Thank you to the featured hotels for inviting me to stay so I could write a detailed review of my experience.
Check out a new area and check into a California hotel to remember. Enhance your stay by booking a room with a view.
Hollywood – Kimpton Everly Hotel
The View
Hollywood is known for its picturesque hillsides, stunning architecture and glamorous people. The Kimpton Everly has all this and more – with 216 guest rooms and 12 suites that offer unforgettable room views of the shimmering LA skyline, Hollywood and the Hollywood sign. With Valet Parking Packages and EV charging stations, you may find yourself never wanting to get back in the car.
The Vibe
Tucked between the Hills and Hollywood, the Everly One Bedroom Suite with living room, clawfoot soaker tub and separate shower is the essence of Hollywood style. Expect plush Kimpton beds, blackout shades and house plants to complete the experience. A staycation is easy here – with their refreshed rooftop pool and sky deck restaurant, 24-hour fitness center with Peloton bikes, in-room yoga mats, and cool loaner PUBLIC bikes. Pet lovers can bring Fido with no fees or size restrictions. Kimpton shows pups love with pet beds, food and water bowls, courtesy bags and a concierge list of pet-friendly things to do nearby.
No need to leave the hotel when you can sip inventive craft cocktails at the Ever Bar, in view of fun art, or dine at Written Hand, serving inventive Mediterranean-inspired dishes such as squash blossoms with whipped herb labneh or wagyu with anchovy butter. The warm chocolate chip cookie with mini milkshake makes the best finale.
Heading over to catch a show at Pantages? Consider Written Hand’s Pre-Theater Multicourse Menu. In the morning, soak in that California sunshine when you roll down to Jane Q, where the sun streams through the double height atrium windows. Here you can order all-day brunch like sweet and savory dishes such as a Bodega Breakfast Sandwich, Strawberry Cheesecake Waffle or hot perfectly-toasted Toma empanadas in varieties like beef, vegan, or bacon egg and cheese.
The Area
Centrally located – steps from the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Capitol Records and Pantages Theater, plus minutes away from the Hollywood Bowl, Runyon Canyon and the Fonda Theater – the neighborhood is ground central for Hollywood sightseeing.
San Francisco – The Clift Royal Sonesta
The View
Check into a one-bedroom King Suite on a top corner floor at The Clift Royal Sonesta, to enjoy a cozy quiet room with skyline views of San Francisco from every window. The bird’s eye view feels like being a voyeur to the city below, with historic buildings and boulevards stretching in every direction. Crack open a bottle of wine as you witness the heartbeat pulse of The Golden City.
The Vibe
Step into Old World Glamour with modern design present in every detail. Step off the lobby into the iconic Redwood Room, for bar bites and cocktails with real Art Deco vibes, surrounded by illuminated art created by a Gustav Klimt protégé and a bar crafted out of a single redwood tree. The historic lounge has been around since the 1930s and offers a Royal Hour menu from 5 – 7 PM Tuesday through Friday. Order baby crab cakes, lamb lollipops, or tuna tostadas to pair with a Redwood Mule, Espresso martini or El Regalito made with Madre Mezcal, gin, compari, chocolate bitters and orange peel.
The Area
The Clift is located one block from Union Square and walking distance from several of the city’s iconic landmarks and attractions – including Chinatown, the Ferry Building and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Hop on a cable car (or order up a self-driving Waymo) to get whisked away to destinations near and far.
Mendocino – SPC Mendocino Inn and Farm
The View
Arriving to the Mendocino Coast feels like stepping back in time, bringing forth memories of ocean air from my New England upbringing. Here on the Soul Community Planet (SPC) Mendocino Inn and Farm on the northern California coast, the tremendous overgrowth of flowers is what stuns on this 15-acre property. Rhododendron bloom in numerous colors, and are twice your size. Floral scents cascade on this magical property as you admire hydrangea, daisies, ferns, roses, wild orchids, honeysuckle, and what looks like lily of the valley in tree form. Surrounded on three sides by Van Damme State Park, next to the forest and in view of the sea, guests can stay in five unique properties or a spa lodge with guestrooms.
