Go Native With Stays That Celebrate California Style

Published on : Tuesday, December 3, 2013

In our mind’s eye, we all have our own idea of what the Hotel California looks like. Sure there’s the classic rock song, but in a state full of surprises, it could also be anything from a sleek mid-century boutique hotel tucked away in the desert to a boho-chic yurt on a bluff overlooking the waves of Big Sur. Welcome to California, where it’s all possible thanks to the imaginative ways people in the Golden State roll out the welcome mat for guests. Following are some of the innovative options available for you to stay and play in California with a range of lodgings that specialize in celebrating and creating “sense of place.” Whether you’re looking for a quiet wooded retreat where you can unplug or the style and sizzle of urban neighborhoods where short-term residential rentals let you live like a local, you’ll find it all here under the California sun. Live Like a Local One of the latest trends in travel is staying in a private residence that allows you the chance to truly go native. The upsides are many including access to popular neighborhoods where hotels aren’t located, increased privacy and more spacious and fully furnished accommodations. Some of these rentals like the high-end havens offered by Onefinestay even come with an iPhone loaded with local tips such as under-the-radar restaurants and preferred yoga studios. The company offers some great selections in LA neighborhoods like Santa Monica and Venice Beach, including homes situated in some of the most desirable areas such as along the famous Venice Canals. While Onefinestay’s selections tend to be more upmarket ($250 to over $2,000 per night), the popular Airbnb service offers a broad inventory statewide at more modest prices. Starting as low as $50 per night, you can find your dream stay whatever that looks like, ranging from a mushroom dome cabin in Aptos to an entire house in the hipster zone of East Hollywood. If the bucolic wine country lifestyle is your aspiration, BeautifulPlaces grants access to a range of private residences in Napa and Sonoma. Some of the homes even have their own vineyards, and perks of checking in include securing bottles of hard-to-find small lot wines. Glamping & Outdoors From beaches to deserts to mountains, with the state’s amazing diversity of eco-systems, it’s only natural that glamping – that brilliant mash-up of camping with glam touches of creature comforts – would find a happy home in California. Treebones Resort, located on a bluff above the scenic Big Sur coastline, is the perfect example of what’s so wonderful about glamping – and why California is the ideal location. Mix one-part breathtaking coastal scenery with touches like queen size beds, pinewood floors, heating and hot water in 16 generously sized yurts (five campsites are also available), and you have everything needed for a cozy, comfortable getaway. Add the raised decks with unobstructed ocean views plus a heated outdoor pool and hot tub and you get an ultimate glamping experience. Farther south and 20 just miles from Santa Barbara, El Capitan Canyon nature lodging gives you several options to enjoy serene seclusion on 300 acres sheltered by coastal oaks and other native trees. Your choices here include creekside cedar cabins featuring porches, peak ceilings and kitchenettes as well as more rustic safari tents. Onsite amenities available to guests include spa treatments, Wifi and summer concerts, while adventures ranging from sea kayaking to Santa Barbara wine country excursions are easily accessible from your glamp camp. And whether you’re glamping to find a restful retreat or possibly a romantic love shack, if the California desert is on your list, check out Kate’s Lazy Desert Airstream Motel. Owned by the B-52’s Kate Piersen, the collection of six restored vintage Airstream campers exudes all the personality and sassy style you would expect from this queen of kitsch. Choices include a South Pacific tiki-themed trailer, another that will have you feeling like you’re inside a lavalamp and yet another filled with B-52s tour memorabilia. California Cool Then there are those special places that could only be in California because of their authentic Left Coast cred established through emblematic locations, unique design elements and artful ambiance. Sustainable, stylish and big on innovations, these only-in-California locations are true originals that showcase the California cachet. Adjacent to Palm Springs, the small community of Desert Hot Springs was once a sleepy, low-key hamlet that now buzzes with activity because of its wealth of mid-century hotels. Entrepreneurs are taking once neglected properties and turning them into desert haute spots. A perfect example is Hotel Lautner. Originally a mid-century home designed by famed architect John Lautner, the hotel has been restored and re-imagined by its designer owners into a four-room hotel that exudes mid-century cool with zen-like succulent gardens, exposed cement and redwood accents, vast panes of glass and period-perfect furnishings. Northern California is redwood country so what better way to stay here than in a contemporary B and B made entirely of sustainably reclaimed old growth redwood. Located on a headland overlooking the rugged and photogenic Mendocino coast, the Brewery Gulch Inn is a Nor Cal gem that fuses contemporary design (think 15-foot ceilings and Arts & Craft furnishings with not a doily or floral print in sight), local wine and gastronomy and epic views. Sustainable style is a California mantra and few hotels do it with the eye-catching elan of the H2 Hotel. Nestled in Sonoma’s wine country, the H2 meshes a top-shelf wine country experience with LEED-Gold certified boutique hotel enhancements and amenities including a living roof planted with succulents and guestrooms outfitted with eco-friendly furnishings like bamboo floors and organic cotton bed linens. Then there’s the Mediterranean-style bites paired with local wines and craft cocktails offered at airy, vaunted Spoonbar restaurant making the whole experience a feast of California style. Source:- Visit California