38 Cool Hotels In California & Unique Places To Stay In SoCal + NorCal

Planning a California getaway and looking for unique stays in California that are special staying at just on their own already?

In our guide to cool hotels in California, we will show you our selection of the hippest and coolest hotels in California and also the most unique places to stay in California.

From old historic landmark hotels with lots of character to luxury boutique hotels and resorts to super cool places to stay in California, you will find a broad selection of all kinds of unique California accommodations.

The Ultimate California Bucket List

Cool Hotels In California & Unique Places To Stay

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Coolest Hotels In California

Phoenix Hotel San Francisco

One of the most iconic and coolest places to stay in San Francisco

Located in the Tenderloin neighborhood, the Phoenix Hotel San Francisco is a hip mid-century hotel in San Francisco. The iconic and cool California hotel has hosted many rock musicians and celebrities since the 1950s.

Today, the Phoenix Hotel attracts a hip and cool San Francisco crowd with its many legendary DJ sets and pool parties. If you are looking for hotels with cool pools in California you should definitely check out the Phoenix Hotel.

In addition, the hotel’s stylish restaurant Chambers Eat & Drink is a popular weekend brunch spot and bar.

Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles

One of the hippest & coolest boutique hotels in California

The Ace Hotel DTLA is a hip & cool hotel in downtown Los Angeles by the Ace boutique hotel chain.

The Ace Hotel Downtown LA is located atop the historic 1927 United Artists Theater which features several concerts and shows a month. This and the unique architecture mixing old with new makes the Ace Hotel one of the coolest places to stay in California.

Coolest Boutique Hotels In Los Angeles

Hotel del Sol San Francisco

A 50s motor lodge turned funky and cool California hotel

Hotel del Sol is a former 1950s motor inn in San Francisco’s Marina District. This colorful and cool California boutique hotel features stylish rooms, hammocks in the courtyard, and a saltwater pool.

The location is perfect! Hotel Sol is super close to shopping and dining in the Marina, as well as only a few minutes walking distance from Fort Mason, Crissy Fields, and the Palace of Fine Arts

The hip Marina hotel is a dog and family-friendly hotel and a great place to stay if you are looking for cool hotels for kids In California.

Most Unique Hotels In California

Hotel California

The California Hotel Par Excellence

There can’t be a post about the “coolest California boutique hotels” without THE California hotel.

The Hotel California is a Spanish mission-style boutique hotel in Palm Springs. The unique California boutique hotel features 14 rustic-chic rooms in a cozy romantic setting near Downtown Palm Springs.

Mission Inn Hotel & Spa

Our number one most unique hotel in California

The Mission Inn is a historic landmark hotel in downtown Riverside near Los Angeles. The grand Spanish mission-style hotel has a 5-story rotunda and a chapel and is by far the most amazing and the most unique hotel in California we have ever stayed at.

Wigwam Motel San Bernadino

Historic & unique SoCal motel along famous Route 66

If you are looking for the ultimate Route 66 experience the historic Wigwam Motel in San Bernadino is the place to go. You get to sleep in tee-pee-shaped rooms that take you back in time.

Located along famous Route 66, this landmark motel in SoCal dates back to 1949 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Korakia Pensione

Unique Mediterranean-Moroccan-Style Boutique Hotel In California

When talking about unique boutique hotels in California, Korakia Pensione can’t be missing from the best-of-list.

Korakia Pensione is a super popular and famous Mediterranean and Moroccan-style boutique hotel in Palm Springs. The unique California hotel spans over two historic Mediterranean and Moroccan villas, several bungalows, and guesthouses.

The historic boutique hotel in California feels like a secluded European-Morrocan getaway in the middle of the California desert.

The Beverly Hills Hotel

Most iconic and famous California hotel

This famous hotel in California probably doesn’t need an introduction anymore. But in case you didn’t know, the Beverly Hills Hotel is an iconic 5-star luxury hotel in Los Angeles and home to Hollywood celebrities from the past and present.

