These Are the Stays Worth the Stories
California, a state steeped in glamor and legend, is home to a collection of iconic hotels, many of which celebrate historic landmark titles. These architectural gems have played host to star-studded moments, whispered secrets of Hollywood’s Golden Age and witnessed the evolution of the Golden State itself. From posh beachfront retreats to sprawling estates, these famous hotels in Southern California are more than just places to stay; they are living chapters in the state’s captivating story. Here are 18 of the best hotels in Southern California with legendary pasts that’ll take you back in time.
1. The Original Desert Hideaway
There’s a reason La Quinta Resort & Club has been known as the original desert hideaway since 1926. When Walter H. Morgan opened the hotel, it had 20 guest casitas across 1,400 acres and featured the first nine-hole golf course in the Coachella Valley. There was an open-air glass dining room and three courtyards that beckoned the Hollywood elite. Known to be an escape for Greta Garbo and Clark Gable from the late 1920s onward and a writing paradise for Frank Capra in the ’30s, this resort was the desert destination of its time and still is today. The resort transformed itself into a more contemporary resort in the ’90s, with the addition of a spa and five championship golf courses totaling 90 holes, and continues to keep up with the times. Today, the hotel carries on its legacy and serves as the perfect weekend getaway.
A true desert oasis, La Quinta Resort & Club lives on sprawling grounds, with lush green in view and mountains in the background. Prime accommodations maintain the original Spanish feel throughout. Choose from casitas with private patios and hot tubs, luxury suites with fireplaces and spa pool access or a villa with a home-away-from-home feel and a private kitchen. There are five championship golf courses, world-class tennis courts, an award-winning spa and a rejuvenating salon. When you need a dip, head to any of the 42 chilled pools all around the resort, and then feed your hunger at the many dining options, from grab-and-go to casual and fine dining.
La Quinta Resort & Club
49-499 Eisenhower Dr
La Quinta, CA 92253
760.564.4111
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2. Pink Palace, Forever
With an iconic zip code like 90210 and a no-joke red carpet entrance, The Beverly Hills Hotel truly does “greet you like a movie star.” Built in 1912, before the city itself was incorporated, the hotel is now a Beverly Hills landmark. Developer Burton Green built the hotel to draw buyers to the surrounding neighborhood, which attracted early-era movie stars to take up residence in the area. To this day, this hotel is not just a magnet for Hollywood locals, but it’s also within proximity to the business and entertainment centers of Los Angeles.
Painted pink in 1948 to complement the sunset, with walls in iconic banana leaf wallpaper, The Beverly Hills Hotel, aka the Pink Palace, delivers a distinctive style: think palm trees and pink hues. Head to the Polo Lounge to see why this hideaway has been known as Tinseltown’s playground since the birth of Beverly Hills. And while you’re at it, splurge on a Legendary Bungalow like the one Marilyn Monroe would pad around in before heading to the pool to listen to some underwater music and lounge in a private cabana. Imagine attending a wedding here, where the Crystal Room has met the likes of many famous brides and grooms, though it’ll take some digging to find ou
t who, as the hotel honors the privacy of its guests.
Fun fact: this iconic hotel is featured on the Eagles’ “Hotel California” album cover!
The Beverly Hills Hotel
9641 Sunset Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.276.2251
3. Sunset’s Most Famous Address
Located on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, the forever-lush Chateau Marmont has resided on its hillside location since 1929. Once a French Norman apartment building crowned with turrets and Gothic details, it has since evolved into one of Hollywood’s most storied hotels. Today it’s a hotel with 63 bedrooms, suites, cottages and bungalows. Secrets live inside the walls, and one glance at its Instagram reveals why: endless pictures of celebrities taken by vanguard photographers and glam media outlets like Vogue.
If the hotel looks familiar, there’s a good chance you’ve glimpsed it on the big screen. Chateau Marmont appears in many Academy Award-winning movies, like “La La Land” and “A Star Is Born,” as well as other titles dating back to the ’50s. Imagine a peaceful respite within LA’s urban sprawl, and let this anomaly inspire you to book a weekend staycation. Secure a cottage, sip an aperitif in the lobby bar and book a reservation at the courtyard restaurant while you casually watch A-listers come and go.
