14 Best Hotels in The Central Coast, California

The redwood guesthouses at this luxurious retreat blend almost invisibly into a wooded cliff 1,200 feet above the ocean and have views of the sea or the mountains. On-site activities include everything from yoga to stargazing.

Since 1946, celebrities and plain folk alike have come to this 10,000-acre ranch to join in a slew of activities, including horseback riding, tennis, golf, archery, boating, and fishing. You can also just lounge by the pool or book a treatment at the day spa. The ranch-style rooms and suites come with garden views, covered porches, high-beam ceilings, and wood-burning fireplaces, and the decor incorporates Spanish-tile accents and fine Western art.

This swank, 20-acre, Tuscan-style resort amid estate vineyards is also a private museum (nonguests are welcome to walk around) where owner Douglas Ayres displays hundreds of artworks and artifacts collected on his world travels, including things like ancient Indian river stones and statues, a massive cross section from a giant sequoia, and Russian and California impressionist paintings.

This outdoorsy, golf-oriented resort and spa is set on 220 beautifully landscaped, oak-studded acres, with hillside views in nearly all directions. Although the rooms and suites have been refreshed over time, all still reflect the Spanish-Colonial architecture of the original 1923 resort. If you're a history buff, ask for a room in the 100-year-old adobe Neff Building. In 2019, the resort opened The Farmhouse, a sprawling epicurean center that hosts numerous foodie events for guests of all ages.

A luxury resort with four restaurants and a 42,000-square-foot spa and fitness center with 36 treatment rooms, the Ritz-Carlton Bacara provides a gorgeous setting for relaxing retreats. The Spanish Colonial–style buildings and manicured gardens sprawl across 78 acres next to a rugged stretch of beach 15 miles north of downtown Santa Barbara. The rooms have views of the ocean, mountains, or gardens; all rooms have private balconies or patios and about half have fireplaces. Kids and adults alike can join in Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment program, which connects participants with natural wonders along the Gaviota Coast.

Sprawling across 16 lush acres on one of the area's most scenic and exclusive beaches, this luxury resort was built from scratch on the site of the former Miramar by the Sea hotel, where generations of fashionable SoCal residents vacationed for decades. The stunning design pays tribute to the hotel's history while providing ultraluxe modern amenities, including a full-service spa.

At this romantic hideaway on a historic property in the Montecito foothills—where John and Jackie Kennedy spent their honeymoon and Oprah sends her out-of-town visitors—guest cottages are scattered among groves of orange trees and flower beds. All have down comforters and fireplaces, most have private outdoor spas, and one has its own pool. Seventeen miles of hiking trails crisscross 500 acres of open space surrounding the property.

Accommodations at this 25-acre retreat up the hill from the East Village range from basic fireplace cabins to motel-style standard rooms to large fireplace suites and deluxe suites with spa tubs. The lodge is always busy, as its extensive gardens are popular with wedding parties; groups and conferences are big business; and bands play rock, folk, and jazz in the lounge every night.

On grass-covered bluffs overlooking Shell Beach, this luxury resort looks and feels like an exclusive community of villas; choose among sprawling one- or two-bedroom suites, each with a gourmet kitchen, laundry room with washer and dryer, and contemporary furnishings. Two-bedroom units include either a spa tub or fireplace; penthouse units have both. Rejuvenate at the on-site spa, lounge by the spacious heated pool, or stroll down a short path to the beach to gaze at the sea—this place was made for upscale escape and relaxation.

An on-site restaurant, spacious rooms, and a slew of amenities make this 17-acre property—which includes sister hotel Holiday Inn Express—a popular and practical choice for Channel Islands visitors. The hotel sits on the edge of the harbor, a few minutes' drive from the national park's visitor center and concessionaire boat launches. Each of the nautical-theme rooms has flat-screen TVs; most have private patios or balconies. For the best views, request a third-floor marina-facing balcony room. Activity courts include tennis, basketball, and volleyball.

A full-scale resort with seven buildings spread over 24 landscaped acres across from East Beach, this hotel was founded by the late TV actor Fess Parker, best known for playing Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. Most rooms have private balconies and terraces, and suites have a wet bar, a spa tub, and a small refrigerator. The complex centers on a palm tree–lined plaza and includes the Spa del Mar, a spacious pool and hot tub, three tennis courts, two restaurants and a coffee shop, a nine-hole putting green, shuffleboard, bike rentals, and a rental-car outlet.

Surrounded by eucalyptus trees, this inn abuts a heron rookery and Morro Bay State Park. The setting, on the edge of Morro Bay, is beautiful, though the birds can cause a din (and make a mess of parked cars). Many of the contemporary California–style rooms have fireplaces, private decks, and bay views.

This wellness resort's hot mineral springs bubble up into private outdoor tubs on an oak-and-sycamore-forest hillside. Whether or not you stay here, it's worth coming for a soak—even though the grounds are well within earshot of a busy road. Each room or suite has its own balcony with a hot tub with piped-in mineral water. Healthful California cuisine made from the bounty of local farms and the on-site chef's garden is served in the romantic Gardens of Avila restaurant ($$–$$$).

Perched on a hilltop surrounded by national forest and stunning, unobstructed ocean views, this yurt resort provides a stellar back-to-nature experience along with creature comforts. The yurts here—circular structures of heavy-duty fabric, on individual platforms with decks—are designed for upscale camping. Ocean view yurts have king beds and fireplaces; the rest have one or two queen beds. The sunny main lodge has a big fireplace, games, and a well-stocked sundries and gift shop.