The iconic pink color of the hotel’s exterior and palm leaves patterned walls on the interior walls, make the Beverly Hills Hotel number one of the most themed hotels in California, right before the iconic pink Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo.

The Beverly Hills Hotel Review

Palace Hotel San Francisco

Unique California hotel in the heart of San Francisco

The Palace Hotel is a historic California landmark hotel in San Francisco, located on Market Street. Rebuilt in 1909 after the devastating San Francisco earthquake, the Palace Hotel is now over a hundred years old.

The luxury hotel features an iconic ornate atrium with a stained-glass dome which makes it a unique California hotel in the heart of San Francisco.

Hotel Del Coronado

Historic beachfront hotel in Southern California

Hotel Del Coronado is a historic beachfront hotel in San Diego on Coronado Island which opened as the single largest resort in the world in 1888.

The hotel is the second-largest wooden structure in the United States and a designated historic landmark. It is one of the few surviving examples of the American architectural genre the “wooden Victorian beach resort” which makes the Hotel Del one of California’s most unique hotels.

I loved staying at the historic SoCal hotel. The wooden structure combined with the California beach style gives Hotel Del Coronado a cool flair.

Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco At Embarcadero

Hotel with the most amazing views of San Francisco

The Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco At Embarcadero has the most amazing views of San Francisco and the bay.

I once got to do yoga on their terrace up there and the views were just incredible. On a clear day, you can see everything from Alcatraz to the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower, and more.

The Four Seasons in San Francisco is definitely the hotel to book for epic views.

The Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay

Top of the best coastal hotels in California

The Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay with its wide-spanning ocean views is top of the list of the best coastal hotels in California. Just look at that sunset view!

Mark Hopkins & Fairmont Hotels Nob Hill

Two of the most glamorous California hotels in Nob Hill San Francisco

The Mark Hopkins San Francisco and the Fairmont San Francisco are two of the most glamorous landmark hotels in California located in the posh San Francisco neighborhood of Nob Hill.

One of the many things that make the 5-star Fairmont San Francisco a unique California hotel is its Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar. Popular amongst locals and tourists alike, the Fairmont’s Tonga room serves Polynesian-fusion cuisine and features live entertainment on a floating barge and the occasional rainy thunderstorm.

The luxurious Mark Hopkins Hotel features a cocktail lounge, Top of the Mark, on its 19th floor with jaw-dropping views of San Francisco.

Ragged Point Inn Big Sur

Unique lodging experience along the California Coast in Big Sur

With the hotel’s dreamy Big Sur location overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Ragged Point Inn & Resort offers unique lodging in California along the famous Highway 1.

The rustic-chic cliff-side rooms with incredible views make Ragged Point Inn one of the best ocean view hotels in California.

The Inn & Ranch At Death Valley

Oasis Hotels in California’s driest desert

The Inn at Death Valley is a lush colonial revival-style resort oasis built in 1927 surrounded by the vast and arid desert of Death Valley National Park in California. The amenities of this unusual California desert hotel include two spring-fed pools, a sauna, a golf course, a gym, and tennis courts.

Right across The Oasis Inn at Furnace Creek Death Valley, you will find The Ranch At Death Valley, which is a more laid-back hotel in contrast to the aforementioned resort. The rooms have balconies or patios overlooking the nearby golf course which is really nice.

We stayed at Furnace Creek Ranch for two nights while we explored the national park. The two hotels are literally a green oasis in the otherwise super dry desert and the perfect location to stay for when you are visiting Death Valley.

Quirky & Unusual Hotels In California

Amargosa Hotel

Historic hotel and cultural center near Death Valley National Park

The Amargosa Opera House & Hotel is a Spanish colonial-style complex dating back to the mid-1920s.

This eclectic and unusual hotel in California has a performing arts venue right next to it, the Amargosa Opera House. Death Valley National Park is only a short drive away.

