gorgeous rooms, trendy restaurants, a sunny rooftop pool and proximity to LA’s cultural landmarks … what more do you need to know?
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to earn Hilton points while enjoying elitelike benefits and on-property credits, via American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts or Chase’s Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection, or redeem your points by booking with Hilton directly.
One of LA’s newest hotels is also one of its best – that’s why it topped our list of the most exciting hotel openings of 2022. Taking pride of place in a distinctive Frank Gehry-designed tower, the Conrad Los Angeles is the perfect pied-à-terre for art aficionados on a brief layover in Los Angeles.
It’s just across the street from the Disney Concert Hall and the performing arts complex that includes the Ahmanson Theatre and the Mark Taper Forum, as well as mere blocks from both The Broad contemporary art museum and The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), so guests can spend their days contemplating masterpieces before evenings enthralled by live performances … that is, when they’re not busy enjoying the Conrad’s amenities. Visitors can spend their stays lounging by the rooftop pool, pampering themselves with an ayurvedic elemental balancing massage at the spa or just relaxing in one of the bright, spacious rooms and suites, which were designed by hospitality firm du jour Tara Bernerd & Partners.
You don’t even need to leave the hotel to go bar- and restaurant-hopping. Start with a drink and a nibble like jumbo lump crab croquetas at the pool-adjacent Agua Viva by José (Andrés, that is). Amble by the lobby’s Beaudry Room bar for a spicy shiso margarita before an Iberian-inflected supper of platas like Mediterranean sea bass with fire-roasted leeks in a saffron-mussel sauce on the terrace at chef Andrés’ San Laurel as the Disney Concert Hall’s sinuous facade reflects the last sunny rays of the day.
Rates start at $332 or 90,000 Hilton Honors points per night.
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Downtown Los Angeles Proper
Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: Design devotees who like DTLA’s up-and-coming energy.
Why stay here: Interiors by one of LA’s most notable designers, trendy restaurants and a location near many of the city’s biggest events venues all make this one of downtown’s new epicenters.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to earn Marriott points while enjoying elite-like benefits and on-property credits, or redeem your points by booking through Marriott directly.
Part of Proper’s burgeoning footprint, this particular 147-key outpost features interior designer Kelly Wearstler’s signature Southwest-meets-vintage-chic vibe (the 1960s and 1970s, in this case), all in a 1920s edifice that was once a YWCA — two of the suites are in the old basketball court and the former indoor swimming pool, respectively.
Fittingly for a hotel that occupies a landmark block in the city’s fashion district, guest rooms seamlessly blend high style and residential comfort with cozy, Moroccan-inspired textiles and warm color palettes. Guests can get a workout in the small fitness center or laze on a lounger by the rooftop pool with incomparable city views.
Also up on the rooftop is Cara Cara, the first downtown restaurant from iconic LA dining duo Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne. Once seated at your alfresco table, order the spicy peri-peri chicken to make your tongue tingle and wash it down with a custom cocktail like the One Night in Tulum with cilantro- and chile-infused Dahlia Cristalino tequila with a coconut-salt rim. Across from the lobby on the ground floor with wraparound views of the surrounding city streets, Caldo Verde is Goin and Styne’s more casual iteration with Portuguese-inspired menus, including dishes like fluffy paõ perdido with cranberry, mascarpone and candied walnuts for breakfast and the namesake soup with rock crab, spicy linguica, kale and mussels for dinner.
Rates start at $229 or 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.
Hotel Figueroa
Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: World of Hyatt members who like a dose of history with their hotel stay.
Why stay here: Anyone in town for events at Crypto.com Arena (formerly the Staples Center) or L.A. Live will appreciate the convenient location.
Best way to book: Book directly through Hyatt to earn and redeem points and rack up credit toward elite status.
Hotel Figueroa proves the rule that the most singular hotels have distinctive (and long) pasts. Case in point: This stylish downtown gem originally opened in 1926 as a YWCA for solo female travelers seeking safe accommodations. That heritage is on full display today, as the current owners showcase and promote local female artists’ works — paintings, photographs, sculptures, mixed-media pieces and more — throughout the hotel.
As with many old hotels, the 268 rooms and suites are on the small side, starting at 187 square feet, but they feel fresh and bright thanks to large windows and efficient layouts. There’s plenty to do outside the rooms, too.
The hotel has one of the most distinctive pool areas in Los Angeles; you’ll find a unique coffin shape to the pool and desert-style landscaping dominated by enormous cactuses. It gets pretty lively out here on summer weekends thanks to the friendly vibe and simple but delicious coastal-inspired dishes and drinks at La Casita, which include refreshing tequila and mezcal cocktails along with bites like oysters and flatbreads. For more of a fine-dining experience, make a reservation at Sparrow, where the Italian ethos is reflected both in the understated but urbane Riviera-like decor and specialties like crispy mushroom arancini and squid ink bucatini with mixed seafood and a parsley crumble.
Rates start at $180 or 17,000 World of Hyatt points per night.
The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles
Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: Marriott mavens who want a touch of luxury during events and conventions.
Why stay here: As part of the L.A. Live complex, you can’t ask for a better location if you’re in town for performances or business conferences. The 26th-floor rooftop pool isn’t bad, either.
Best way to book: Book via American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts to enjoy benefits like availability-based upgrades, complimentary breakfast for two and on-property credits, or redeem your points by booking through Marriott directly.
Anchoring downtown’s L.A. Live complex, The Ritz Carlton, Los Angeles is the best place to stay if you’re in town for a concert, game or conference. But the high-end property — with its 123 rooms and suites occupying floors 22 to 26 of a dramatic 54-story glass tower that also houses residences and the JW Marriott — is more than just its location.
Rooms start at 450 square feet and feature contemporary silver and white decor, all-marble bathrooms and panoramic skyline views, not to mention up-to-date tech features like 55-inch flat-screen TVs and additional TVs embedded discreetly into the bathroom mirrors (you know, in case you need to keep up on the news while going about your ablutions).
The hotel has an Illy Caffè that serves up the venerable Italian brand’s enlivening libations, while Savoca is a so-called “Californian trattoria” proffering Italian dishes made with Californian ingredients, such as pistachio-pesto campanile pasta with fennel pollen and pecorino and seared branzino with watercress and California citrus accents.
