10 Fun, Family-Friendly Boutique Hotels in California
While many boutique hotels cater to adults seeking romance, some welcome families traveling with children with open arms. Going far beyond typical chain motels, these boutique hotels in California offer fun amenities for the younger set and family-friendly room configurations to ensure everyone gets their space and a good night’s sleep.
Oceanpoint Ranch
Nestled along the majestic shores of Moonstone Beach in Cambria, Oceanpoint Ranch is an idyllic place to take the family. The nine-acre seaside resort keeps little ones entertained with family-friendly lawn games like cornhole, horseshoes, and croquet, a private beach trail, and a swimming pool. In the evenings, families can enjoy movies on the lawn and campfire s’mores around the fire pit. Chic, ranch-inspired guest rooms include rooms with two queens or the spacious bunkhouse suites with full kitchens. The bunkhouse suites accommodate up to six with a king bed in a private bedroom and a bunk room with two sets of twin bunk beds. An adjoining king room can add even more space.
Beach Street Inn & Suites
Located directly across from Main Beach between the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and the Santa Cruz Wharf, the Beach Street Inn & Suites is an ideal crash pad for families with kids. Families have their choice of a range of double queen rooms and two-bedroom suites. The large Beach House Suites are particularly appealing because they comfortably sleep six and feature chic, surf-shack styling. The suites are equipped with one and a half baths, two large flatscreen TVs, a small refrigerator, a microwave, and a bar sink. A large blackboard with chalk and a semi-private deck with ocean views add to the fun. Families can make a splash in the heated pool and enjoy complimentary hot chocolate in the lobby.
Kit Carson Lodge
High in the Sierras on the shore of Silver Lake, Kit Carson Lodge has been a rustic summer retreat for families for over 95 years. Families can enjoy swimming, fishing, and boating on the lake. Motorboats, canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, and paddle boats are all available for rent. Families can pack a picnic and motor or paddle out to Treasure Island. Other activities at the resort include horseback riding, hiking, and nightly campfire gatherings with s’mores. An onsite restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. The resort’s charming cedar cabins with knotty pine interiors can accommodate families of up to eight and feature fully equipped kitchens and a charcoal grill.
Inn of the Lost Coast
The remote Northern California coastal town of Shelter Cove beckons families with miles of black sand beaches, tide pools, mountain biking, golf, and sport fishing. After a day’s adventure, check into the Inn of the Lost Coast, which welcomes families and their pets with open arms. The inn’s double queen guest rooms and suites easily accommodate families of four and feature stunning ocean views. The rooms offer kitchenettes or wet bars with microwaves and mini-refrigerators; some also have private patios or balconies. Families can play ping pong, roast marshmallows around the fire pit, and enjoy the blaze of stars against the dark night sky before retiring to their room for a warm fire and a movie.
Hotel Cerro
In the heart of downtown San Luis Obispo, Hotel Cerro is a hip, family-friendly boutique hotel. The hotel’s loft suites feature a king-sized bed and a pull-out couch, which is great for families with young kids, while the hotel’s double queen rooms are a good fit for families with older kids. The onsite restaurant Brasserie SLO has a special kid’s menu, so even the pickiest of eaters can find something they’ll enjoy. Families can make a splash in the hotel’s rooftop pool or borrow the complimentary bicycles for a tour around downtown. Within walking or biking distance of the hotel, kids can add to the famous Bubblegum Alley, explore the San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum, or take in a bit of history at the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa.
Little River Inn
Little River Inn on the Mendocino Coast has been hosting generations of families for more than 80 years. Families can play a round on the on-site golf course, stroll down the private trail to Van Damme State Beach or hike through the redwoods at Van Damme State Park. The Skunk Train, Mendocino Botanical Gardens, and other family-friendly attractions are just a short drive away. The inn offers a range of guest rooms for families including rooms with two queen beds and two-bedroom cottages. Cribs are also available. The inn’s on-site restaurant prides itself on being one of the most child-friendly dining options on the coast with a menu of kid favorites, crayons, and a staff that loves families.
Hofsas House
Just blocks from the beautiful white sands at Carmel Beach, Hofsas House has been welcoming families for 75 years. With a heated swimming pool, blankets and towels for the beach, and a range of room configurations, it’s one of the most family-friendly hotels in Carmel-by-the-Sea. The inn’s spacious two-bedroom, two-bath family suites accommodate up to six people and offer a microwave, refrigerator, and coffee maker. One of the two-bedroom suites also has a full kitchen. Single rooms with two queen beds and kitchenettes or full kitchens are available for smaller families. In addition to the beach, nearby family-friendly activities include rental e-bikes, video golf, and Point Lobos State Park.
Centrella Inn
Within walking distance of the beach, downtown Pacific Grove, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the storybook Centrella Inn offers cozy Victorian cottages that are great for families with children. Tucked among the gardens behind the main house, the stand-alone cottages comfortably accommodate a family of four with a queen bed in a private bedroom and a fold-out sofa bed in the living room. The cottages also feature a large screen television above the fireplace, a microwave, a wet bar sink, and a mini-refrigerator. Some of the cottages have private patios; one of the cottages is also pet-friendly. Children under the age of 10 stay free of charge.
Beverly Hills Plaza Hotel & Spa
For a pampered family vacation to Los Angeles, book a stay at the Beverly Hills Plaza Hotel & Spa. This lavish oasis has a wide array of accommodations for families. The spacious suites feature two double beds or a king bed plus a full kitchen, a dining area, and a living room with options for rollaway beds and baby cribs. For families needing more space, three different types of two-bedroom two-bath suites comfortably accommodate up to six guests. All the rooms offer a wide selection of pay-per-view movies, complimentary WIFI, and the ability to cast personal devices to the TVs. The hotel also features a heated outdoor pool, koi pond, on-site restaurant, spa, and 24-hour fitness center.
Brewery Gulch Inn
At award-winning Brewery Gulch Inn on the Mendocino Coast, families can enjoy the inn’s legendary drinking chocolate and pre-made s’mores around the firepit, play chess and board games in the great room, enjoy a DVD collection with over 700 titles, and watch for birds and other wildlife amid the property’s ponds and native gardens. A two-bedroom family suite features a fireplace, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, two televisions, a queen bed in one room, and a king in the second room that can be split into two twins. Nearby kid-friendly activities include the water slides and lazy river at C.V. Starr Swim Center, the Skunk Train’s railbikes through the redwoods, sea cave kayaking, outrigger canoeing, Glass Beach, and more.