Four Chic Southern California Hotels to Check Into in 2025

From the desert, where the Palm Springs Film International Film Festival is Hollywood-central from Jan. 2 to 13, to Santa Monica, which will host the Independent Spirit Awards in February, Southern California has several chic new hotels to check into in the new year. If you’re looking for a Brentwood hideout, or a coastal retreat, there are those, too.

Tapping into Laguna Beach’s history as an arts colony, Casa Loma Beach Hotel marked its grand opening in October with an immersive experience from Los Angeles’ IAMA Theatre Company that had scenes taking place in rooms all over the hotel for a glittery group of guests that included Shonda Rhimes, Scott Foley and Adam Shapiro to name a few. The 70-room oceanfront property recently debuted a $15 million renovation courtesy of Marc & Rose Hospitality to infuse the public and private spaces with a bohemian spirit, from the handcrafted wood furniture, tapestries and vintage record players lending a 1970s feel to the guest rooms (many with balconies and sunset views), to the mural of a sun worshipping goddess and the Madre mezcal welcome drinks in the lobby bar. The hotel is next to the Laguna Art Museum and walking distance from plenty of charming restaurants and shops, but guests may also want to just relax, float on the waves and explore the tide pools just steps away.

Casa Loma, 211 North Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, Calif., casalomalagunabeach.com. Rates start at $495.

The newest addition to Avi Brosh’s Palisociety portfolio, Le Petit Pali Brentwood fills the need for a chic, low-key hotel in the upscale, family-friendly West Side neighborhood not far from the Getty Center and Brentwood Country Mart. A reimagination of the former Brentwood Inn (born the Brentwood Motor Hotel in 1947), the intimate property laid out around a central motor court, features 25 redesigned rooms that have a cozy contemporary-meets-cottage feel with striped wallpaper, floral headboards, sisal rugs and curated art, plus amenities like Diptyque bath products and SMEG refrigerators stocked with locally made snacks. Guest rooms range in size from 190 square feet for a Queen to 525 square feet for one-bedroom suites with their own kitchens and private patios for longer stays, including a pair of suites that can be adjoined for an apartment feel. The small lobby with its inviting fireplace, or the lush back garden with a bubbling copper fountain and striped umbrellas are the places to enjoy the hotel’s daily breakfast baskets featuring treats from Brentwood bakery Clark Street.

Le Petit Pali Brentwood, 12200 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, lepetitpali.com. Rates start at $295.

Walking distance from downtown highlights including the Palm Springs Art Museum, shopping mecca Mojave Flea Trading Post and brunch hotspot Farm, the Thompson Palm Springs spans two-and-a-half city blocks with views of the San Jacinto Mountains, a party-ready pool, and one of liveliest new restaurants and bars in town, Lola Rose Grande Mezze. The first collaborative project between Dallas-based Hall Group and Hyatt, the Thompson has 168 bungalow-inspired rooms and suites with a midcentury cool. The indoor and outdoor public spaces feature an impressive contemporary art collection with works by Jeffrey Gibson, Gerald Clarke and others, nooks for sitting and games for enjoying in the year-round sunshine. The Hall Napa Valley Tasting Room on the ground floor is a fun diversion for a glass — or a bottle — of wine. Opening soon will be a second restaurant, Bar Issi, from L.A.-based Boujis Group, as well as an the adults-only Upper Stories portion of the hotel with 45 more guest rooms, a private pool and lounge.

Thompson Palm Springs, 414 North Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, Calif., hyatt.com/thompson-hotels. Rates start at $550.

After a $150 million, nearly two-year renovation, the old Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel was been reborn in October as the Regent Santa Monica Beach. With priceless views of the Pacific Coast and the Santa Monica Pier, the property is right in the middle of everything, but still feels like an oasis with its beachfront pool deck with cabanas, and 10,000-square-foot Guerlain Spa offering exclusive services such as the Skin Surfing radio frequency facial. The 167 guest rooms, including 34 suites, set a new standard for roominess in Southern California, starting at 720 square feet. The Malibu Sunset suite, at 1,920 square feet, has a kitchen, game room, living room, outdoor terrace with fire pit and four Juliet balconies making it an alluring spot to settle in for days or weeks. James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Mina’s chic lobby restaurant Orla has the feel of an Art Deco cruise liner, and serves Mediterranean-meets-California food, including urfa-dusted blue eye tuna falafel bites, black harissa-grilled lamb chops, grilled market fish and more. There’s also a Sweet July Cafe for smaller bites, the first of its kind from Ayesha Curry’s Oakland, Calif.-based Sweet July lifestyle brand. 

Regent Santa Monica Beach, 1700 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, Calif., santamonica.regenthotels.com. Rates start at $1,400.