Chateau Marmont
8221 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
323.656.1010
4. Where the Oscars Were Born
When the Hollywood Roosevelt opened its doors on May 15, 1927, it already had the most famous guest list imaginable. Two years later, it hosted the very first Academy Awards ceremony in the Blossom Ballroom: a private affair for 270 people, with not an Oscar nickname in sight yet. Clark Gable and Carole Lombard regularly stayed in the 12th-floor penthouse. Shirley Temple took her first tap-dancing lessons just beyond the lobby’s front door. Marilyn Monroe lived here in the ’40s. Somehow, the Roosevelt keeps getting more iconic with time.
Today, the hotel’s Spanish Colonial Revival style has been beautifully preserved, with leather sofas, wrought-iron chandeliers and colorful tiled fountains. The David Hockney mural at the bottom of the Tropicana Pool is a must-see. Book a Cabana Suite with a private lounge or splurge on the Gable-Lombard Penthouse: a 2,100-square-foot duplex with views of the Hollywood Hills and the Hollywood Sign. Dine at the Shirley Brasserie, catch a drink at the Tropicana Bar, or grab something at the 24-hour 25 Degrees diner downstairs. This is Hollywood history you can actually sleep in.
The Hollywood Roosevelt
7000 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323.785.7000
5. Gilded Age, Pasadena Style
Some hotels have a one-storied past. The Langham Huntington has several. It began in February 1907 as the Hotel Wentworth, a Spanish Mission Revival masterpiece on 17 acres in the San Gabriel Mountain foothills built by a Civil War general, opened half-finished and closed after its very first season due to heavy rains. Railroad tycoon Henry E. Huntington bought the property in 1911 and reopened it in 1914 with the iconic central belvedere tower still standing today. When structural concerns forced the demolition of the main building in 1989, Pasadena voters chose to replicate it exactly rather than lose it. The result, reopened in 1991, retained the two original Gilded Age ballrooms and the famed covered Picture Bridge, all still intact today.
Now operating as The Langham Huntington, this landmark property has starred in films from Saving Mr. Banks to Westworld. The 379-room hotel sits on those same lush 23 acres, with grand historic ballrooms, lush gardens and the award-winning Chuan Spa. Guestrooms were fully reimagined in 2025, and 2026 is bringing even more: new landscaping across all 17 acres (set to wrap by mid-July), reimagined cottages and a new Kids Suite arriving by year’s end. Book afternoon tea or dine at The Royce. And bring the dog: the property is pet-friendly. It’s the kind of place that makes you feel like you’ve inherited old money for the weekend.
The Langham Huntington, Pasadena
1401 S Oak Knoll Ave
Pasadena, CA 91106
626.568.3900
6. A Century of Coastal Glamour
Hotel Casa del Mar opened its doors on May 1, 1926, as Club Casa del Mar: an exclusive private beach club designed in Italian Renaissance Revival style, with soaring ceilings and dramatic arched windows. It was one of the most glamorous spots on the Southern California coast through the ’30s, a favorite of socialites and Hollywood celebrities. The US Navy commandeered the building during World War II, and it went on to serve as a drug rehabilitation center and a health and wellness facility before being lovingly restored as a hotel in 1999. In 2000, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This year, Hotel Casa del Mar is celebrating a full century of that legendary Italian Renaissance facade rising above Santa Monica Beach.
The hotel’s modern-day interiors, refreshed by designer Michael S. Smith, offer a sun-drenched contrast to all that history. Rooms overlook the Pacific from Palos Verdes to Malibu, and the fifth-floor pool deck is exactly as dreamy as it sounds. Dine at Terrazza for Mediterranean-inspired coastal cuisine or grab a cocktail in The Lobby Lounge while the waves do their thing outside. The Sea Wellness Spa rounds out a stay that makes 100 years feel brand new.
