Best Luxury Hotels
Back to CaliforniaCalifornia's Best Luxury Hotels & Resorts
The Ritz-Carlton (tel. 800/241-3333): Two blocks from the top of Nob Hill, San Francisco's Ritz is world-renowned for its accommodating staff, luxurious amenities, and top-rated restaurant. Another bonus is the most lavish brunch in town, served on Sundays in the Terrace Room or on the patio amid blooming rose bushes.
Calistoga Ranch (tel. 707/254-2800): Napa Valley's latest upscale hotel blows away the competition, with individual luxury cabins stocked with every imaginable luxury. In a secluded canyon, it's where nature meets nurture with a fabulous pool, spa, gym, and guest-only restaurant overlooking a lake.
Château du Sureau (Oakhurst; tel. 559/683-6860): Close to Yosemite, the Ch?teau du Sureau and Erna's Elderberry House restaurant stand out for their subtle European attention to quality and detail. Furnishings are exquisite in the individually decorated rooms, and the cuisine is worthy of the stars.
Casa Palmero Resort (Pebble Beach; tel. 800/654-9300): A small, ultraluxury resort on the first tee of the Pebble Beach Golf Course, Casa Palmero has 24 cottages and suites, all very intimate and private. In addition, the splendors of Pebble Beach will amuse you.
Post Ranch Inn (Big Sur; tel. 800/527-2200): Twelve-hundred feet above the sea, the elevated wood-and-glass guest cottages at this romantic cliffside retreat give guests the illusion that they're living at cloud level.
Four Seasons Resort Santa Barbara Biltmore (Santa Barbara; tel. 800/819-5053): Open since 1927, this Four Seasons operation (often known as "the Biltmore," on the grounds of the historic Biltmore Hotel), has palm-studded formal gardens and a prime beachfront location along "America's Riviera." Meander through the elegant Spanish-Moorish arcades and walkways, accented by exquisite Mexican tile, and then play croquet on manicured lawns, or relax at the Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club. The rooms are the epitome of refined luxury.
Shutters on the Beach (Santa Monica; tel. 800/334-9000) and Casa del Mar (Santa Monica; tel. 800/898-6999): If an oceanfront room at either of these hotels doesn't put a spring in your love life, it's hard to imagine what will. Which one is best for you depends on your taste: Shutters is dressed up like a rich friend's contemporary-chic beach house, while glamorous Casa del Mar is an impeccably restored Deco-era delight.
Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows (Beverly Hills; tel. 800/283-8885): A deep dent in your credit card is a small price to pay for the chance to take afternoon tea next to Ozzy Osbourne in the Polo Lounge, swim laps in the same pool Katharine Hepburn once dove into fully clothed, and eat pancakes in the fabled Fountain Coffee Shop.
La Quinta Resort & Club (La Quinta; tel. 800/598-3828): This luxury resort, set in a grove of palms at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains, is surrounded by some of the desert's best golf courses. Single-story, Spanish-style cottages are set amid gardens and 24 "private" swimming pools. The lounge and library in the original hacienda remain unaltered, hearkening back to the days when Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, and other celebrities escaped to the seclusion of La Quinta.
The Lodge at Torrey Pines (La Jolla; tel. 800/656-0087): You don't need to know much about Craftsman-style architecture to appreciate the taste and artistry that went into creating this luxury resort. The lodge sits next to the Torrey Pines Golf Course, and you can enjoy a fireplace in your room, sunset ocean views from your balcony, and superb meals at the hotel's A.R. Valentien restaurant.
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