Amargosa Opera House & Hotel – Death Valley Junction

Redlight Historic Bunk Hotel & Speakeasy

A quirky place to stay in California’s Lake Tahoe

The Redlight Historic Bunk Hotel And Speakeasy is a hostel-style quirky hotel and speakeasy in Downtown Truckee, North Lake Tahoe.

The Redlight is a quirky hotel in Northern California and a great place to stay for skiing at Northstar ski resort.

Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel

An unusual place to stay at the California Coast

The Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel in Pescadero is not a fancy hotel but an unusual place to stay in California. The unique hostel is located on a small peninsula off the Northern California coast right at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse.

Staying there is a once-in-a-lifetime experience as it is almost always booked out. If you are looking to stay at Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel you have to book early in advance or get lucky as sometimes slots open up.

Unique Places To Stay In California

Heirloom Fox Chico Vacation Rental

Palm Springs-inspired unique Airbnb stay in California’s university town Chico

Paso Robles California Wine Country Stay

Unique vacation rental in California’s Paso Robles wine country

Judy Creek Farmhouse Splendor in Templeton Central California is a unique vacation rental in California’s Paso Robles wine country. The beautiful rustic farmhouse sleeps 12 people and has a large outdoor area with a pool that invites you for spending the entire day there. This is actually what our group of people did.

This unique rental in California is a great place to spend a friends’ weekend surrounded by the Central Valley wine country.

The Branded Calf Bed and Breakfast

Unique farm stay in California near Kings Canyon

The Branded Calf Bed and Breakfast is set on a 240-acre ranch by the Sierra Mountains and only a few miles away from Kings Canyon National Park and Sequoia National Park.

If you are looking for the most unique places to stay in California, The Branded Calf B&B is for you. The quirky bed and breakfast has 5 quaint rooms with private bathrooms that can sleep up to 4 guests. The common areas are shared. Daily breakfast is made to order from scratch.

Cool & Unique Hotels Northern California

Timber Cove Resort, Jenner, CA

Unique hotel on the Northern California coast with amazing ocean views

Timber Cove Resort is set on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The upscale boutique hotel in Northern California lies off Highway 1 and is only a few miles away from Jenner By The Sea and Bodega Bay.

We spend a 4th of July weekend there and loved the amazing ocean views and tranquility of this unique place to stay on Northern California’s coast.

St. Orres, Gualala

Unique hotel on the California coast

St. Orres is an old-world under-the-radar hotel with fine dining nestled along Northern California’s Highway 1 near Gualala. The hotel’s European-style accommodations span from regular rooms in the main building to secluded ocean-view cabins and cottages nearby. With its unusual appearance, St. Orres is one of the most unique hotels on the California coast we have stayed at.

We stayed in the Osprey Cove cottage that comes with an outdoor hot tub and amazing ocean views.

El Prado Hotel Palo Alto

Spanish architecture and old world character in the midst of Silicon Valley

El Prado Hotel Palo Alto is an upscale boutique hotel with a Mediterranean-style exterior in Silicon Valley’s epicenter Palo Alto. It’s quite an unusually themed hotel in California that you wouldn’t necessarily expect in that area.

The Ritz Carlton At Northstar Lake Tahoe

Most glamorous ski-in and ski-out in California

The Ritz Carlton Lake Tahoe is a 5-star upscale ski-in and ski-out luxury hotel nestled among pine trees in the Lake Tahoe ski village of Northstar.

The Northern California luxury hotel boasts 5 restaurants/bars, including a lodge-inspired eatery, and a ski-in/ski-out patio with a BBQ as well as a high-end spa, 2 outdoor pools, and a gym.

Lake Tahoe Winter Cabins & Hotels

Basecamp South Lake Tahoe

Hip and cool places to stay in Northern California At Lake Tahoe

Basecamp South Lake Tahoe is one of two Basecamp hotels in the area and is quite different from the usual hotels there. Its sister hotel, Basecamp Tahoe City, is located on the Northwestern side of Lake Tahoe.