Hotel Casa del Mar
1910 Ocean Way
Santa Monica, CA 90405
310.581.5533
7. Where Ojai Has Always Been Magic
Ojai Valley Inn has been doing “wellness before wellness was a thing” since 1923, when glass industrialist Edward Drummond Libbey began building his private country club and 18-hole golf course in one of California’s most quietly enchanting valleys. A two-story Inn of 22 guestrooms was added in 1934, and the property survived wartime duty as a military training camp and reopened in 1947 as a celebrity favorite. Frank Capra filmed Lost Horizon here in 1937, drawn by the valley’s otherworldly light. It’s been a member of Historic Hotels of America since 1991 and holds an AAA Five Diamond rating. The Spanish Colonial-style architecture hasn’t lost a single ounce of its original magic.
Set on 220 oak-studded acres with the Topatopa Mountains as a backdrop, the Inn today offers 303 spacious guestrooms, a George C. Thomas-designed golf course and a 31,000-square-foot spa with treatments that justify the drive on their own. There are seven dining outlets, from the fine-dining Italian California cuisine at Olivella to craft cocktails at the Wallace Neff Heritage Bar, named for the architect who originally designed the resort’s clubhouse. Beekeeper experiences, an Artist Cottage & Apothecary and Sunday Bluegrass Brunch at The Oak make a weekend truly feel too short.
Ojai Valley Inn
905 Country Club
Ojai, CA 93023
855.697.8780
8. Newport’s Original Social Scene
Before Newport Beach had its real-estate mystique, it had the Balboa Bay Club, founded in 1948 on 15 waterfront acres along the West Coast Highway. For decades, it was a private yacht club and members-only social institution, hosting a guest list that reads like a Hollywood golden-era roll call: Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Wayne, Bing Crosby, Lucy and Desi Arnaz and three US presidents. The club opened its doors to the public as Balboa Bay Resort in 2003, becoming Newport Beach’s only Forbes Four-Star, AAA Four-Diamond waterfront resort.
Today, this Mediterranean-style gem offers 159 guest rooms, every single one with a private balcony and bay views. The resort’s marina accommodates up to 150 boats, and there are waterfront pools, a deluxe spa and salon and chef-driven dining at A&O Kitchen + Bar. The resort’s Grand Ballroom and private bayside lawn make it one of Orange County’s most coveted wedding venues, too.
Balboa Bay Resort
1221 W Coast Hwy
Newport Beach, CA 92663
949.645.5000
9. The Timeless Victorian by the Sea
If there’s one word to describe Hotel del Coronado, it’s timeless. Since 1888, this Coronado hotel, affectionately dubbed The Del, has been a proud host to celebrities, royalty and government officials. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1977 and will forever be a seaside icon. If ghost stories are your thing, The Del delivers. Most hauntings are attributed to Kate Morgan, a guest who died here in 1892, including one account of her initials appearing in a steamy bathroom mirror.
As hotel historian and author Christine Donovan puts it: “If you have to spend eternity somewhere, what better place than The Del.”
There’s more than history to justify a long weekend here. For starters, choose from poolside cabanas and beachfront rooms to private villas and cottages situated within a private enclave. Add the Ocean Club to your stay to gain access to exclusive concierge club-style dining, and stick around for an enchanting Coronado sunset. This Victorian resort is a place to make memories, whether it’s roasting marshmallows at a private beach bonfire, watching a surf event or simply lounging in the sublime atmosphere.
Hotel del Coronado
1500 Orange Ave
Coronado, CA 92118
619.435.6611
10. The Pink Lady of La Jolla
With panoramic views of the Pacific coastline and the mesmerizing La Jolla Cove, La Valencia Hotel is a Mediterranean-inspired landmark destination just outside the heart of San Diego. Soar like a seagull and take in a bird’s-eye view of this coastal gem. Its signature pink exterior and Spanish-tiled tower have stood proudly for a full century. Also known as The Pink Lady, this hotel offers a classic retreat with vintage rooms, luxurious villas, and iconic suites. Sip an afternoon cocktail at the grand lobby bar, then enjoy dinner with an ocean view at the on-site restaurant. Afterward, stroll through local art galleries or explore nearby historic sites for the perfect seaside escape.
