We took a look at Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best List to find out which California resorts rated best with their readers, then researched the top suites so you can have a VIP getaway. We also noted the nearest access via private jet for each.
1. Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur
2. Brewery Gulch Inn, Mendocino
3. Solage, Calistoga
4. Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Beach
5. Auberge du Soleil, Napa
6. Calistoga Ranch, Calistoga
7. Ventana Big Sur, an Alila Resort, Big Sur
1. Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur
Travel + Leisure readers have voted Post Ranch Inn tops in California for two straight years saying it has some of Big Sur’s best vistas. “Post Ranch Inn is situated on cliffs 1,200 feet above the Pacific Ocean; on the other side rise the Santa Lucia mountains. Guests feel like they’re tucked into a glamorous, remote corner of the world,” says T+L, adding, “The resort is also known for its art collection. Sculptures pepper the grounds while photographs, paintings, and fine jewelry circle in and out of the Post Gallery.” It also recommends “One of the most unique experiences is a guided shaman session, a spiritual adventure designed to enhance your physical and mental well-being” adding, “More traditional spa-goers can opt for facials or massages” in the spa or in your suite.
Fly to: Monterrey Regional Airport 35 miles to the north.
Post House
There are actually a number of great choices here, but to settle on one, the Post House combines both views and privacy. Tucked away on the southern edge of the redesigned one-bedroom lodge offers panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean up and down the Big Sur coastline. The living area, made up of a fully equipped kitchen with designer appliances, a dining area, and an open living room the Post family’s original mantle and fireplace, blend seamlessly to form one large great room. Just off the living room is a media room with a 55” flat-screen TV. The master bedroom offers a King bed, seating area, and a desk, all with Pacific Ocean views. The large master bathroom offers radiant-heated floors, dual vanities, and a standalone oversized soaking tub. The landscaped private backyard offers lounge chairs and a hot tub with endless ocean views to the west and striking mountain views to the east.
2. Brewery Gulch Inn, Mendocino
Brewery Gulch Inn was rated in T+L’s Top 100 Hotels in the World as well as second favorite in the Golden State. The magazine says, “Standing on the balcony of the Osprey Room at the Brewery Gulch Inn might satisfy a lingering childhood fantasy of living in a tree fort. A mile south of the historic California town of Mendocino, the inn is bordered by pine, fir, and hemlock and overlooks verdant meadows and the Pacific Ocean. The redwood-shingled, three-story structure was built from timber eco-salvaged from Mendocino’s Big River. All but one of the 10 bedrooms (each named for one of the region’s birds or trees) have ocean views, Craftsman-style furniture, down comforters, and fireplaces; most have private decks or balconies. The Great Room, with its oversized steel-and-glass fireplace, is an ideal spot for playing backgammon, critiquing local wines, or indulging in a breakfast of slow-braised hash or deconstructed huevos rancheros.”
Fly into: Little River Airport (KLLR) has a 5,249-foot runway four miles from the hotel.
Second Floor Suite
At 560 sq. ft. the Second Floor Suite is Brewery Gulch’s most spacious accommodation. Relax by the fire the leather club chairs. There’s a Meadow view, large flat-panel TV with DVD and Direct TV, second television with Direct TV and California King bed.
3. Solage, Auberge Resorts Collection, Calistoga
Travel + Leisure calls Solage, “Hip, modern, and family-friendly,” adding the resort “has laid-back ease that appeals to Napa’s wide spectrum of visitors and locals. Young city dwellers appreciate the property’s 89 studio rooms, each of which evokes a high-ceilinged urban loft (and comes with cool extras like pebble-floored showers, iPod docking stations, and locally roasted coffee). Visitors with kids in tow can book a wooden cottage with a private patio, and take advantage of the children’s pool, as well as complimentary bicycles for cruising downtown. And hedonists can languish in the 20,000-square-foot spa for lava-and-sea-salt body scrubs, mud baths, or oxygen facials. Even overindulgent eaters and tipplers can repent here for their sins; the swanky on-site fitness center has group classes and opens each day at 5 a.m.”
Silverado Suite
At 1,215 sq. ft. the Silverado Suite is more than twice as large as the studios. There are a king bed and a separate living area with a modern fireplace, and expansive private patio with seating area and hot tub. Two cruiser bicycles are included.
4. Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Beach
Resort at Pelican Hill “is modeled after an Italian hillside village, complete with fountains, terra-cotta-tiled roofs, and century-old olive trees. There are two types of lodging: single-story bungalows terraced above the ocean, and larger villas perched higher up on a bluff. Gourmet dining is available in three restaurants (one of which specializes in Tuscan fare), a clubhouse and a poolside loggia. The Italian fantasy is complete.” There are also 36 holes of golf.
