The Best Hotels In CA, According To U.S. News Report

CALIFORNIA — If you’re planning a vacation or weekend getaway in California and want to stay at the best hotel, you’re in luck — U.S. News and World Report recently released the newest edition of its Best Hotels rankings, and several hotels in the state made the cut.

Evaluating more than 30,000 hotels worldwide, U.S. News compiled the 10th annual Best Hotels list to help travelers find their ideal hotel, regardless of destination or budget, according to the report.

In California, Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa in Rancho Santa Fe took top honors, followed by the The Peninsula Beverly Hills and Montage Beverly Hills, both in Los Angeles. Rounding out the top five were Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego and The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast, respectively.

U.S. News also named the top hotels in several places worldwide, including the best in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Caribbean and Bermuda. Coming in first on the U.S. list is the Four Seasons Resort Lanai in Hawaii.

Four other locations rounded out the top five hotels in the U.S.:

• The Langham, Chicago
• The Peninsula, Chicago
• Acqualina Resort & Residences on the Beach, Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
• Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort

Since the inaugural ranking in 2011, only 41 properties have earned a gold badge by consistently ranking in the top 10 percent in the U.S. over a period of 10 years. These range from brand-backed properties such as the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago and The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, to smaller, more intimate hotels such as The Inn of the Five Graces in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the Wentworth Mansion in Charleston, South Carolina.

Hotels with a gold badge distinction have consistently provided comfortable accommodations, high levels of customer service, and memorable and luxurious experiences for travelers, the report says.

A total of 74 hotels from California have earned a gold badge, while 72 earned silver, meaning these hotels consistently ranked in the top 30 percent of all 3.5-, 4-, 4.5- and 5-star hotels in that destination.