Perhaps the biggest draw, however, is the 8,000-square-foot spa, which is downtown’s largest. Entering feels like walking into the midst of a futuristic cloud thanks to the white-on-white decor accented with starburst lighting fixtures. Signature experiences include the Champagne and Shimmer body treatment, which progresses from a body scrub to a hydrating massage and finishes with a 24-karat gold powder dusting for that ultimate sheen. Massages and facials incorporate high-end lines including Espa and Eminence.
Rates start at $567 or 70,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.
The Hoxton, Downtown LA
Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: Creatives who want to kick back in the heart of downtown’s happening arts and culture scene.
Why stay here: High style but affordable prices, plus dining and drinking venues that draw visitors and locals alike, make The Hoxton, Downtown LA one of the area’s most happening hot spots.
Best way to book: Book direct or through your favorite credit card travel portal.
Though you might know Hoxton from its outposts in Amsterdam, London and Paris (or perhaps Brooklyn, New York), the 174-key Los Angeles property has cheeky touches from the other franchises thanks to House of Hackney’s swanky decor that pays homage to the Hoxton’s East London roots (think: fan-like wood and wicker headboards, chevron wood flooring and bathrooms decorated with handmade tiles). Just be aware that Snug rooms start at 200 square feet, so space can be tight.
The hotel sits in the 10-story former Los Angeles Railway Building, an imposing beaux-arts beauty that was originally constructed in 1922. These days, the edifice reflects the surrounding fashion district vibe, with colorful, design-forward seating vignettes in a plant-filled lobby lit by fringed chandeliers. It’s a prime spot for working remotely or simply sipping a cappuccino while you catch up on the news of the day.
Paris-based but American-born chef Daniel Rose recently debuted a restaurant called Café Basque here, with a menu highlighting dishes from France’s southwest coast. Guests and visitors can also grab a meal by the diminutive rooftop pool at Cabra, where chef Stephanie Izard’s menus draw from Peru’s gastronomic treasures, like tangy hamachi tiraditos with avocado, strawberries, tomatoes and crunchy chile dust.
Rates start at $125 per night.
Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: Folks who prefer a hip boutique brand to more staid chain hotels.
Why stay here: Get some interior design inspiration, plus a fun pool scene and delectable cuisine, all in one place and at a modest price.
Best way to book: Book directly or through your favorite credit card travel portal.
Ace Hotels has been expanding quickly, adding a number of new locations, including one in Sydney that made our list of the most exciting hotels that opened in 2022. But though the DTLA property debuted in 2014, it hasn’t lost its cool factor. The dramatic, spire-topped building it’s in dates back to 1927, when it was built as the headquarters of United Artists, and it still houses UA’s flagship movie palace, a beautifully restored 1,600-seat venue that regularly hosts performances and speaking engagements by international luminaries.
Rooms can be on the small and simple side, feeling more like artists’ garrets than luxury accommodations, with decorations in primary and earth tones and sparse furniture such as desks that look like they belong in state institutions. But that’s part of the charm of this former creative haunt — some even have Martin guitars or Ace x Rega LP1 turntables to inspire audiophiles.
There’s a small, shallow rooftop pool for dipping your toes into on hot days, but you can also cool off at the Upstairs bar and restaurant with refreshing cocktails like the Yuzu Serious with rum, tart yuzu, St. Germain and lime. Dishes include small bites like homemade chips and salsa, ceviche, spinach-artichoke dip and a variety of tacos. Down in Loam, which serves breakfast, brunch and dinner, the menus are more refined, with dishes like scallop crudo in charred persimmon vinaigrette and black cod in savory brodo with couscous and fennel.
Rates start at $206 per night.
The West Hollywood Edition
West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: Marriott members who love the Sunset Boulevard scene.
Why stay here: The vibe is part city hotel, part luxury resort and all subtle sophistication at this high-end but low-key luxury redoubt.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to earn Marriott points while enjoying elite-like benefits and on-property credits, or redeem your points by booking through Marriott directly.
Another fast-expanding label, this one under the aegis of Marriott, Editions have been cropping up all over the world. This LA location still made a splash when it debuted in 2019 thanks to its buzzy Sunset Strip location and impresario Ian Schrager’s unmistakable cooler-than-thou aesthetic.
Walk through the dramatic yet welcoming limestone lobby past a honey-hued backlit bar and take in the Edition’s signature spice-laced scent. After check-in, you’ll be whisked up to your accommodations (there are 240 rooms and suites total) to settle in, clocking Edition hallmarks like all-white linens, faux-fur bed throws and blond wood beds and desks, not to mention bathrooms with walk-in showers and double-wide sinks. It’s worth the upsell to book a city-facing (rather than Sunset-facing) room so it feels like all of LA is at your feet.
Unlike many LA hotel pools, this one feels more like a garden hideaway than a daylong party. The white-cushioned, umbrella-shaded loungers are shielded from prying eyes by high hedges, but you still have jaw-dropping panoramas of the entire LA basin. Poolgoers and those who visit The Roof bar can order Mexican-centric bites like yucca fries with aji amarillo aioli and crab nachos.
Dining at the signature restaurant, Ardor, feels like eating in the jungle, as it has a leafy setting and a vegetable-focused menu with dishes like raw cauliflower cacio e pepe. A few meat options like dry-aged Colorado lamb with roasted beets and blueberry mostarda are available as well.
Feel like keeping the party going? Step down to Sunset, the 1970s-inspired rock club with weekly dance parties.
Rates start at $579 or 73,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.
Pendry West Hollywood
West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: Luxury lovers who still want a city-focused stay.
Why stay here: With fabulous restaurants from celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, sumptuously appointed guest rooms and one of the city’s best spas, there’s nothing to dislike.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elite-like benefits and on-property credits, or through Chase’s Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection.
Another Sunset stunner, this boutique luxury hotel has just 149 rooms and suites, so it feels ultra-exclusive without being stuffy or isolated from the surrounding area. In a city like LA where there’s a see-and-be-seen culture, the Pendry West Hollywood still manages to turn heads.
