Suites with the Best Views
After a year of staring at the same four walls, many would-be travelers are eager for a change in scenery. We’ve compiled a list of suites at California boutique hotels and B&Bs with the best splurge-worthy views to provide a refreshing new perspective.
Inn of the Lost Coast
The Inn of the Lost Coast offers epic views of one the most remote, rugged outposts in Northern California. All of the rooms offer views, but the inn’s Deluxe Spa Suites are particularly alluring with panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows, a private balcony, and in-room hot tub for enjoying breathtaking sunsets over the Pacific.
Waters Edge Hotel
From its perch over the yacht harbor in Tiburon, the Waters Edge Hotel provides glittering panoramas of San Francisco Bay and the city skyline. The Grand King junior suites provide the best views with private patios, luxurious king-sized beds, and sitting rooms with fireplaces for soaking up the tranquil waterscapes.
Blue Lantern Inn
Ask for guestroom #301 at the Blue Lantern Inn, and guests will find themselves in the top floor Tower Room, with its sweeping views of Dana Point Harbor and the Pacific beyond. This airy, light-filled suite offers a balcony with outdoor seating, a gas fireplace, a four-poster king bed, and a telescope for catching sight of whales. The room is a favorite with honeymoon couples.
Elk Cove Inn & Spa
South of Mendocino, Elk Cove Inn & Spa is nestled in peaceful seclusion atop a bluff overlooking a mile of dramatic beachfront. The inn’s four Arts and Crafts-inspired oceanfront suites provide the most breathtaking views. The suites feature a bank of windows and private balconies or patios overlooking the driftwood-strewn beach, majestic sea stacks, and the ocean beyond.
Timber Cove Inn
Escape to a remote stretch of the Sonoma Coast at the Timber Cove Inn. The newly renovated resort is perched atop a rugged coastal bluff with endless views of the Pacific Ocean. The inn’s Ocean Suites feature a wall of windows and wide redwood decks overlooking the sea. The suites also feature separate living rooms and bedrooms, wet bars, record players, fireplaces, and hand-crafted king beds.
Highlands Ranch Resort
Nestled alongside a bucolic meadow, the Meadow’s Edge cottage at Highlands Ranch Resort offers unobstructed views of the meadow and the snow-capped peaks of Lassen National Park. The most romantic and private of the resort’s cottages, it features an outdoor Jacuzzi tub, an upstairs viewing nook, and a cozy gas fireplace next to French doors with stunning vistas.
The Avalon Hotel
22 miles off the coast of Southern California, guests of the The Avalon Hotel on Catalina Island can unwind on a rooftop patio with dazzling panoramas of the harbor and the ocean beyond. The hotel offers a number of ocean view rooms, but #306 is one of the most appealing for its plush amenities, private balcony with an outdoor wet bar, and spectacular vantage point.
Aurora Hotel
The Aurora Hotel on Catalina Island also offers ocean view rooms and a stunning rooftop patio overlooking the harbor. But the hotel’s Celebrity Suite takes the cake. It is one of the most modern and luxurious hotel suites on the island. The suite features a fireplace, wet bar, massive flat screen television, dreamy king-sized bed, and a private sunporch with panoramic views.
Albion River Inn
At the Albion River Inn in Mendocino, 22 spacious cottages line the coastal bluff above a protected cove where the Albion River flows languidly into the sea. The cottages overlook the cove, providing mesmerizing views of the blue waters, grassy headlands, rocky islets, and the wooden trestle bridge spanning the river. Binoculars are available upon request.
Seven Gables Inn
Every room at the opulent Seven Gables Inn in Pacific Grove offers hypnotizing views of the Monterey Bay. The Breakers Room is among the most popular because it directly overlooks the waves crashing against the rocky shoreline. The room features high ceilings, a gas fireplace, and a large gabled window in the corner with two cozy armchairs for gazing out at the waves.
Inn at Newport Ranch
On a 2,000 acre oceanfront ranch in Mendocino County, the Inn at Newport Ranch is a breathtakingly beautiful retreat with sweeping ocean vistas. The inn’s Redwood House houses a trio of suites from which couples can enjoy panoramic views from a private hot tub, outdoor dining table, or luxurious bedrooms with headboards crafted from the trunks of giant redwoods.
Courtwood Inn
The Courtwood Inn’s grand, cedar-log lodge is perched above the town of Murphys on a five-acre hilltop. At an elevation of 2,500 ft., the views extend from the pine-studded foothills all the way to the San Joaquin Valley. While all of the rooms offer stunning views, the second-floor Wimbledon and French Open Suites are particularly appealing for their large, private balconies.
Nick’s Cove & Cottages
Nestled along the water’s edge in a serene, sheltered cove of Tomales Bay, the elegantly restored 1930s cottages at Nick’s Cove combine nostalgic charm with luxurious comfort. Each cottage is a cozy hideaway with plush down comforters, wood-burning stoves, heated bathroom floors, deep soaking tubs, and private decks with panoramic views of the tranquil waters.