Did we mention a bar? First opened in 1949, The Whaling Bar is back after a decade-long break, and it’s everything you hoped it would be. Sink into tufted emerald green booths, sip something classic, and let the pendant mood lighting transport you to another era. Designated a San Diego Historic Landmark in 1987, this hotel has welcomed more than just Hollywood’s elite. For 100 years, it has shared its coastal hospitality with an array of guests, including President Woodrow Wilson, who visited the neighboring Hotel Cabrillo before it was absorbed into the property in 1956.
La Valencia Hotel
1132 Prospect St
La Jolla, CA 92037
855.476.6870
11. Crafted for the Cliffs
There are newer hotels in La Jolla. There are none quite like The Lodge at Torrey Pines. Built in 2002, the Lodge was designed from the ground up to evoke the spirit of early 1900s California Craftsman architecture. Post-and-beam construction, shingle and sandstone-bluff exteriors, clinker-brick masonry and richly layered woodwork make this property feel as though it grew directly from the La Jolla cliffs it sits on. Its location, perched at the top of those cliffs adjacent to Torrey Pines State Reserve and along the 18th fairway of the world-renowned Torrey Pines Golf Course, is simply unmatched. The Lodge has held the AAA Five Diamond rating for more than 20 consecutive years.
Lodge at Torrey Pines, La Jolla, CA – Dusk Exterior
The 170-room property offers spa treatments inspired by the natural purity of the Pacific coastline, along with two acclaimed restaurants: A.R. Valentien, rated Best Hotel Restaurant by Sunset Magazine, and the more casual Grill at Torrey Pines, ideal for post-round drinks with those Pacific views still in frame. Rooms feature Stickley-style furnishings, marble bathrooms with oversized tubs, and private balconies or patios overlooking either the botanical reserve courtyard or the golf course.
The Lodge at Torrey Pines
11480 N Torrey Pines Rd
La Jolla, CA 92037
858.453.4420
12. Hollywood’s Desert Companion
Omni La Costa Resort & Spa opened in 1965 in Carlsbad, and the Hollywood elite arrived within a few years. Set across 400 sun-drenched acres of Spanish Mission-style architecture, La Costa became the original destination for mind, body and sport. The $3 million Spa at La Costa earned the first-ever American Medical Association endorsement of any resort spa in the country. The resort is now listed on the Historic Hotels of America registry, and its golf courses have appeared on Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list.
The resort boasts 600 guest rooms and suites, two 18-hole championship golf courses, a 9,100-square-foot Athletic Club and eight distinct swimming pools, including a family pool with, not one, but two 100-foot water slides and an adults-only pool with panoramic views. The spa’s 42 treatment rooms, Himalayan salt rooms, reflexology pathway and Roman waterfall showers make it worth a visit on its own. Dine at Bob’s Steak & Chop House for a filet worth the splurge, or pull up a seat at VUE for craft cocktails and creative daily brunch. The on-site herb garden shapes both the spa treatments and the Spa Café menu.
Omni La Costa Resort & Spa
2100 Costa Del Mar Rd
Carlsbad, CA 92009
760.438.9111
13. A Century of North County Calm
Rancho Bernardo Inn has been a North County retreat since 1963, surrounded by rolling hills, private estates and a championship golf course. The resort spans 265 acres, offering a peaceful escape with plenty of open space. Now, picture booking a room for just $8 a night and indulging in an all-you-can-eat fish fry for $1.50. Guests gathered around, mesmerized by color television, back when watching a show felt like stepping into the future.
Its original fine-dining restaurant, El Bizcocho, was a local favorite before a $2.5 million renovation in 2013 transformed it into AVANT. For over 60 years, this elite Inn has hosted marquee events, including PGA and LPGA tournaments. With a Spanish revival aesthetic, the resort offers a peaceful escape with sprawling grounds and endless amenities. Book a private getaway in a room overlooking the green, or reserve a sanctuary suite for the whole family. Want to fully immerse yourself? Become a Resort Club Member for golf, dining and spa perks, plus exclusive events and room discounts.