Incredible art installations like a metallic tree with Swarovski crystal and mother-of-pearl leaves and an illuminated 20-sided metal-and-glass sculpture by artist Anthony James are just a few of the eye-catching displays in store for visitors.
The guest rooms start at a respectable 335 square feet and are decorated in shades of royal blue and glinting gold inspired by LA’s Pacific coastline, with a few elements reminiscent of the golden age of Hollywood, such as beds with theatrical retreating velvet headboards and scalloped mirrored minibars where you could imagine Mae West mixing a drink. Dressing room-style vanity lighting is also available in the all-marble bathrooms, which would make any aspiring starlet think she had a chance in Tinseltown.
Get red carpet ready yourself with a treatment at Spa Pendry. Opt for the Babor Glow Facial, which uses maple bark extract to stimulate and refresh the skin, or the Turmeric NatureCeutical Peel, which employs pineapple, pumpkin and papaya extracts to restore and revitalize your complexion.
The hotel houses a Wolfgang Puck-helmed rooftop restaurant called Merois that, thanks to its silk-shrouded ceiling and panorama windows, feels like a sky-high garden party with cuisine to match, such as West Coast oysters with passion fruit mignonette and coriander chicken with golden cashew curry.
At street level, Ospero feels more like a classic Italian osteria serving flaky breakfast pastries and espresso drinks in the morning, eclectic brunch fare on the weekend and hearty mains like ravioli with pumpkin, chestnut and hedgehog mushrooms, and prosciutto-fig flatbread with burrata and arugula for dinner.
Rates start at $540 per night.
Kimpton La Peer Hotel
West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: Cool cats and their stylish dogs who want a pet-friendly place to stay in one of LA’s most fun neighborhoods.
Why stay here: Be close to West Hollywood’s many bars and restaurants without feeling overrun by all the activity.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to earn IHG One Rewards points while enjoying elite-like benefits and on-property credits, via American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts or Chase’s Luxury Hotels & Resorts Collection, or redeem your points by booking through IHG directly.
Though part of IHG, Kimpton La Peer Hotel feels more like a boutique hotel thanks to its intimate size (just 105 rooms and suites) and its location on a relatively quiet street in West Hollywood that’s a block from the neighborhood’s party epicenter at the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Robertson Boulevard.
Like all Kimptons, this one will let you bring your pooch for free and even offers dog-friendly amenities, as well as human-friendly ones like loaner bikes, complimentary morning tea and coffee, in-room yoga mats and an evening wine hour.
The accommodations, which start at 315 square feet, are cheerful and bright yet still sophisticated with a gray-scale palette, geometric hanging lights and slim-profile blond-wood furnishings. Bathrooms are compact with half-glassed walk-in showers (though some larger rooms have stand-alone tubs) and single basin-style sinks.
The hotel has a small fitness center with cardio machines and weights, plus a lively ground-floor outdoor pool that’s a popular spot for cocktails in the sun. Guests can also order drinks and small bites at the hotel’s lobby-adjacent Courtyard Bar or enjoy full-service meals at its gourmet coastal Italian restaurant, Issima, where specialties include Pacific salmon crudo and tagliatelle with jumbo lump crab.
Rates start at $339 or 51,000 IHG One Rewards points per night.
1 Hotel West Hollywood
West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: Sustainability-minded travelers who still like a touch of luxury.
Why stay here: Occupying prime real estate on the Sunset Strip but with a less sceney vibe than some of its neighbors, the 1 Hotel is the place to stay for a resort-style experience in the middle of the city.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elite-like benefits and on-property credits, or via American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts.
1 Hotels are known for their commitment to sustainability, and this one is no exception, earning LEEDv4 for Existing Buildings Silver status thanks to its use of reclaimed wood throughout the building, including for its reception desk; zero-waste practices in the on-site organic garden (which provides ingredients for the restaurant menus); hangers made from recycled paper in the guest room closets; and energy efficiency.
As for creature comforts, the 235 guest rooms and 50 suites, which start at 305 square feet, incorporate eco-conscious elements like naturally dyed textiles in earthy tones for its organic cotton linens, living plants for greenery and marble bathrooms with natural wood finishes that are stocked with 1 Hotels’ signature bath products. Rooms also come with tech features like 55-inch flat-screen TVs and Nespresso machines.
Guests can take advantage of the hotel’s 24-hour Field House Gym or just camp out on a deck lounger by the sun-splashed lap pool with panoramic city views. The hotel is now home to the Bamford Wellness Spa, proffering treatments like a massage that alternates the use of hot volcanic rocks and cold jade stones for relaxation and detoxification.
At 1 Kitchen, chef Ginger Pierce’s menus skew healthy thanks to farm-fresh ingredients mostly sourced locally, while Juniper is more about cocktails and bar bites. Reserve a spot at alfresco Harriet’s Rooftop to take in the scene on a Saturday night as you nibble on grilled fish tacos or sip a Penthouse cocktail with Avion reposado tequila, tangy lemon, grapefruit and spiced pear shaken and served on the rocks.
Rates start at $369 per night.
Cara Hotel
Los Feliz, Los Angeles, USA
Best for: A cozy but eventful stay in one of LA’s hippest hoods.
Why stay here: Want to get away from the tourists in Hollywood and Westside beachgoers? Check into this hidden Los Feliz gem for a taste of LA living instead.
Best way to book: Book direct or through your favorite credit card travel portal.
Don’t let its location between Los Feliz and Thai Town fool you. Though it’s far from the more touristy parts of town, the 60-room Cara Hotel is one of LA’s toniest boutique inns. Stepping from the street through its glass, arched entryway feels like walking back in time to Hollywood’s heyday thanks to the attractive crowd invariably cavorting under the old-growth olive trees in its courtyard or seeking a spot of shade under the palms by its central water feature (sorry, it’s not a pool). It’s hard to believe this building was once a rundown 1950s motel.
White-on-white guest rooms with Venetian plastered walls call to mind the towering letters of the nearby Hollywood Sign, while elegant features like parquet wood flooring and limestone-tiled bathrooms (along with Smart TVs) feel more Mediterranean. Some rooms have narrow balconies overlooking the courtyard so you can enjoy a dose of fresh air.
