Fodor's Expert Review Hotel Casa del Mar

In the 1920s it was a posh beach club catering to the city's elite; now the Casa del Mar is one of SoCal's most luxurious and pricey beachfront hotels with a heavenly lobby, three extravagant two-story penthouses, a raised deck and pool, an indulgent spa, and an elegant ballroom facing the sand. Popular with celebrities and foreign dignitaries, the property houses guest rooms designed to evoke a Mediterranean estate with transitional coastal furnishings, and filled with contemporary amenities like flat-screen smart TVs, Bluetooth speakers, and supremely comfortable beds with sumptuous white and blue Italian-designed linens. Bathrooms are gorgeous, with marble floors, sunken whirlpool tubs and glass-enclosed showers, as well as whimsical touches like rubber duckies and seashells. Catch is the hotel's ocean-view seafood restaurant, while the Terrazza delights locals and tourists with beachfront dining, fine cuisine, and more than 100 bottles of wine on the menu.