The best luxury hotels and resorts in California

The hotel has held MICHELIN Guide Two Keys for a second consecutive year in 2025. Its 155 accommodations occupy the top eleven floors of a 48-story tower designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, and restaurant Orafo serves a California-Italian-inspired menu.

Good to know: The Financial District address sits 0.4 miles from The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco in a straight line.

Skip it if you'd rather be in a century-old building; The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco fits that instead.

The hotel occupies a Neoclassical mansion on Nob Hill dating to 1909, with 336 guest rooms and 60 suites including a Presidential Suite. Restaurant Parallel 37 is led by a Michelin-starred chef, and L'Occitane Spa is on site.

Good to know: It sits 0.4 miles from both Hotel Nikko San Francisco and Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero in a straight line.

Skip it if a rooftop pet terrace matters more; Hotel Nikko San Francisco has one 0.4 miles away.

Dogs up to 50 pounds are allowed here for $65 per day plus a refundable deposit, and the hotel says its rooftop pet terrace is the only one of its kind in San Francisco. An indoor glass-enclosed pool and wellness center are also on site.

Good to know: ANZU serves breakfast and Kanpai Lounge serves sushi and cocktails, both inside the Union Square hotel.

Skip it if a historic building matters more; The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco occupies a 1909 mansion 0.4 miles away.

Forbes Travel Guide rates this 280-room hotel Four-Star, and it sits on beachfront property above the Pacific in the historic Cannery Row area. Vista Blue Spa is an 11,000-square-foot rooftop spa overlooking Monterey Bay.

Good to know: Restaurants Coastal Kitchen and Schooners Monterey are both on site.

Skip it if you want dog-friendly rooms; L'Auberge Carmel, Relais & Chateaux designates three of them 4.3 miles away.

This Mediterranean-inspired resort has four outdoor pools and its own golf course, plus six restaurants including Addison, helmed by chef William Bradley. Rooms feature European-style soaking tubs and marble dual sinks.

Good to know: Dogs are allowed up to two per room for a $150 cleaning fee plus tax.

Skip it if golf isn't the point; The Lodge at Torrey Pines is 3.6 miles away in a straight line.

The spa here runs about 9,500 square feet across 14 treatment rooms, and the lodge's 170 rooms have granite and marble bathrooms. A.R. Valentien serves regional cuisine on site.

Good to know: One dog up to 50 pounds, or two smaller dogs combined 75 pounds, is allowed for a $150 cleaning fee, waived for service dogs.

Skip it if a golf course matters more; Fairmont Grand Del Mar is 3.6 miles away in a straight line.

Domestic dogs are welcome here for $100 plus tax per stay, and the hotel lists 317 guest rooms and suites in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter. Six restaurants and bars include Lionfish, and Spa Pendry offers wellness services on site.

Good to know: The Gaslamp Quarter address places downtown San Diego's restaurant row in the same neighborhood.

Skip it if La Jolla suits you better; The Lodge at Torrey Pines is 14.3 miles away in a straight line.

The spa here includes a warming pool, a eucalyptus steam room, and a dry sauna, and some of the resort's 73 guestrooms have a two-person copper soaking tub with a wet room and rain shower.

Good to know: Every room has a private balcony or patio in this Carmel Valley resort.

Skip it if you want to be on the coast itself; Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa sits on beachfront property 11.2 miles away.

This boutique hotel has just 20 guestrooms, three of them designated dog-friendly, and onsite restaurant Aubergine seats nine tables over a 2,500-bottle wine cellar.

Good to know: Dogs cost a one-time $250 plus tax charge per dog and must stay leashed and attended.

Skip it if 20 rooms feels too small; Bernardus Lodge & Spa has 73 guestrooms 10.2 miles away in a straight line.

Fairmont Spa Century Plaza has nine private treatment rooms, and the hotel counts 315 guest rooms plus 85 suites. Lumiere, the signature modern American brasserie, is on site along with a listed pool.

Good to know: The Century City location sits 0.6 miles from The Peninsula Beverly Hills in a straight line.

Skip it if a Sunset Strip address matters more; Pendry West Hollywood is 3.5 miles away in a straight line.

This Beverly Hills hotel carries the highest guest rating on this list, 9.4 out of 10 from more than 90 reviews. Spa, pool, restaurant, bar, and fitness room are all listed, along with pets allowed.

Good to know: It sits 0.6 miles from Fairmont Century Plaza in a straight line.

Skip it if you want a documented signature restaurant; Pendry West Hollywood has Wolfgang Puck's kitchen instead.

This eleven-story hotel spans a full block of the Sunset Strip with 149 guest rooms, and its restaurant is run by Wolfgang Puck. A spa, rooftop pool, and EV charging are listed alongside pets allowed.

Good to know: The Sunset Strip location puts West Hollywood's restaurant and nightlife row right at the door.

Skip it if you want more restaurants under one roof; Pendry San Diego lists six restaurants and bars.