The hotel has an all-day coffee and cocktail bar, but the main attraction is Cara Restaurant, which is situated in the center of the hotel and serves breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, depending on the day. The Cali-Med menu features seasonal dishes like red snapper ceviche with serrano chiles and avocado and an Australian grass-fed rack of lamb with chimichurri and Irish whipped potatoes.
Rates start at $260 per night.
Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: Visitors looking for a fabulous place to earn or redeem Hilton points near the boutiques and galleries of Beverly Hills.
Why stay here: Although it’s just a short stroll to the heart of Beverly Hills, you might not want to leave the hotel thanks to amenities like its rooftop pool, a Jean-Georges restaurant and a La Prairie spa.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to earn Hyatt points while enjoying elite-like benefits and on-property credits, via American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts, or redeem your points by booking through Hilton directly.
Beverly Hills certainly doesn’t lack luxury hotels, but the Waldorf Astoria, which opened in 2017 after a $200 million build-out, is certainly one of the most distinctive thanks to its unmistakable 12-story limestone-clad tower and its location next to the landmark (and massive) Beverly Hilton at the corners of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards.
This isn’t your average chain hotel, though. Its 119 palatial rooms (which start at more than 500 square feet) and stately suites were designed by French designer du jour Pierre-Yves Rochon in classic palettes of taupe, celadon and aquamarine. Expect arched, tufted fabric headboards, genteelly patterned carpets and white-and-gold tiled bathrooms that harken to the glamorous Hollywood of the 1950s and ’60s.
Most guests spend at least some time on the rooftop, which is not only home to a small pool area with beautiful views, but also chef Jean-George Vongerichten’s The Rooftop by JG, which serves breakfast, brunch and an all-day menu of specialties like crispy salmon sushi, pistachio guacamole, salads, burgers and pasta dishes.
The chef’s first California outpost, Jean-Georges Beverly Hills, is a garden-like space down on the ground floor serving the elevated fare for which this Frenchman has become world-famous, with restaurants around the globe. Guests can settle in for six-course tasting menus or order items like the signature egg caviar with Ossetra pearls nestled on top of a gently scrambled organic egg with vodka whipped cream, and Wagyu beef tenderloin with a miso-black pepper infusion a la carte.
Work off all that fancy fare at the 24-hour fitness center, which is equipped with plenty of cardio and weight machines, or simply pamper yourself with a treatment at the serene La Prairie spa, where decadent treatments include the 90-minute Radiance Facial, which uses the line’s Pure Gold serum to tighten and brighten the skin.
Rates start at $907 or 120,000 Hilton Honors points per night.
The Peninsula Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: Moguls and their entourages who expect meetings to come to them rather than having to run around town … though the location makes that convenient, too.
Why stay here: There are less than a dozen Peninsula hotels around the world, but if you want to discover this uber-luxury chain, its Beverly Hills installation is among the best.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elite-like benefits and on-property credits, via American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts or Chase’s Luxury Hotels & Resorts Collection.
Travelers have their choice of extravagant luxury hotels in Beverly Hills, but The Peninsula Beverly Hills, which opened in 1991, remains one of the best. Thanks to its aura of exclusivity, it continues to draw Hollywood’s major power brokers to make deals over drinks in The Club Bar.
All the guest rooms and suites are capacious, measuring more than 400 square feet, and cheerful thanks to garden-inspired floral prints and pastels, plus ornate Louis XV-style furniture pieces like work desks and side tables. Marble bathrooms and the brand’s famous in-room controls (the chain is known for its investment in user-friendly tech) come standard. There are even freestanding, townhouse-style villas set in the hotel’s gardens, some of which have their own living rooms with pianos, private hot tubs and individual gates directly to the street for coming and going discreetly.
Lined by colorful loungers and cabanas, the hotel’s rooftop pool is both family-friendly and sceney, especially in summer. There is a small but serviceable fitness center where guests can arrange private classes and training sessions. Additionally, guests can visit The Peninsula Spa, where treatments are performed with top-of-the-line products from brands like MBR, Biologique Recherche and Geneo. One facial uses 24-karat gold and Arabian jasmine to tone and balance the skin while reducing fine lines.
Guests can tuck into casual Californian fare at the Roof Garden restaurant or enjoy the hotel’s famous afternoon tea in the opulent Living Room, which is flanked on either side by a flickering fireplace that sets off the pale golden tinge of free-flowing Laurent-Perrier Champagne to advantage. You might spot studio heads and up-and-coming starlets confabulating in a corner booth at The Belvedere, the hotel’s European brasserie-style eatery where dishes include succulent duck breast in a spiced coffee reduction with macadamia crunch, and barbecue-spiced bison strip pavé with yellow corn souffle.
Rates start at $945 per night.
Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: Spotting celebrities while they’re in town for premieres or press junkets.
Why stay here: Impeccable service, an excellent restaurant, beautifully furnished rooms and a central location all make this luxury hotel a winner.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elite-like benefits and on-property credits, via American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts or through your favorite credit card travel portal.
This imposing tower on Doheny Drive is a favorite spot for movie stars and their hangers-on to visit while premiering their latest movies thanks to its location that, while central, is also set away from LA’s more touristy corners.
Expect excellent Four Seasons service the minute you pull up. A valet will open your door and usher you to the entrance where a greeter will see you through to reception past profuse arrangements by famous floral designer Jeff Leatham.
The 185 rooms and 100 suites start at 380 square feet. Their silver, taupe and white decor, including invitingly curvy chairs and those incredibly comfortable Four Seasons beds, takes full advantage of the California sunshine streaming in from private balconies. Oversize headboards set into mirrored walls are either white and tufted or designed with floral motifs.
The hotel has a strong focus on health, with an entire floor of designated wellness guest rooms and suites with added amenities like air purification systems, lighting designed to regulate guests’ circadian rhythm, water purification systems, a guided meditation program from Deepak Chopra, eco-friendly Lather bath amenities and more. The extensive open-air fitness center is on the fourth-floor pool terrace, while the spa is a destination in and of itself thanks to unique treatments like the aloe and arnica body wrap to heal and replenish sun-damaged skin.