The hotel features casual and colorful mountain-themed hotel rooms with rustic accents and original artwork. The Basecamp hotels are two of the very few hip and cool places to stay in Northern California’s Lake Tahoe. That is not only because of their cool design but also because of their outdoor beer gardens and live music that invites people to hang out at the hotel.

Wylder Hotel Hope Valley

Cool Northern California boutique hotel in the mountains

The formerly rustic but cute Sorensen’s Resort got a new makeover recently and is now Wylder Hotel Hope Valley. Was once a cozy traditional boutique resort mostly known by word of mouth is now one of the more stylish boutique hotels in Northern California’s Hope Valley.

Wylder Hotel in Hope Valley is a great place to stay for the ones that are looking to go skiing in Kirkwood near Lake Tahoe and are looking for a stylish and cool hotel.

Tahoe Lakeshore Lodge & Spa

Unique Northern California lodging with incredible Lake Tahoe views

Tahoe Lakeshore Lodge & Spa is a rustic hotel/condo mix with pine furnishings set on its own private lakeshore beach at Lake Tahoe. The unique thing about this lodge is that most rooms have balconies or patios with amazing lake views like the one pictured above, as well as cozy gas fireplaces.

In addition, the long stretch of private beach features a pool, hot tub, and volleyball field as well as the opportunity for undisturbed sunbathing and swimming in Lake Tahoe. Tahoe Lakeshore Lodge & Spa is also very close to Heavenly Village and Heavenly Gondola.

We absolutely enjoyed staying at this unique lake view hotel in South Lake Tahoe. Check out our guide to the best lakefront hotels in Lake Tahoe if you want to know about the best beach hotels in Tahoe.

Best Lake Tahoe Beachfront Hotels

Unique Places To Staey In Northern California

Adventurous Eco Lodge Getaway

An adventurous and unusual place to stay in Northern California

The adventurous Eco Lodge Getaway in Hope Valley is quite a unique Airbnb stay in California. Staying at this eco-lodge near Lake Tahoe was a really unusual lodging experience but even more so cool.

The lodge is located in a secluded wide open space in Hope Valley near Markleeville and Kirkwood Mountain Resort and in the winter requires a snowcat to get there. The owners happily provide that pickup service for their guests, which was a lot of fun and something we haven’t done before.

For us, it was one of the most unusual places to we stayed in Northern California. We can only recommend this experience!

Cool Hotels Southern California

Mama Shelter Hollywood

Fun hotel in Southern California with amazing rooftop views over Los Angeles

Mama Shelter Hollywood is a trendy LA hotel located super close to Hollywood Boulevard.

With its stylish interior design and an amazing rooftop bar that has some of the best sunset views over Los Angeles, Mama Shelter is among the coolest hotels In Southern California.

We stayed at this cool design hotel for several nights and the rooftop was a true highlight and so was the Hollywood location.

Ace Hotel Palm Springs

Popular hip and artsy hotel in Palm Springs known for it’s eclectic crowd and pool parties

Ace Hotel and Swim Club Palm Springs is probably the hippest and coolest hotel in SoCal. The modernized mid-century hotel features stylish rooms and suites with vintage furnishings and two large pools, perfect for weekend pool parties and DJ sets.

We stayed at the Ace Hotel Palm Springs after Coachella and you could tell, that this was the place to be.

Ace Hotel Palm Springs Review

The Saguaro Hotel

Colorfully themed hotels In Southern California’s and Arizona’s coolest desert towns

The Saguaro Palm Springs has the most colorfully themed hotel rooms in Southern California. But not only the rooms are colorful, but the entire hotel also is painted in bright summery colors.

The trendy SoCal hotel has a sister hotel in another cool desert town right in the neighboring state of Arizona, the Saguaro Hotel in Scottsdale. We have stayed there multiple times and it’s clearly one of our favorite places to stay.