From each room’s sunny deck, watch the barn swallows circle each golden-hued morning while soaking in the scent of being fully alive, when everything is in spring bloom. Walk the land, admire organic gardens – with various herbs like bushes of rosemary, and basil, special leafy greens, nasturtium, rhubarb and artichoke – while the resident llamas stand guard, as they apparently ward off predators like coyotes who might get into the chicken coop. Feed the chickens on the way to the lobby for fresh baked cookies and herbal tea while scooping up fresh lavender in satchels to place under your pillows to help sleep soundly, just one of the amenities provided to help guests rest well.
Just a five-minute drive away, the stunning sister property SPC Mendocino Coast Lodge (formerly Albion River Inn) sits on a dramatic ocean cliffside, in view of a rugged coast reminiscent of Ireland or New Zealand.
The Vibe
Choose from a 1867 Farmhouse, Carriage House, Cobbler’s House, or the Stevenscroft Building, where 4 guestrooms are nestled between the llama pastures and organic garden. Most feature original cedar plank walls with fireplaces, showcasing picture-perfect windowscapes, framed with lush flower filled gardens straight to the ocean in the distance – truly a room with a view! The table and chairs in front of the grand windowpanes allows us to soak in this tranquil setting, especially as breakfast is delivered each morning with specialty egg dishes, fruit, yogurt and coffee.
Several hiking trails take guests for wild adventures through nature – from the inn to the beach and through a dense forest and grasses to miles of rugged cliffside surf. The natural beauty of the land feels like the last frontier of California.
Sustainability is part of SCP’s hotel group’s mission, as the Inn focuses on a variety of practices, including minimizing waste, using organic ingredients, reducing their carbon footprint and promoting eco-conscious guest practices. You won’t find any single-use plastics here.
The Inn’s popular Terra Farm Kitchen dishes up wood-fired pizza that can be enjoyed on the large grassy lawn, with an amazing local beer and wine list. Sister property SPC Mendocino Coast Lodge showcases Terra Mar Kitchen, where you want to soak in the coastal scene for breakfast, happy hour, or dinner over their intentionally crafted plant-forward blue zone menu. Their cocktail program is the best in the area, touting expertly crafted seasonal concoctions like Mezcal coffee infusions, fresh juices, and remedies like the Oak Smoke Show. Dinner boasts the freshest farm picked hyperlocal ingredients. Savor burrata with peas, mussels with sausage, and halibut with a light cream sauce paired with uber fresh snap peas and asparagus. Share a rhubarb and strawberry crisp with scoops of vanilla ice cream to end the night in this dreamy NorCal location.
The Area
Just up the road is charming historical Mendocino Village, where you might think you are in a New England town. Art galleries, local jewelers, and unique décor shops abound in this small artistic enclave. Stop into Luna Trattoria for freshly made pasta in an outdoor garden as the Italian owner hails from the Emilia-Romagna region. Several nearby parks offer opportunities for hiking and exploration, including Mendocino Headlands State Park and Russian Gulch State Park. And the Mendocino Botanical Gardens features a curated environment of colorful flower displays, manicured gardens, native habitats, and breathtaking ocean views on 47 oceanfront acres.
Del Mar – Fairmont Grand Del Mar
The View
Thirty minutes north of San Diego, tucked into a 400-acre canyon preserve, the Old World European-style Fairmont Grand Del Mar is situated on a hillside, where every room has a view. The expansive accommodations look out at stunning manicured floral-laden lawn in view of a tranquil relaxation pool that you might expect to see in France. Choose a ground floor terrace with fire pit or a higher floor to appreciate the meticulous grounds and palatial estate with Spanish, Italian, and Moroccan grandeur. The design emphasizes indoor/outdoor spaces, plant symmetry, arched windows and Venetian glass chandeliers. The newly renovated lobby entrance and dimly lit Library Lounge wow with a sexy cozy vibe. The ambiance demands a seat by the fireplace with a cocktail, especially with live entertainment on weekends.
The Vibe
Rooms are donned in elegant traditional-style dark woods with grand marble-clad bathrooms that feature deep bathtubs, double sinks, and private toilet space. Fairmont’s signature rose Le Labo products abound while cooling gel for legs and feet is left bedside at turndown.
Surrounded by lush gardens and rolling hillsides, choose from several restaurants – such as a casual 50,000 square foot Clubhouse and Grill perched above the 18th hole, farm-to-table Amaya, and 3-star Michelin designee, Addison. Amaya dishes out everything from a light French-style gnocchi to fresh clams and Crab Benedict in the morning, that can be taken on a flower-lined terrace. Foodies will adore special wine dinners or the Grand Tea in the Lobby Lounge.