Among the dining outlets are Cabana Restaurant, serving healthy fare like antioxidant-rich salads; the Lounge for cocktails and casual bites (with live entertainment on Fridays); Culina Cafe for espresso drinks and wine to sip alongside seasonal small plates; and, finally, Italian fine dining at Culina Ristorante, another favorite power-lunch spot where the tagliatelle with summer truffles is divine.
Rates start at $895 per night.
Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel
Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: Luxury shoppers who want to be in the heart of Beverly Hills.
Why stay here: Though you’ll want to explore the rest of Beverly Hills, and this location also makes it convenient to many other neighborhoods in LA, there’s plenty at the hotel to keep you occupied, including Wolfgang Puck’s signature steakhouse, Cut.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elite-like benefits and on-property credits, via American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts or through your favorite credit card travel portal.
Yes, that’s right, Los Angeles has not one but two Four Seasons, both in (or quite near) Beverly Hills. This is the one you might recognize from “Pretty Woman.” If you don’t, all we can say is: “Big mistake. Big! Huge!”
Much like a young Julia Roberts making herself over, the hotel recently renovated many of its guest rooms, so despite celebrating its 94th anniversary this past year, it’s looking more youthful than ever. Spearheaded by David Collins Studio, the interior design aesthetic is meant to evoke the beautiful California skies and the glamour of Beverly Hills with a palette of ivory, silver, pale shades of blue and accents of chrome and marble.
Occupying pride of place right on Wilshire Boulevard and across from Rodeo Drive’s fancy stores, there’s plenty at the hotel to make guests want to stick around. You know you’ve made it when you’re invited to a power breakfast or lunch at The Blvd with a patio right on Wilshire and classic gourmet Americana fare. For a truly special night out, though, reserve a table at Cut, Wolfgang Puck’s steak and seafood restaurant where the slabs of beef are dry-aged to perfection.
The hotel has a small but family-friendly pool area and a fitness center with weights and various cardio equipment, including a Peloton bike. The spa offers treatments with world-class product lines like Auteur and HydraFacial in therapies that include a heavenly black diamond cryofacial.
Rates start at $875 per night.
The Beverly Hills Hotel, Dorchester Collection
Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: Big spenders who value attentive service and familiar but luxurious settings, no matter the cost.
Why stay here: With more than 100 years of Hollywood history haunting these halls, plus A-list clientele and one of the most famous pools in the world, there’s nowhere else you should stay … if you have a big budget.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elite-like benefits and on-property credits, via American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts or Chase’s Luxury Hotels & Resorts Collection.
Everyone from Oscar winners to royalty has stayed at Beverly Hills’ “Pink Palace,” so called because of its distinctive hue. You’ve probably even seen its iconic banana palm wallpaper imitated elsewhere countless times. But there’s a reason the hotel remains a luxury landmark 110 years after it originally opened.
The rooms and suites are as sumptuous and grand as any in California, let alone Los Angeles, and those with the cash to spare can even rent bungalows — each individually decorated to honor a long-time guest, including No. 5, which was Elizabeth Taylor’s preferred hideaway, and No. 1, where Marilyn Monroe was a guest — tucked amid the hotel’s 12 acres of perfectly manicured gardens.
The central pool, which has drawn celebrities for decades, harkens back to the glamorous Hollywood of yesteryear, with thickly cushioned loungers and 11 pink-and-white-striped private cabanas for rent that have 46-inch flat-screen TVs with Apple TV, dedicated lounge chairs, unlimited water, seasonal fruit platters and Naturally Serious Skin Care sunscreen.
Come at dusk for creative cocktails like the Pacific Palisades with Champagne, Italicus, elderflower liqueur and butterfly pea blossom tea at Bar Nineteen12 (so named for the hotel’s founding year), or pop by the Polo Lounge to see which film star is being interviewed while munching a McCarthy salad (this was its birthplace). You might even be discovered like a starlet of yore while perched on one of the chairs at the classic Fountain Coffee Room’s counter.
If all that exploration has run you ragged, head to the spa, where a massage with cannabidiol Leef Revive will ease your aching muscles. Or, try a hydration ritual facial with Swiss Valmont products — it will have you red carpet ready in no time.
Rates start at $1,495 per night.
Hotel Bel-Air, Dorchester Collection
Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: Luxury travelers who want a residential-style retreat tucked into the hills of Bel Air.
Why stay here: Discreet service, gorgeous rooms, an idyllic pool, a Valmont Spa and a Wolfgang Puck restaurant … this is the apex of LA luxury wrapped up in one gorgeous hotel.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elite-like benefits and on-property credits, via American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts or Chase’s Luxury Hotels & Resorts Collection.
Like the Beverly Hills Hotel, this property is part of the rarefied Dorchester Collection. But whereas Beverly Hills’ Pink Palace is all about up-and-coming A-Listers, the Hotel Bel-Air is for those who have already made their name.
Tucked in a residential canyon, the hotel is easy to miss — you might not even know it was here if you hadn’t been lucky enough to visit before. Guests cross a footbridge over a small pond, where you can sometimes spot the hotel’s swans, and step into the small and tranquil reception area with a blazing, chalet-style fireplace that feels a world apart from LA’s frenetic pace. Passing into the main grounds, a campanile-style tower sets the tone for a stay that feels set outside time.
It’s been a decade since uber-designer Alexandra Champalimaud redid the guest rooms, but the midcentury-modern-meets-California ethos (think: minimalist two-poster beds, glossy tile floors and lacquered accent furniture) still feels fresh and chic.
Guests tend to while away the days around the distinctive oval-shaped pool with loungers shaded by enormous parasols. But come evening, you’ll find them drifting toward the bar lounge to snag one of the half-booths by the fireplace and reminisce over cocktails and upscale bar grub like a prime beef burger with Vermont cheddar.
Be sure to reserve one of the patio tables at Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air for one of the city’s finest dining experiences. The menu for ladies who lunch is a lexicon of salads and health-conscious entrees like grilled organic British Columbia salmon. The dinner menu has an entire section devoted to caviar and other 1% enticements like a luscious raviolo with mascarpone, toasted pine nuts, aged balsamic and white truffles from Alba.