Martine Inn
The Parke Room at the historic Martine Inn in Pacific Grove features panoramic windows that overlook the rocky coastline of the Monterey Bay. The room was the original home’s master bedroom and it has remained a favorite among guests for its lace canopy king-sized bed and wood-burning fireplace. A mid-dormer window opens to allow the ocean breeze and sounds of the waves lull guests to sleep.
Inn at Playa Del Rey
The Inn at Playa del Rey overlooks the 600-acre Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve, a serene and protected haven for native flora and fauna. Stay in the inn’s Grand View Suite, and guests can enjoy splendid views of the reserve from their balcony or jetted spa tub surrounded by windows. The suite also features a double-sided gas fireplace and a king-sized bed.
Brewery Gulch Inn
High above Mendocino’s rugged coastline, the Brewery Gulch Inn overlooks the shimmering waters of Smuggler’s Cove and the Pacific. All but one of the guest rooms offer ocean views, but the best may be the Raven. Inside this second-floor corner retreat, leather club chairs, a fireplace, a snuggle-worthy king bed, and a two-person soaking tub wrap guests in luxury. French doors open to private balcony with mesmerizing views.
Pantai Inn
Just steps from the ocean along La Jolla’s curving, sun-kissed coastline, the Pantai Inn is an idyllic retreat with dazzling ocean views. The intimate boutique hotel offers spacious ocean view suites decorated with Balinese art and furnishings, full kitchens or kitchenettes, and private balconies for enjoying the view. The hotel also features a tranquil ocean view courtyard with lush gardens and soothing water features.
Grand Reserve Inn
Secluded on 40 acres of the Wilderotter Vineyard in Amador wine country, the Grand Reserve Inn is a 9,000 square-foot Tuscan-inspired villa with panoramic views of grapevines and the surrounding Sierra Foothills. Each of its five, luxuriously-appointed suites offer dreamy beds, stone fireplaces, and sweeping vineyard views from arched windows and private terraces.
Green Gables Inn
Built in 1888, the Green Gables Inn is a meticulously-restored Queen Anne Victorian with panoramic views of the Monterey Bay. For an unobstructed views the bay’s wildlife and crashing waves, book the Balcony Room. With a queen bed and a separate daybed, this enchanting room works well for friends traveling together or a couple with a child in tow. Keep an eye out for migrating whales.
Delta King Hotel
Housed inside of the original captain’s wheelhouse of the Delta King Hotel, the Captain’s Quarters Suite is located on the top deck of the historic riverboat. The luxurious, fully-renovated suite features a private wrap-around veranda with picturesque views of the Sacramento River, the I Street Bridge, and Historic Old Sacramento.
Mendocino Seaside Cottages
On the quiet northern side of Mendocino village, Mendocino Seaside Cottages stands just 70 yards from the ocean. Each of the four spacious suites have private decks with sweeping ocean views and spotting scopes for whale watching. One of the best views is from the light-filled dining alcove of the Penthouse Suite with its panoramic bay windows overlooking Point Cabrillo Lighthouse and the ocean beyond.
On the Beach Bed & Breakfast
In the quiet beach town of Cayucos, On the Beach Bed & Breakfast offers a prime location overlooking the pier and Cayucos State Beach. Eight of the inn’s 14 spacious guest rooms feature ocean views with balconies. All the rooms exude an elegant coastal vibe. In addition, the inn’s rooftop sundeck provides a relaxing spot to watch the waves with lounge seating and a hot tub.
West Cliff Inn
Perched on a bluff across from Cowell’s Beach and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the West Cliff Inn is a beautifully renovated Victorian with a breezy, coastal-inspired décor. The large bay windows of the inn’s Superior King Spa rooms provide lovely views of the beach below. The rooms also feature king-sized beds, gas fireplaces, and gorgeous marble bathrooms with whirlpool spa tubs.
Blue Door Inns
The Blue Door Inns is a collection of three stylish inns nestled in Mendocino village. Of the three, the JD House’s Grand View King room offers the most expansive views. The room’s large windows and shared deck overlook Mendocino’s headlands and the Pacific Ocean. The room also features vaulted ceilings with crisp white walls, modern furnishings, a gas fireplace, and king-sized bed.
Lodge at the Presidio
As the closest hotel to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the Lodge at the Presidio offers extraordinary views. The 42-room, three-story hotel is housed in former US Army barracks, which were built between 1895 and 1897. The hotel opened in June 2018 and exemplifies the highest standards of sustainability. Guest rooms feature stunning views of the San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, the city skyline, or a combination thereof. The lodge is the sister property to the Inn at the Presidio, which opened in 2012.