Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort
Newport Beach
RVs and tents aren’t required for a stay at this upscale campground: two dozen tiny, well-kept A-frames and picket-fenced one-bedroom cottages are…
Must-see hotels in California
Santa Monica
Behind the charming historic facade, this older boutique hotel around the corner from the Promenade has just redone its rooms with craftsman-style…
Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights
This 878-room behemoth flanks the massive LA Live entertainment complex. Chef Ben Ford (son of Harrison) heads the Californian restaurant in the lofty,…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Retro rooms at this revamped mid-century motor lodge face a central courtyard and look sharp, with black-and-teal-checkerboard carpeting, studded white…
Santa Barbara
While it’s still just a motel at heart, this property’s ‘Mexican pop meets modern’ motif livens things up with a color palette from a Frida Kahlo painting…
Newport Beach
This three-story, reimagined motel flexes some surf-themed muscle. From Endless Summer posters to complimentary fresh-baked cookies and free rental movies…
Gold Country
The more comfortable of the two historic hotels in Volcano: there are four lovingly updated rooms with crooked floors and private bathrooms and a large,…
Sequoia National Park
A short walk from the ranger station, Cold Springs has 40 sites (nine walk-in sites) and is a peaceful, creek-side location with ridge views and a…
San Diego
Wake up to a view of the 27-hole golf course at this lush, green campus-style resort a few miles from Old Town. The Corkfire Kitchen restaurant sources…
Newport Beach
The 86 spacious rooms have up-to-date furnishings and extras like microwaves, minirefrigerators and work desks. Centrally located on a busy stretch of…
Oakland
Paddle-printed wallpaper and lamps fashioned from faux lanterns round out the playful nautical theme of this cheerful harborside hotel. A huge brass…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Welcome, art freaks: who needs red carpet when your room is painted with jaw-dropping murals by underground Bay Area artists? Service is weak, linens are…
North Beach & Chinatown
One of the city's best-value stays, the San Remo was built in 1906, right after the Great Earthquake. More than a century later, this upstanding North…
Coastal Highway 1
Half a block inland from Hwy 1, surrounded by grassy lawns and furnished with both real and faux antiques, this modest yet agreeable blue-and-white…
Yosemite & the Sierra Nevada
A year-round, outdoor-adventure base camp, Sorenson’s rents charming cabins with kitchenettes and cottages in the woods, not far from the Carson River. It…
Big Sur
What you’re paying for here is the peaceful location inside Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Duplexes each have a deck or balcony looking out into the redwood…
San Luis Obispo
Located above a brewpub and live-music venue, SLO Brew Lofts offer a unique urban stay in downtown. Apartments range from one to three bedrooms – the…
Monterey
Steps from Fisherman’s Wharf, this 1904 Victorian is honeycombed with 69 rooms that channel historic character, with antique furniture, ceiling fans,…
Monterey
Four blocks from Cannery Row and the aquarium, this simple, clean hostel houses single-sex and mixed dorms, as well as private rooms for three to five…
South Bay Beaches
A mile from Manhattan Beach and 10 minutes' drive from the airport, the 127-room Belamar is a bit off the beaten track on busy Sepulveda Blvd, so it’s…
Anaheim
This friendly, professional 104-room hotel has a clean, mid-century modernist look with hardwood floor and pops of color, fitness center, pool and guest…
Central Coast
Infused with a beachy vibe, but still elegant and refined, the charming Capitola Hotel features ten rooms named after Caribbean islands. Antique maps add…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
You've come to the right place – a block from Union Sq, this well-managed hostel looks fresh, clean and colorful, with contemporary furnishings. Dorms…
Sequoia National Park
Closest to the Giant Forest area, with more than 200 closely packed sites, this place fills quickly because of its proximity to Kaweah River swimming…
The Haight & Hayes Valley
At this eight-room inn above a tempting Hayes Valley bar, you're down the block from great restaurants and world-class entertainment at SFJAZZ, SF Opera,…
San Francisco
Moods lift and everyone glows under the crystal lobby chandeliers of this 1926 San Francisco landmark. Mark Hopkins' gilded-age style is clearly…
Yosemite National Park
Conveniently located in the park but away from the Yosemite Valley crowds, this five-room B&B also has an apartment that sleeps up to five. The owners…
Santa Barbara
Minutes from West Beach, the harbor and Stearns Wharf, you can't get better priced accommodations in central Santa Barbara than at the Castillo Inn. The…
Bureau of Land Management Campgrounds
Yosemite & the Sierra Nevada
Some 20 miles outside the park, where the Merced River meets Hwy 140, Briceburg has a visitor center and three primitive Bureau of Land Management…
Eastern Sierra
On offer here is reverse glamping: the basic, bare bones of camping combined with indoor shelter. Don't expect much and you'll be fine. These no-frills…
Big Sur
At this 1950s redwood-and-adobe motor lodge, rooms and cabins are rustic yet exude effortless chic. Dramatically transformed by eco-conscious design, each…
North Beach & Chinatown
On sunny Washington Sq, this restored 1910 inn offers European style, complete with wine-and-cheese receptions and continental breakfasts in bed. The…
The Haight & Hayes Valley
Trendy Divisadero St is lined with boutiques and restaurants, and Metro Hotel has a prime position – some rooms overlook the patio of top-notch Ragazza…
The Haight & Hayes Valley
Like a European pension, this amazingly reasonable find has simple, small rooms with shared bathrooms, a napping doggie in the parlor, and welcoming staff…
Kings Canyon National Park
Almost always full yet still managing a laid-back atmosphere, this campground operated by California Land Management offers almost 65 relatively uncrowded…
Napa
This California modern hotel offers swish rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out across the valley below. Everything is born from stone and wood,…
Lone Pine
Off Whitney Portal Rd, this first-come, first-served Bureau of Land Management campground has 83 primitive sites at 5120ft with panoramic ‘pinch-me!’…
Lake Tahoe
In Nevada, about 4 miles north of Stateline, this family oriented lakeside resort has historic cabins scattered among the pines and good facilities,…
South Lake Tahoe & Stateline
Recycled wood, original nature-themed canvases and artsy artifacts gussy up this stylish former motel. Lucky couples can rough it in the 'Great Indoors'…
Yosemite & the Sierra Nevada
A few miles north of Oakhurst, this gorgeous garden B&B is swimming in rosebushes and Victorianesque charm. Its 12 individually designed airy rooms and…