Rancho Bernardo Inn
17550 Bernardo Oaks Dr
San Diego, CA 92128
855.574.5356
14. Charlie Chaplin’s Baby
Before Hollywood took the spotlight, there was Santa Barbara. Not many people know it was home to California’s first major movie studio, Flying A Studios. In the early 1920s, hundreds of silent films were made along this coastline. Naturally, celebrities flocked here to live and luxuriate by the sea. But Montecito Inn has something no other hotel does: an origin story closely linked to Charlie Chaplin himself. In 1928, the Inn opened with Chaplin among those associated with its founding, becoming a chic retreat for Hollywood’s elite. Today, visitors come for whale watching, sunsets, world-class art and theater. Nearby Coast Village Road offers the perfect mix of shopping and dining for a picture-perfect getaway.
Though there’s history here, the hotel was renovated in the early aughts and is now brimming with Mediterranean design elements. Rooms are modern and elegant, made in a soothing color palette of creams, champagne, gold and French grey. The bathrooms feature marble imported from Italy, because Charlie wouldn’t have it any other way!
Montecito Inn
1295 Coast Village Rd
Santa Barbara, CA 93108
800.843.2017
15. California Classic, Mountain Edition
Madonna Inn is a fashion statement in its own league. Situated halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, it’s one of our favorite famous hotels in Central California, known for its rich history and iconic charm. Cottagecore comes to mind on this 1,000-acre estate, where rock from the surrounding area was used in the construction of the Inn in the late ’50s. You can’t miss the hand-carved marble balustrade in the Gold Rush dining room or the wood carvings on the doors, beams and railings. Large etched glass windows were custom-made for the inn, now living on in the café.
Each of the 110 rooms is uniquely decorated: think rock rooms and fireplaces, waterfall showers and European fixtures throughout. There’s a heated pool on the terrace, plus two jetted whirlpools for the perfect mix of relaxation and luxury. The signature hot pink courts set the scene for tennis, basketball and pickleball with a playful twist. The eccentric stylings of Madonna Inn make it a true Central Coast icon. No photo or story can capture its full magic. The only way to truly understand its magnificence is to experience it for yourself.
Madonna Inn
100 Madonna Rd
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
805.543.3000
16. The Desert’s Most Dramatic Backstory
The Colony Palms Hotel has a past juicier than almost anything Hollywood ever wrote. The Spanish Colonial property began life as the Colonial House, with a reputed underground speakeasy hidden behind a secret entrance concealed in the kitchen pantry. After owner Al Wertheimer’s 1941 arrest for operating illegal gambling dens, the hotel eventually changed hands to Robert Howard (son of Seabiscuit’s legendary owner, Charles S. Howard) and his wife, Academy Award-nominated actress Andrea Leeds. They renamed it Howard Manor, and boxing champion Jack Dempsey was a part-owner. For decades, it remained a glamorous haven for young Hollywood in the desert.
It’s now one of Palm Springs’ most stylish stays, and one of its most iconic boutique hotels. Designer Steve Hermann gave it a full reimagining, and the 57 rooms, suites and bungalows now blend Art Deco elegance with contemporary luxury, featuring Frette linens, Le Labo bath products and fireplaces in some rooms, all set within lush, relaxed grounds that make every stay feel like a true escape.
The 65-foot saltwater pool is set against the San Jacinto Mountains, and the Colony Club restaurant evokes the 1920s speakeasy aesthetic of its earliest days, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktails in one of Palm Springs’ most beautiful settings.
You don’t even have to be a hotel guest to enjoy it: ResortPass day passes let locals and visitors soak up the sun by the iconic pool and dig into food and drinks from the Colony Club. And if a longer escape is calling, booking direct for two nights or more comes with 25% off every night through September 2026, with no blackout dates. The underground gambling den may be dormant, but the drama? Still very much alive.
Colony Palms Hotel
572 N Indian Canyon Dr
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.969.1800
17. From Cowboy to Couture
Parker Palm Springs opened in 1959 as California’s first Holiday Inn, a cinderblock-and-concrete building on what was then the edge of town. Two years later, singing cowboy and California Angels owner Gene Autry bought it, renamed it Melody Ranch, added tennis courts, two pools and first-class suites and housed his baseball team here during spring training. For three decades, it was simply known as the Gene Autry Hotel. In 1998, it passed to Merv Griffin, who maintained it as a destination spa resort before the property eventually became The Parker, redesigned by Jonathan Adler into the eclectic, irreverent, color-saturated icon it is today.