The opulent 5-star hotel, built in 2007, offers a myriad of activities for every family member. The Fairmont Grand Del Mar is both dog friendly and family friendly, with daily changing kids’ programming and an Explorer’s Club Kid Camp. The Grand Social outdoor lounge heats up in summer with live music, bocce ball, croquet, garden parties, and theme nights. It is impossible to get bored here, with 4 pools featuring shaded cabanas, a Technogym, complimentary fitness classes, archery, hiking trails, equestrian center with “meet the horses” hour, tennis and pickleball clinics and access to the private Tom Fazio designed golf course.
For those looking to decompress from everyday life, the newly renovated Forbes Five Star spa boasts Binaural Vibroacoustic therapy to help reduce anxiety, stress, and promote better sleep. New transformative multisensory spa therapies are offered such as Zestos Dryfloat Therapy and a Contrast Therapy Massage using sound healing and hydrotherapy. Warm and cool massaging waters cascade over your whole body as you lie face down on a bed. Continue your wellness journey by enjoying the eucalyptus steam room, dry cedar sauna, saltwater jacuzzi, and adults only pool. The spa’s commitment to wellbeing includes nontoxic bodycare products often created with local ingredients like coastal sage.
The Area
Del Mar was established in 1885 as a seaside resort and still boasts popular attractions that keep vacationers coming for both relaxation and adventure. The Del Mar Racetrack holds live horseracing during the summer, carrying over to the Del Mar Fairgrounds in the fall, and continuing with satellite wagering year-round. The Fairgrounds also hosts the annual San Diego County Fair and the Del Mar Antiques + Art + Design show three times a year.
Public parks and beaches are prominent and easily accessible. Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and beach may be one of the most picturesque areas to hike and surf in SoCal. Dog Beach is famous for being Fido-friendly. And there are several seaside open spaces to relax and take in the ocean air – Del Mar Beach, Powerhouse Park, and Seagrove Park among the most popular.
Rancho Palos Verdes – Terranea
The View
Located on 102 lush oceanfront acres in Rancho Palos Verdes, every guest room, bungalow, and villa feature outstanding ocean views. Terranea’s oceanfront casitas or luxurious villas feel like a small house – with outdoor terrace, living room, kitchen, and bedroom(s) featuring mesmerizing ocean views from every angle. The land here feels very private and a windy path along the ocean takes you to the pool, the Spa, and Nelson’s, one of eight dining venues that showcases the farm-to-Terranea culinary philosophy of utilizing local and seasonal ingredients.
The Vibe
Terranea’s bountiful land boasts herb and vegetable gardens, lemon groves, and even their own harvested salt. Nelson’s casual restaurant sits on the cliffside, perfect for sunset paired with a hearty lobster roll, clam chowder, mussels with sausage and a seared ahi tuna sandwich. You might just spot a whale or dolphins too!
A favorite experience is the resort’s spa that also hangs over the Pacific Ocean, having just emerged from a $4.5 million refresh with a relaxing color palette of soft blues, sandy neutrals, and organic materials. Book a wellness treatment for the ultimate self-care and peace at this 50,000-square-foot oceanfront SPA that melds seamlessly with the property’s unspoiled natural landscape. Consider a Hydra Facial, the Honey Body Bliss, or the ultimate 2-hour rendezvous with yourself, a Body Ritual like Ocean’s Prelude where your treatment room’s copper tub hangs over the ocean and is by far the best spa view in California. Also, the outdoor spa areas will make your heart flutter. After a spa treatment, move to a cozy ocean view recliner– with unparalleled views and lush foliage, plus food and drink service and private outdoor spa pool – a couple steps from your seat.
Other amenities include The Links at Terranea, a nine-hole, par-3 golf course; fitness and wellness center; four swimming pools and a 140-foot waterslide; Marea luxury boutique; and 135,000 square feet of meeting space.
The Area
There are many ways to enjoy Palos Verdes – like hiking around the peninsula, kayaking off the wildlife rich location, and exploring oceanfront trails and beaches. Abalone Cove Shoreline Park & Ecological Reserve, Ocean Trails Reserve, and Del Cerro Park are favorites for locals and visitors alike. Lighthouse enthusiasts will love the Point Vicente Lighthouse, and the small Point Vicente Interpretive Center offers a peak into the rich history of the area.
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