During our two-week trip to California, we stayed in five different hotels in five different locations within the state. We loved all of them for different reasons and wanted to share our stays with those of you who might be planning a trip soon!
Los Angeles
Beverly Hills Marriott
The Beverly Hills Marriot is perfectly located in the hills and is close to several big tourist attractions. The hotel itself was great and the staff were incredibly helpful. It has a sizable, clean and heated pool outside complete with a Jacuzzi for those of you who’d rather prune in warmer waters. The bed in our standard room was by far the comfiest hotel bed I have ever had the chance to sleep in and the views from the back rooms are really pretty, particularly at sunrise. The bar and restaurant offer a selection of meals, cocktails, wines and spirits and their breakfast options were great value for money. Overall a lovely stay, we’d stay again and recommend it to family and friends.
The Beverly Hilton
Okay so this is a bonus option for you guys. We didn’t stay here because of budget, but this hotel is our friends’ absolute favourite in LA (and she has been A LOT). Just a five-minute drive from the Marriott, the Hilton is super close to Rodeo drive, lots of restaurants and shops and has the prettiest pool and outdoor area. After visiting here for dinner and brunch during our trip I can say it is slightly more luxurious than the Marriott, but if price comes into the equation the Marriott is a solid choice.
Pismo Beach
Seaventure beach hotel
I’m not sure I need to say anything about this place other than the fact that it comes with a private hot tub and a fireplace in the room. The end.
JK, Seaventure is a gorgeous little hotel situated literally on-top of the very beautiful Pismo Beach. The front rooms and restaurant have beautiful ocean views and we felt instantly at peace upon arriving here. The hot tub on the balcony had possibly the cleanest, clearest water I have ever seen in a tub, as they clean it every time they turnover to new guests. As Pismo was our first night on the road, and after having spent a week in LA, we decided to turn in early and make the most of the hot tub and room service.
Good food, great location and again – HOT TUB.
Monterrey
Embassy Suites by Hilton Monterey Bay Seaside
This one was recommended to us by our agent as we really didn’t know a lot about the general area. From what I could tell from just one night is that it was in a great location. We were just a 10 minute drive from the famous Old Fishermans Wharf and super close to the highways (which was perfect for us as part of a road trip). This hotel had a huge amount of parking, another great point for those looking to drive to this location. We didn’t eat in the hotel so I can’t comment on the food, or the drinks but I can say there was a large amount of space for diners at breakfast.
The room we had was really nice with an ocean view and a separate lounge/kitchen area, which of course we didn’t use as we were just there for a night!
I’d recommend this one as a great road trip stop off.
Napa Valley
River Terrace Inn
Possibly my favourite hotel of the trip, the River Terrace Inn has the perfect location in Napa. It’s sat right on top of the Napa River and has a lovely outdoor area by said river, which is great for sipping delicious Californian wine and chatting about the day you’ve had. It’s just a 10-15 minute walk to downtown with an easy route straight down the river, turn right and you’re there! The bar and restaurant come complete with a gorgeous outdoor space, which we sat in for dinner our first night and breakfast for one of our mornings and I couldn’t fault it in any way. Really good food and a great selection of drinks. The rooms are beautifully decorated and very in keeping with the rest of the hotel. We just had a standard room and honestly, I’m not even sure we’d have needed an upgrade it was so nice.
San Francisco
RIU Fishermans Wharf
Out of all the hotels, this was our least favourite. Not really for any other reason than it seemed fairly run down. The breakfast buffet was included in the room price, but it was pretty standard and the staff weren’t the most helpful. BUT it was clean, it was very well located and had a nice outdoor/pool area. Honestly if we came back to SF we’d probably find another hotel to stay in but if you’re just looking for a clean room to spend the night in this would do just fine!
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