Hidden away on the property, the Valmont spa peddles age-defying treatments like the wanderlust-infused Elixir des Glaciers Majestic facial designed to nourish, lift and rejuvenate the skin.
Rates start at $965 per night.
Fairmont Century Plaza
Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: Architecture aficionados on expense accounts.
Why stay here: Have meetings on both the Westside and downtown or the Valley? This is the luxury hotel to book for its convenient location and business-friendly but elegant bar and restaurant.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to earn Accor Live Limitless points and enjoy elite-like benefits and on-property credits.
This landmark hotel’s history is inextricably tied to that of LA itself. On 20th Century Fox’s former backlot, commissioned by Alcoa to demonstrate the versatility of aluminum as a construction material and designed by architect Minoru Yamasaki, who also drafted the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, this crescent-shaped hotel hosted luminaries and legends alike after its 1966 opening and was the site of the only U.S. presidential state dinner to take place outside the White House.
After near-demolishment, the hotel was saved and rehabilitated as part of a mixed-use development, reopening under the Fairmont flag in September of 2021. The lobby has been transformed into a bright, breezy space where you can effortlessly glide from check-in to a cozy seating vignette by a fire or water element while waiting for a craft cocktail inspired by one of the musical luminaries that has lodged here.
Up on the roof, a quiet but convivial lounger-lined pool awaits, complete with food and drink service, though come in the morning for the best sun. Afternoons are better spent in the 14,000-square-foot subterranean spa (there’s also a huge fitness center with a self-contained Peloton studio) with separate gray-stone wet areas for men and women that have showers with customizable lighting and scents. The menu of enticing treatments includes a 90-minute Amazonian facial with vitamin C-rich Kakadu plum and camu camu, plus Madagascan ylang ylang to give the skin an instant radiance boost.
You might just get the same glow from a French martini with pineapple gastrique, lemon essence and Chambord at the hotel’s brasserie-style fine-dining restaurant, Lumière, which is named after the French brothers who pioneered motion pictures. Start with a platter of charcuterie or chilled seafood before classic mains like duck confit and steak frites.
Rates start at $459 per night.
Shutters on the Beach
Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: A luxurious vacation right on the beach in Santa Monica.
Why stay here: This is one of the few hotels in Los Angeles (or all of Southern California) that sits right on the sand, allowing high-paying guests to experience the best of the beach along with Santa Monica’s vibrant energy.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elite-like benefits and on-property credits, via American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts or Chase’s Luxury Hotels & Resorts Collection.
With its gray siding and white wooden balconies and eaves, Shutters on the Beach looks more like a New England summer resort than a Southern California beach hotel plopped down right on the sands of Santa Monica. But while the aesthetic might be buttoned up, the vibe is a lot more laid-back than a first glance at this grande dame might suggest.
One of the few hotels in LA right on the beach, this is the hotel to book if you plan to spend the majority of your time on the Westside since it is a quick drive from LAX and most of the neighborhoods west of the 405.
The rooms, which mix classic rattan furnishings and beds with genteel floral prints and chinoiserie vases, start at a spacious 450 square feet and contain amenities like balconies (in most), Nespresso machines and Smart TVs. Just be sure you see the words “ocean view” in the room category you book if you want glimpses of the Pacific during your stay.
The hotel has a 24-hour fitness center, complete with locker rooms and showers, that has an old-timey feel thanks to the wooden wall paneling and floors. The One Spa is a relaxing, beachy haven proffering treatments that range from holistic to new-wave science-based with product lines that include Auteur, Augustinus Bader and Omorovicza.
Brunch or cocktails out on the terrace of the Living Room lounge overlooking Santa Monica State Beach are heavenly, while the seafood and seasonal California cuisine at Coast is healthy and hearty. For a gourmet experience, make a reservation for a table under the luminario-strung coral tree at 1 Pico, where the fresh flavors include candy-stripe beet gazpacho with strawberry and tomato, and line-caught Californian white sea bass.
Rates start at $698 per night.
Hotel Casa del Mar
Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: Beachgoers who want to retire to a luxury room at the end of a day of sun and sand.
Why stay here: This hotel mixes old-world grandeur with Californian relaxation and has some of Santa Monica’s best restaurants to boot.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elite-like benefits and on-property credits, via American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts or Chase’s Luxury Hotels & Resorts Collection.
If Shutters conjures up images of Newport, Rhode Island, its next-door sister resort, Hotel Casa del Mar, skews Old World thanks to its imposing Italianate brick facade. But there’s nothing fusty about this stunner, which takes full advantage of its location right on the beach.
Guests can stop into the new bistro-style Patio del Mar for light bites, including oysters on the half-shell, shrimp ceviche and heirloom tomatoes with burrata. Inspired by the Italian Riviera and filled with light thanks to a wall of windows looking out to the Pacific, Terrazza serves coastal fare like steamed mussels with white wine and garlic, as well as heaping lobster rolls. For some of the city’s best seafood, though, dine at Catch, where the raw bar might include delicacies like Kumamoto oysters and king crab legs before main courses like day boat scallops with black sesame, corn and shishito peppers.
Therapies at Sea Wellness Spa include relaxing experiences like a deep-tissue massage performed with CBD cream and a deep-sea manicure with a mineral-rich foot bath and a moisturizing seaweed scrub.
Rooms, which start at 400 square feet, are beachy and bright with built-in light wooden shelving and desks that contrast with handsome dark wood half-poster beds dressed in white linens and topped with blue accent pillows and throws. The Italian white marble bathrooms are huge and have hydrothermal massage tubs and glass-walled walk-in showers stocked with Diptyque products. Some have ocean views and others have outdoor terraces, so make sure you book the category that suits your preferences.
Rates start at $638 per night.
Santa Monica Proper Hotel
Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: A high-style coastal getaway.
Why stay here: Boho-chic design inspiration, a happening rooftop pool, a lobby lounge serving small-batch mezcals and prime placement in the heart of Santa Monica make this one of LA’s most exciting hotels.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to earn Marriott points while enjoying elite-like benefits and on-property credits, or redeem your points by booking through Marriott directly. You can also book via either American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts or Chase’s Luxury Hotels & Resorts Collection.
