Best list hotels in Central and Southern California

There are three different on-site dining and entertainment venues; an award-winning day spa, a health club with exercise equipment, sauna, steam room, and spa tub; over 10 shops and galleries.
This hotel overlooks the Pacific coastline in historic downtown Monterey, 200 yards from Fisherman's Wharf; 5 - 10 minutes' walk from Cannery Row and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Overlooking the waters of Lake Arrowhead, this resort is 12 miles from San Bernardino and 40 miles from Ontario Airport.

Guestrooms offer cable TV with premium channels; pay movies, and coffeemakers.

Amenities also include a private beach, adults-only spa with seven treatment rooms and a fitness center; an outdoor pool, and spa tub.

Right on the dunes
Built along the Marina Dunes wildlife sanctuary, this resort comprises twenty bungalows set across 19 acres of protected 100-foot sand dunes; Monterey is 10 miles away.

Spa, playground, pools
Sea-salt body polishing and seaweed detoxifying are spa treatments at the top of the to-do list, while other amenities include bike rentals, a playground, and pools.

Ocean views, fireplaces
Bungalows feature views of the ocean or sand dunes from private balconies or patios. Gas fireplaces keep everything cozy, and refrigerators and CD players are at the ready.

Inn near the Mission
Situated in a garden setting, this hotel is four blocks from the historic Carmel Mission, seven miles from downtown Monterey, and eight miles from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Massages by the fire
A massage treatment room with gas fireplace, a 24-hour fitness center, an outdoor splash pool, two spa tubs, a restaurant, and a bar and grill all provide guests ways to relax.

Filled with foliage
Potted plants liven all 165 guestrooms, which include tiled bathrooms with massaging shower heads, refrigerators, and complimentary Internet access, premium channels, and local calls.

A celebrity hideaway since it opened in 1926, this golf-and-tennis resort is set against the rugged Santa Rosa Mountains 10 miles from Palm Desert and 22 miles from Palm Springs.

42 Pools, 52 Spa Tubs
Guests enjoy access to five championship golf courses. Other highlights include 23 tennis courts, 42 pools, 52 spa tubs, the acclaimed Spa La Quinta, and a wide array of restaurants.

Casitas, courtyards
Guestrooms are located in Spanish-style casitas surrounding courtyards and pools. Views are of the mountains, pools, or manicured gardens. All offer luxury linens and separate showers and tubs.

Carmel Valley Ranch

Near Chateau Julien
Carmel Valley Oaks and gracious weeping willows dot the 400 acres upon which this resort is set, less than 2 miles from Chateau Julien Winery; Monterey's Cannery Row is 13 miles away.

Golf, tennis, pools
An 18-hole golf course, 12 tennis courts, and a fitness center top a long list of amenities also including outdoor splash pools, spa tubs, saunas, and a business center.

Fireplaces, balconies
Cathedral ceilings soar above suites with balconies, floor-to-ceiling windows, and fireplaces. Minibars, CD players, video games, and lap-top size safes are also offered.

This Avila Beach hotel is steps from the ocean and eight miles from San Luis Obispo.

Designed for relaxation, guestrooms feature canopy beds, bathrobes, refrigerators, and VCRs.

The hotel features a rooftop sundeck with private cabanas, hammocks, and spectacular ocean views.

This English tudor-style, beachfront inn is located in downtown Morro Bay, adjacent to the waterfront Embarcadero.

All guestrooms provide direct-dial phones with free local calls, fireplaces, and designer toiletries.

Wireless Internet in public areas and daily breakfasts are complimentary. Guests can also enjoy in-room massages.

Desert oasis
Built by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as an exclusive desert getaway, this serene hotel overlooks lush fairways in the shadow of the Santa Rosa Mountains, 14 miles from downtown Palm Springs.

Country club views
A complimentary Continental breakfast buffet is served daily in the restaurant overlooking the lobby grotto and outdoor pool. The poolside bar provides views of the famed Indian Wells Country Club.

Patio or balcony
Handsomely appointed guestroomsâall non-smokingâfeature patios or balconies, marble baths, and complimentary wireless Internet access. Views are of the city, desert, mountains, or golf course.

This Spanish-style hotel, with two 18-hole golf courses, is four miles from the Living Desert and six miles from the airport.

Villas offer complimentary high-speed Internet access, sitting areas with sofa beds, and kitchens or kitchenettes.

Besides several dining options, guests have access to swimming pools, a spa tub, fitness equipment, and a health spa.

Located five miles from Palm Springs and the convention center, this golf resort offers a 27-hole championship layout surrounded by desert and the rugged San Jacinto Mountains.
In addition to golf, this resort features 10 tennis courts, a pool with cabana bar, a health spa, and a restaurant serving California cuisine indoors and out on the veranda.

In the spacious guestrooms and condos, windows open to views of the golf course, pool, or mountains. Decor varies, but all units include furnished balconies or patios.

I won hundreds at this casino. Lady luck must be smiling on me!

Located west of Palm Springs, this resort is a half-mile from Premium and Desert Hill Outlet Malls.

Guestrooms offer high-speed Internet access, in-room data ports, voice mail, minibars, in-room safes, and 27-inch plasma-screen TVs.

Other amenities include an outdoor swimming pool, waterslide, lazy river, spa tub, fitness equipment, and health spa.

Palm-Desert proximity
Set on 35 acres, this California resort is located in the world-renowned community of Indian Wells, 4 miles from the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, and a 15-mile jaunt from the desert playground of Palm Springs.

Golf, tennis, and pools
In addition to a spa with 18 treatment rooms, the resort offers 36 holes of golf, a fitness center, tennis courts, swimming pools, a business center, and event space.

Rooms with views
Guestrooms have balconies or patios with pool, golf-course, or mountain views. Amenities include marble bathrooms, high-speed Internet access, minibars, and laptop-size safes.

My Gosh, you should see this hotel.

This contemporary hotel is located in the heart of downtown Palm Springs Village, one block from the shopping district and Spa Casino.

Modern guestrooms feature mountain or pool views from furnished balconies or patios as well as 42-inch Plasma TVs with pay movies.

Guests have several dining options on site including a pool bar, and a casual yet eclectic café with outdoor seating.

Golf across road
The resort sits on 11 acres of olive groves and citrus trees and lies across the road from the public 36-hole Golf Resort at Indian Wells and is 3 miles from Palm Desert's El Paseo shopping district.

Intimate pools and spa
In addition to a luxury day spa featuring a private pool area, the resort offers two swimming pools and two spa tubs for both adults and family, private cabanas, and upscale dining.

Pillowtop mattresses
Guestrooms and suites (all nonsmoking) are housed in Mediterranean-inspired two story buildings covered in bougainvillea. Amenities include Desert Dream beds, comforters, and Italian toiletries.

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