In addition, the Saguaro Hotel is known for its pool parties and is rated top on the list of cool places to stay in Southern California.

For more information on this cool Southern California boutique hotel check out our post about the colorful Saguaro Palm Springs here.

Saguaro Hotel – The Most Colorful Hotel In California

Unique Hotels In Southern California

Sparrows Lodge

A viby rustic chic California boutique hotel

The rustic chic Palm Spring boutique hotel Sparrows Lodge dates back to 1953 when it was a resort getaway for Hollywood’s elite.

The 20 rooms of this unique California boutique hotel were restored in 2013 and have a modern rustic vibe to them. Sparrows Lodge is the perfect Palm Springs hideout for the ones seeking a tranquil and relaxing stay.

Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel

Historic & unique Southern California hotel at Los Angeles’ famous Rodeo Drive

The Beverly Wilshire is maybe not in the cool SoCal hotel category but therefore even more in the unique Southern California hotels section. The historic SoCal hotel dates back to 1928 and is a grand luxury hotel adjacent to the high-end shopping street Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles.

The hotel has always been loved by famous personalities and celebrities alike and is probably most known these days as the iconic hotel featured in the Hollywood movie Pretty Woman with Julia Robert and Richard Gere.

Lowes Hotel Hollywood

Unique place to stay in Southern California in a perfect location and with great views

Located right at Hollywood & Highland and the same-named shopping and entertainment center, Loews Hotel Hollywood is a high-end LA hotel right at the famous Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame. In addition, there’s a cool rooftop pool with great views.

The perfect sightseeing location and the incredible views of the Hollywood Hills make Loews Hollywood a unique Southern California hotel to stay.

Shutters On The Beach Santa Monica

One of the most famous and best beach hotels in Southern California

Shutters on the Beach is an iconic luxury beach hotel in Southern California’s Santa Monica Beach. At Shutters on the Beach modern comfort blends with Cape Cod inspired coastal-style ambiance.

The unique LA beach hotel is not only loved for its perfect beach and ocean views but also for its fine dining experience.

Hotel Casa del Mar Santa Monica

Incredible beach view hotel in Southern California

Also located right at Santa Monica Beach in Los Angeles, Hotel Casa del Mar is very visibly among the best beach-view hotels in Southern California.

The Southern California luxury boutique hotel is inspired by the Mediterranean and the SoCal beach vibe of Santa Monica.

Casa Cody Palm Springs

The oldest operating hotel in Palm Springs

Casa Cody is a historic quaint hacienda-style B&B dating back to the 1920s. Casa Cody is the oldest operating hotel in Palm Springs which makes it one of the unique Southern California hotels worth staying at.

We loved the lush garden setting and the views of the San Jacinto mountains directly in the background of Casa Cody.

Montage Laguna Beach

Incredible beachside luxury hotel in Southern California

The Montage Laguna Beach is a 5-star resort in Southern California. The luxury spa resort is set on an oceanfront bluff at Treasure Island Park in Laguna Beach and boasts amazing sea views.

Besides regular rooms and suites, there are beachfront bungalows and villas that can be rented for your stay.

Besides the hotel’s luxury spa with an astonishing 21 treatment rooms, Montage Laguna Beach Hotel features 3 pools, including an oceanfront pool with cabanas and a lap pool for swimming and training.

It is fair to say that Montage Laguna Beach is one of the most amazing beachside hotels in Southern California.

Unique Places To Stay In Southern California

Joshua Tree Airbnbs

Unique desert stays in Southern California

Cool & Affordable Joshua Tree Cabins To Rent

Palm Springs Mid-Century Homes

Cool places to stay in Southern California

Trendy & Unique Places To Stay In Palm Springs

Summary: Coolest & Most Unique Hotels In California

Unique Hotels & Cool Places To Stay In California

We hope you found our guide to the coolest hotels in California helpful and got some good inspiration for unique places to stay in California’s Golden State.

Julia & Felipe

Follow our adventures on Instagram! @piscoandbier

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