Walking up to the Santa Monica Proper Hotel, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was actually two hotels in one. After all, one wing has a historical Spanish Colonial Revival edifice from 1928, while the other is a futuristic fixture with curvilinear glass and a concrete facade. But step inside and it’s clear that this is one cohesive hotel experience.
That’s thanks, in no small part, to interior designer Kelly Wearstler’s instantly recognizable style, marrying design eras and aesthetics ranging from art deco and midcentury modernism to 1970s glam with repurposed vintage pieces and flea market finds from around the world. The apogee of this carefully mismatched effect is in the lobby — punctuated by massive columns reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s dendriforms — which is arranged into cozy seating vignettes and also contains the Palma lounge, where guests can order everything from antipasti and oysters to pasta, burgers and salads along with an entire menu dedicated to wellness-boosting dishes.
Up on the rooftop, guests can spend the day lounging around the pool before bellying up to the popping circular bar at Calabra. Cocktails include the colorful Washed Ashore with Casa Del Sol Blanco tequila, Opuntia pear brandy, Matilde pear liquor, blue spirulina, dry curacao, lemon and lime. As for the food, you’ll find Cali-Med dishes like grilled octopus with chorizo vinaigrette.
The hotel’s Surya Spa, overseen by ayurvedic expert Martha Soffer, tailors treatments and regimens to each guest, so you might enjoy services like oil massages, as well as yoga sessions, breathwork, sound healing and even cooking classes.
After a healing experience, retire to your room. Guests in the historic Landmark wing have gorgeous floral-print wallpaper and dramatic bathrooms with gray stone sinks and glossy, rust-colored tiling. Rooms in the modern wing have a more muted look and get more natural light through larger windows. All, however, feature Proper’s much-loved beds dressed in Fili d’Oro linens. Their unique fabric radius headboards with built-in nightstand ledges and reading lights have been Instagram favorites.
Rates start at $429 or 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.
Viceroy Santa Monica
Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: A Santa Monica stay that’s high on style.
Why stay here: Come for the party vibes at the pool and take advantage of Southern California experiences like beach yoga.
Best way to book: Book directly, via Chase’s Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection or your favorite credit card travel portal.
While the Santa Monica Proper Hotel might be one of Kelly Wearstler’s more recent projects, the one that helped launch the designer’s hotel career was actually this Santa Monica staple that opened in 2000. Although it’s been recently refurbished to the tune of $21 million so that its public spaces have a brighter, beachier feel (see: a 2-ton driftwood bench that now anchors the lobby), you can still find her hallmarks, including bold-colored furnishings and fixtures that are playful takes on a midcentury coastal lifestyle.
In the guest rooms, which have either city or ocean views and start at 320 square feet, you’ll discover jade-green, marble-topped nightstands; walls with white wooden paneling that frames antiqued mirrors; and ornate, sculptural wall sconces. There are also pillow-top mattresses and high-end Natura Bisse and Roil by Amanda George bath products.
The pool scene is still one of the hottest in town thanks to cozy seating areas and its variety of cabanas, which have huge sectionals and Acapulco-style chairs, as well as an extremely Instagram-worthy wall mural by artist Evelyn Leigh. Though small, the fitness center has new Technogym and Peloton equipment, and the hotel also offers beach yoga classes and priority bike rentals for folks who want to cycle around town.
At Sugar Palm Ocean Avenue — which essentially comprises all the hotel’s eating and drinking outlets, including indoor and outdoor dining areas and bars — guests can come for everything from breakfast and brunch to leisurely dinners of international palate pleasers like hamachi ceviche and Wagyu meatballs.
Rates start at $315 per night.
Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows
Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: Families who appreciate luxury accommodations and proximity to the beach.
Why stay here: Just a short walk from the Third Street Promenade and a longer but still doable walk to the Santa Monica Pier, plus its own fabulous pool and beach club, this is a great luxury option for family vacations.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to earn Accor Live Limitless points and enjoy elite-like benefits and on-property credits. The hotel is also bookable via Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts and Chase’s Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection.
For travelers who prefer a quieter, family-friendly ambiance, it’s impossible to beat the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows thanks to its sequestered, garden-like setting (that’s still close to all Santa Monica has to offer) and variety of accommodations available.
Guest rooms start at 275 square feet and feature city, garden or ocean views. However, there are also 31 residential-style bungalows sprinkled around the property in two- and three-bedroom configurations for families who want to splash out so they can spread out or those who plan on sticking around awhile.
Two facilities, in particular, should be the main attractions for families. The first is the hotel’s pool, where kids are welcome; it hosts evening outdoor cinema screenings during summer. The second is the Miramar Beach Club, also available in summer. Guests are driven to the hotel’s stretch of sand in house cars, where they can spend the day enjoying activities like boogie boarding, building sandcastles and beach volleyball with provided equipment when they’re not ordering snacks and drinks, as well as complimentary towels and sunblock from the on-call butlers.
The hotel is also home to an Exhale Spa, where the treatment menu includes standards like deep-tissue massages and glow body scrubs. Additionally, guests can use the fitness facilities and take classes like HIIT, yoga and barre.
Foodies should make a point to dine at chef Masasuke Shimakawa’s pop-up sushi counter, Soko, as well as at the hotel’s fine-dining restaurant, Fig, where the frequently changing menus spotlight seasonal produce, such as herb-crusted halibut with wilted Swiss chard, pickled pears and saffron broth. Caffeine fiends will appreciate grab-and-go options from local favorite Dogtown Coffee.
Rates start at $449 per night.
Oceana Santa Monica, LXR Hotels & Resorts
Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: A beachside hideaway that feels like your own LA pied-à-terre.
Why stay here: Set along Ocean Avenue on the bluffs above the Pacific, this hotel has a sophisticated clientele and a quiet ambiance that feels exclusive yet welcoming.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to earn Hilton points while enjoying elite-like benefits and on-property credits, via American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts, or redeem your points by booking through Hilton directly.