Fly into John Wayne Airport 13 miles from the resort.
Four Bedroom Ocean Villa
The 3,581 sq. ft. four-bedroom, two-story Villa offers the exclusivity of a private residence. Enjoy Pacific Ocean sunsets from the large, wrap-around view terrace, where there is a large area for alfresco dining and lounging. Dine at the table for six in the great room or opt for a more casual setting at the countertop in the gourmet kitchen. The floor plan features two full master suites, one on each floor, plus a third bedroom with two queen beds and a fourth queen bedroom.
5. Auberge du Soleil, Napa
Travel + Leisure says, “From the outside, Auberge’s sandstone-colored villas, scattered among 33 acres of olive groves, evoke the terraced houses of the French Riviera; inside, the 50 rooms continue the theme with Balinese recycled wood floors and rattan ceiling fans, fabrics in Mediterranean hues, wood-burning fireplaces, and French doors leading to private verandas. The treatments at the 7,000-square-foot spa all incorporate ingredients harvested from the local hillsides (an especially delicious option: the Meyer lemon and olive oil massage). And the hotel’s eponymous restaurant—serving seasonal, regionally sourced dishes like orange-glazed suckling pig with broccoli rabe, peanuts, and pickled mustard seed—still packs in the foodies, as it has for a quarter-century.”
Fly into Napa County Airport (5,930 ft. runway) 23 miles away.
Private Maison
The free-standing Private Maisons feature 1,800 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor living space and panoramic valley views, with the understated elegance of the south of France and the rustic refinement of California. You’ll find clean architectural lines, expansive floor-to-ceiling iron-framed windows and French doors, residential interiors and warm tone-on-tone textiles. A trellised terrace features an outdoor sculpted tub and rain shower with valley views. The two bedrooms, each with a custom California king-size bed, include a fireplace and sitting area. The large master bath includes a sculpted tub, steam shower for two, double sink, dressing vanity, and walk-in closet. The living room features a fireplace, sitting area, dining alcove, built-in bar, refrigerator, and espresso machine.
6. Calistoga Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection, Calistoga
“Northern California has its share of upscale hotels, but this exclusive property—situated on 157 acres of oak trees and burbling springs—is the epitome of luxury for West Coast nature lovers,” says Travel + Leisure, adding, “Forty-eight freestanding guest lodges—all polished cedar and floor-to-ceiling glass—offer uninterrupted views of the trees and sky, both from their opulent, plush interiors and from their fire-warmed outdoor living rooms and private showers. The spa, among moss-covered boulders and mature trees, has private mineral-soaking pools and outdoor mud baths. The Lakehouse restaurant, overlooking gleaming Lake Lommel, serves refined wine country dishes using organic local produce for items like foie gras and roasted apriums.”
Fly into Sonoma County Airport (5,205 ft. runway) 24 miles from the resort.
Meadowood Spa Lodge
The 2,400 sq. ft. Meadowood Spa Lodge offers indoor/outdoor living including a private outdoor hot tub. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas, a full kitchen with a private chef available, and a full outdoor living room.
7. Ventana Big Sur, an Alila Resort, Big Sur
Travel + Leisure writes, “If hammocks, afternoon wine, and cheese receptions, and guided Discovery Walks appeal to you, this cozy, adults-only retreat is just your ticket.” Of Ventana Big Sur, it adds, “Days here fall into an unhurried, restorative pace: Staff encourages guests to be18gin with a one-hour guided walk around the property, which is offered every day at 10 a.m. Keep your eyes peeled for California condors, red-tailed hawks, and, during migration season (December-January and April-May), gray whales. Afterward, settle in for a sea-inspired treatment at the spa (be sure to take advantage of the adjoining bathhouses and sun decks, but note—some are clothing-optional). The property was purposefully built with plenty of windows to take in the breathtaking view, and rooms here are modern, yet cozy, and subdued.”
Fly into Monterrey Regional Airport 35 miles to the north.
The Cottage House
The 722 sq. ft. Cottage House is about striking the perfect blend of luxury, space and seclusion with a 600 sq. ft. deck. Suspend yourself in a swaying hammock outside your door, relax in the soaking tub for two inside, or take in the forest canyon views from your private outdoor hot tub. Don’t forget the wood-burning fireplace as a backdrop for an afternoon drink or after dinner.