The result is 144 rooms across 13 lush acres that feel simultaneously mid-century Palm Springs, mod sixties and classic Rat Pack glamour. Three saline pools, the Palm Springs Yacht Club spa (the anti-Zen spa that Condé Nast Traveler called world-class), red clay tennis courts and petanque courts round out the grounds. Dine at all-day brunch institution Norma’s, or reserve Mrs. Parker’s, the hotel’s self-proclaimed “world’s smallest restaurant,” a private poolside table for two with a personal butler and chef. For the full experience, rent the original Gene Autry Residence. As glamorous as it was in 1961, but significantly cooler.
Parker Palm Springs
4200 E Palm Canyon Dr
Palm Springs, CA 92264
760.770.5000
18. A Landmark in the Heart of Riverside
Starting as a quaint adobe boarding house in 1876, The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa became a full-service hotel in the early 1900s. Frank Miller took it over in 1880 and expanded the space to accommodate over 200 guestrooms and an additional wing. With more demand came three more wings and more space for Miller to adorn the Inn with valuable worldly items.
To this day, the Inn houses the oldest bell in Christendom, which dates back to 1247. The storied history of this National Historic Landmark can be seen in the uniqueness of the accommodations. No two rooms are alike. Architectural elements like fireplaces, window seats and reading nooks have been preserved to offer a glimpse into its rich past. Don’t miss the many dining options or a visit to the Tuscany-inspired spa. This hotel is a true icon, representing the best of Southern California’s luxury and history.
The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa
3649 Mission Inn Ave
Riverside, CA 92501
951.784.0300
Q: What is the most famous historic hotel in Southern California?
A: A few legends compete for the title. The Beverly Hills Hotel, the “Pink Palace” built in 1912, has been Hollywood’s playground since Beverly Hills began, and even landed on the Eagles’ “Hotel California” cover. Hotel del Coronado has reigned as a Victorian seaside icon since 1888 and is a National Historic Landmark. And the Hollywood Roosevelt hosted the very first Academy Awards in 1929.
Q: Which Southern California hotel hosted the first Academy Awards?
A: That honor belongs to the Hollywood Roosevelt. It opened in 1927, and just two years later, in 1929, it held the first-ever Academy Awards ceremony in its Blossom Ballroom, a private affair for 270 guests before the trophy even had the “Oscar” nickname. The Spanish Colonial Revival landmark still stands on Hollywood Boulevard, with a famous David Hockney mural at the bottom of its Tropicana Pool.
Q: What are the best historic hotels in Southern California with celebrity history?
A: Old Hollywood haunts this list. Chateau Marmont has drawn A-listers to its Sunset Boulevard hillside since 1929. La Quinta Resort was a hideaway for Greta Garbo and Clark Gable, while Newport’s Balboa Bay Resort once counted John Wayne and three US presidents among its club members. In the desert, Parker Palm Springs began as singing cowboy Gene Autry’s hotel, and Colony Palms hides a speakeasy past.
Q: Which famous Southern California hotels are celebrating 100 years?
A: Several are hitting the century mark. Hotel Casa del Mar opened in 1926 and is marking 100 years of its Italian Renaissance facade over Santa Monica Beach. La Quinta Resort also debuted in 1926 as the original desert hideaway. And La Jolla’s La Valencia Hotel, “The Pink Lady,” has stood for a full century with its signature pink exterior and Spanish-tiled tower.
Q: What are the best historic hotels in Southern California for a coastal getaway?
A: The coastline is lined with legends. Hotel del Coronado brings Victorian grandeur and beach bonfires to Coronado, while Hotel Casa del Mar and Santa Barbara’s Montecito Inn (tied to Charlie Chaplin) deliver seaside glamour. In La Jolla, La Valencia charms with old-world style and The Lodge at Torrey Pines earns AAA Five Diamond status atop the cliffs. Newport’s Balboa Bay Resort puts a private balcony and bay view in every room.