You can’t get better views in LA than those from some of the 70 accommodations facing Ocean Avenue and the Pacific at Oceana Santa Monica. This all-suite enclave is perched on the palisades fronting the shore, an easy walk both into the main part of Santa Monica and down the California Avenue incline across the Pacific Coast Highway to the beach. It lies at the edge of a residential area, so it’s a bit quieter than some other Santa Monica hotels.
Thanks to its layout around a white-and-blue-tiled courtyard with a small, quirkily shaped pool and James Perse loungers, Oceana feels like a vintage residential hotel where aspiring actors would stay while waiting for their big break.
Only, those hotels probably didn’t have stunning suites decorated in a vivid palette of pelagic blue, cumulus white and dusky teal to extend the oceanfront setting indoors. Nor did they likely have art deco-style sofas, hand-tufted Nepalese rugs, minimalist canopy beds with Loro Piano bedding and Frette linens, or gorgeously tiled marble bathrooms with Bottega Veneta products.
Although guests can get plenty of physical activity out and about, there’s a small fitness center with Technogym and Peloton equipment, as well as a single-room spa proffering treatments like coconut-fig facials.
The three food and beverage venues are only open to guests, who can enjoy all-day dining poolside at The Veranda, rooftop cocktails at the stylish Sunset Terrace and upscale but casual fare like branzino tacos, Margherita pizza and black truffle frittata at Sandpiper.
Rates start at $716 or 110,000 Hilton Honors points per night.
Malibu Beach Inn
Malibu, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: A seaside staycation or as a relaxing stop on a coastal California road trip.
Why stay here: Nordic design vibes combined with Southern California sunshine? What’s not to like?
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elite-like benefits and on-property credits, or through your favorite credit card travel portal.
You don’t have to be a billionaire to enjoy the surf at Malibu’s so-called Billionaire’s Beach (aka Carbon Beach). Just book a stay at this 47-room idyll instead since it’s perched on the rocks at the beach’s eastern edge and has postcard-worthy views of the historic Malibu Pier.
The hotel was originally built in 1989 but has since had two makeovers accompanying ownership changes. The current iteration resulted in rooms and suites with Californian custom-built white-oak furniture that give them a Scandinavian simplicity (think: hardwood floors, timbered roofs and cozy fireplaces, as well as headboards and love seats upholstered in a pale sea-foam blue-gray hue that naturally draws the eye to the waves outside). Guests can also feel pampered thanks to the Bellino bed linens and Bamford skin and hair products provided.
Indulge in a treatment like the age-erasing Platinum HydraFacial at the hotel’s Cure Daily Spa. Craving a different type of indulgence? Be sure to drop by the hotel’s all-day CBC restaurant (it stands for Carbon Beach Club) to sample produce and proteins sourced from local farmers, fisheries and ranches in dishes such as grilled avocado with tangy Tunisian relish, currants and pistachios; and miso- and honey-glazed salmon with broccolini, sesame and charred lemon.
Rates start at $710 per night.
The Surfrider Malibu
Malibu, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: An affordable way to stay in one of LA’s toniest enclaves.
Why stay here: It might not have all the luxury amenities of a sprawling beach resort, but why pay more when you have access to the same beach as Hollywood moguls?
Best way to book: Book direct or through your favorite credit card travel portal.
A former 1950s motel that has been transformed into the epitome of surfer-chic (or a “Californian Beach House,” as the hotel describes itself), The Surfrider is a Malibu mainstay that’s been given a new lease on life.
From the adorable reception area purveying local artisanal products to the driftwood-bedecked open-air rooftop restaurant where you can check out the surf while enjoying an energizing flat white or a fortifying smoothie before grabbing your board to shoot the curl, this feels like the coastal retreat you wish you could build for yourself.
Accommodations range from the 250-square-foot Back Room on the ground floor, which the hotel has dubbed a “surfer’s hideout” for those who come solely for the ocean action, to the second-floor, 500-square-foot Surfrider Suite, which has a balcony with a hammock.
Many rooms feature bleached-wood beds dressed with Bellino sheets and naturally dyed linen throws, hand-painted tile bathrooms stocked with Grown Alchemist products and little terraces or balconies from which to take in the salt air.
After a day at the beach, shake off the sand and settle into one of the ultra-comfortable armchairs on the roof deck or one of the sofas flanking the fire pit and trade gnarly tales of life on the water as you sip cocktails and savor coastal cuisine, much of which is sourced from nearby farms.
Rates start at $329 per night.
Nobu Ryokan Malibu
Malibu, Los Angeles, California, USA
Best for: A secluded stay misted by the sea spray.
Why stay here: For one of the most exclusive hotel experiences not just in LA, but in the entire country, and a relaxing ryokan-style vibe, choose this Nobu property.
Best way to book: Book direct or through your favorite credit card travel portal.
Is gorging yourself on sushi and then falling asleep to the sound of crashing waves your idea of heaven? Well, then we’ve found it for you in the form of this 16-key Japanese ryokan-inspired inn that caters to travelers who want to feel like they have (or could probably afford) their own manse on this ultra-exclusive stretch of California’s coast.
It’s hard to believe this was formerly a motel dating back to the 1950s, as the hotel has so assiduously been transformed into one of LA’s most exclusive accommodations. Even the entrance feels somewhat hidden from the hoi polloi plying the Pacific Coast Highway. Once on the grounds, though, it’s easy to feel transported a world away from the hectic streets of LA. Perfectly manicured gardens wend their way around the wood-framed buildings, each a study in simplicity.
The rooms all feature polished hardwood floors and ceilings with low-profile, blond-wood beds (dressed in Anichini linens) and furniture, and either floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors through which you can watch the waves roll or private gardens with fireplaces, depending on the one you book. Set some time aside for a leisurely soak in the traditional teak tub, which is supplied with Red Flower and Mauro Spina of Beverly Hills products.
Guests spend their days camped out under umbrellas around the grounds, lounging on the common sunbathing deck or, like in a Japanese ryokan, simply unwinding in their suites. Why would you bother leaving when all your meals are brought to you (no restaurant here), including all the sushi and sundries you’d like from next-door Nobu Malibu?
Rates start at $2,000 per night.
