Best Boutique Hotels for Digital Nomads
Working from home translates to working from anywhere in today’s connected environment. With well-equipped workspaces and tech essentials, these properties are helping digital nomads blur the lines between work and leisure.
Short Stories Hotel
Step into Short Stories Hotel in downtown Los Angeles and it feels immediately like this is where the cool nomads work. Located across the street from LA’s famous Original Farmer’s Market and The Grove megaplex for shopping, dining and entertainment, this boutique hotel is a modern interpretation of its retro-60s heyday. Guestrooms are stylishly furnished and feature essentials for plugging into the office, including WiFi, USB charging stations, and comfortable seating. Guests can also get their work done from the hotel’s quiet courtyard, heated pool and sitting area, and terrace. The onsite restaurant and bar offers a midweek Happy Hour menu for raising a glass to a job well done. Book rooms online.
Cormorant Boutique Hotel
Master work-life balance at Cormorant Boutique Hotel in chic La Jolla. Glistening ocean views from select guestrooms and the rooftop Birdseye restaurant and bar are a welcome reminder that screentime breaks can boost productivity. Work-friendly guestroom amenities include USB charging ports and free WiFi, and most accommodations are furnished with a small work desk and executive chair. Suites with balcony seating add the perk of working outside. Cormorant also features a lobby business center equipped with a charging station, desk and chairs, and landline phone for making local calls. Balancing work with leisure, guests can enjoy a dip at La Jolla Cove and peruse downtown boutiques, restaurants, and galleries. All are walking distance from the hotel. Reserve online.
Cornell Hotel de France
Remote workers combining a San Francisco business trip with a leisure getaway will find the sweet spot at the French-inspired Cornell Hotel de France. Located in the picturesque Nob Hill neighborhood, this boutique hotel offers easy access to Moscone Conference Center, the Financial District, and Union Square. The hotel offers various room configurations, but the top work-from-hotel option here is the Junior Suite. It features a separate living room furnished with plush seating and a work desk with room to spread out. Complimentary WiFi and city views further enhance the private office feel. When day blends into dinner hour, guests can enjoy authentic French cuisine at the hotel’s bistro, Jeanne D’ Arc. Book rooms online.
McCaffrey House Bed & Breakfast Inn
The McCaffrey House Bed & Breakfast Inn in Twain Harte welcomes digital nomads who glean workday inspiration surrounded by pine-scented forest. Most of the inn’s guestrooms feature writing desks placed in large bay windows with forest views. All rooms are equipped with cozy fire stoves, flat screen TVs, iPod docking stations, and complimentary WiFi. The inn’s Business Traveler and Tuesday specials are great deals for remote workers. Business Traveler offers discounted rates and includes breakfast to suit guest schedules. The Tuesday special is made for extended stays. Tuesday is half-price with a three-night stay that includes Tuesday. Restrictions apply and reservations for this special must be made by phone. All stays include daily breakfast, afternoon tea and cookies, and evening wine reception. Reserve online or call 209-586-0757.
Cottages at Little River Cove
Situated on a Mendocino Coast bluff with ocean views, Cottages at Little River Cove offers digital nomads the ultimate home-away-from-home-office setting. The property comprises 11 single- and two-story standalone cabins that are comfortably furnished and feature a full kitchen, private workspace, and inspiring views. While cell service is unreliable in this corner of Mother Nature, complimentary WiFi is available in the cabins and throughout the grounds. A communal stone patio with a firepit and grill offers guests additional space to retreat with their laptop or notepad, or to simply relax with a glass of wine at sunset. Cottages at Little River Cove is pet friendly. Mendocino Village, Big River Beach, and dozens of state parks are a short drive away. Book online.
Granada Hotel & Bistro
Moving from remote workweek to winetasting weekend on the Central Coast is a smooth transition at Granada Hotel & Bistro in downtown San Luis Obispo. Housed in a restored 1920s-era building with original exposed brick walls, this boutique hotel features 17 guestrooms elegantly appointed with a nod to the industrial chic. A private rooftop terrace and a plush lounge offer quiet corners for managing workday responsibilities, and the onsite Granada Bistro and Nightcap bar provide cozy settings for marking the day’s achievements. In addition to complimentary WiFi and daily breakfast, guests have access to free loaner bikes for exploring town on a midday break. Book online.
Skyview Los Alamos
Skyview Los Alamos inspires creativity and possibility simply from its own experience in revival. This completely renovated 1950’s roadside motel in Los Alamos offers remote workers a tranquil setting overlooking Santa Ynez Valley vineyards. The boutique hotel’s 33 guestrooms and suites are stylishly appointed and equipped with standard essentials such as reliable WiFi and a Nespresso coffeemaker for fueling the workday mindset. Guests can also find quiet workspaces throughout the landscaped grounds. Norman, the hotel’s revamped retro diner, offers indoor and patio seating for working lunches, plus a dinner menu and midweek Happy Hour. When it’s time to unplug, loaner bikes provide a fun way to explore downtown Los Alamos and local wineries. Book online.
Hotel Ynez
Nestled at the crossroads of Solvang and Santa Ynez in Santa Barbara wine country, Hotel Ynez is a remote work retreat. Styled in modern hacienda décor, accommodations are comfortably chic and feature such workaday essentials as WiFi, a refrigerator, Nespresso coffee maker, and a private front patio with Adirondack seating and a woven hammock, perfect for taking calls or a midday siesta. For guests requiring more space between work and play, the spacious Garden Superior and Garden Suite accommodations feature a private backyard with a soaking tub, and the Kitchen Deluxe guestroom features a full-service kitchen, bar seating, and living space. Communal firepits, 21-and-older heated pool, and complimentary bikes and breakfast round out the offerings at Hotel Ynez. Book online.
Enchante Boutique Hotel
Located in Silicon Valley’s tony Los Altos community, Enchanté Boutique Hotel is a work-from-hotel retreat steeped in French chateau elegance. Finely appointed guestrooms feature a dedicated workspace and WiFi, and guests can book the hotel’s private library for small meetings. French antiques and a fireplace complement the library’s executive hallmarks which include a conference table, flat screen TV, and AV equipment. Food and beverage service is available through the hotel’s restaurant, Campagne One Main Bistro. The library accommodates up to 12 people. Library rental fees are $95 per hour, two-hour minimum. Call 650-946-2000 to reserve the library. WiFi, parking, continental breakfast, and 24-access to a neighboring fitness center are complimentary to Enchanté guests. Book rooms online.
Pacifica Hotels in Cambria
Jumpstart productivity with a working retreat to the coastal village of Cambria near San Luis Obispo. This Central Coast hamlet off Highway 1 is primed for boosting remote work ROI, especially when it’s done from the comfort of a Pacific Hotels boutique inn. The hotel group’s Cambria properties include Oceanpoint Ranch, Fireside Inn, Pelican Inn & Suites, Fogcatcher Inn, and Cambria Landing Inn & Suites. Each hotel is individually styled, offers free WiFi and parking, and fronts scenic Moonstone Beach. Guests will also find numerous sitting areas, inside or out, that are conducive to remote workstyle. When work is done, Cambria is a jackpot for leisure. Outdoor recreation, wineries, beaches, and downtown shops and restaurants are a moonstone’s throw from Pacifica Hotels’ Cambria inns. Reservations can be made on each hotel’s individual website.