56 Best Hotels in The Bay Area, California

Alongside Richardson Bay, this stylish boutique hotel has modern, elegant rooms decorated in soft Zen-like color schemes. Rooms facing west have full bay views (some with views of Mt. Tamalpais), and many feature private patios; junior suites include soaking tubs and fireplaces. Most weekends have a two-night minimum stay.

Within a mile of campus and the heart of downtown, the Aiden celebrates the culture of Berkeley with wall art showcasing the campus life and spirit the town is known for. Bicycling themes are prevalent, and guests may take advantage of free bikes to explore the area. Tech-savvy rooms include large TVs and impressive desk setups for remote workers. Even the smallest rooms feel pretty spacious with floor to ceiling windows, and all rooms have refrigerators. The hotel is two blocks from the North Berkeley BART station.

With splendid ocean views and enormous junior suites throughout the property (each is more than 500 square feet), this appropriately named seaside getaway really does help travelers feel at home by the beach. All of the accommodations have balconies or patios and most gaze out towards the Pacific. Each junior suite has a king bed and a queen-size sleeper sofa in a separate living room area. Once guests leave their suites, there's a swimming pool and hot tub to visit along with the ocean practically right outside the door. 

Moorish design and Gothic architecture join with modern amenities at this historic locale steps from the campus, arts venues, and eateries. The Berkeley Women's City Club opened its doors in 1930, designed by one of the university's first woman civil engineers, Julia Morgan. Now a national landmark, her "little castle" features 38 time-honored rooms, a social club, fine dining in lush interior courtyards, a vintage-tiled indoor swimming pool, and a performing arts theater.

This relatively small-sized property has pleasant accommodations with balconies or patios, many overlooking the water and Alameda island. The rooms, which vary in size, have coffeemakers, refrigerators, microwaves, flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, sitting areas, and good-size desks; spacious bathrooms have oversize spa bathtubs and separate showers. There is a 24/7 fitness center, an outdoor swimming pool and the Estuary walking path, so it's the rare freeway-adjacent hotel that has ample workout opportunities.

This 19th-century landmark mansion first opened as an inn in 1906, expanding over the decades to include modern hotel rooms, private cottages, and mansion suites, along with a 3,000-foot full-service spa, all tiered down a hill in the center of Sausalito. The spacious hillside cottages are made for indulgence. Bay-view rooms are pricey, but the vistas are spectacular. In the newly restored mansion, the ultraluxurious 5,000-square-foot Alexandrite Suite can be your private domain for a pretty penny.

Set in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, this luxury hotel and resort with a one-of-a-kind location on a former army post contains well-appointed, eco-friendly rooms that range from restored officers' quarters to modern spaces. Most of them overlook a massive lawn with stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay. Murray Circle, the on-site restaurant, uses top-notch California ingredients and has an impressive wine cellar, and the neighboring casual bar offers food and drink on a large porch.

With a striking setting almost at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge, this refined, upscale destination is truly the closest countryside getaway to San Francisco. The lodge is rich with history, residing on what originally was Fort Baker, an Army base founded in the 1900s that continued to have military members on-site until the end of the 20th century. The rooms in the old Army buildings are decidedly swankier and green-focused than during their military days (most have fireplaces), while the separate contemporary rooms are downright posh with radiant heat floors and massive windows for viewing the bridge or nearby forest.

Straddling the Oakland–Berkeley border, this amenities-rich property dating from 1915 beckons like a gleaming white castle in the hills. Once a private residence, the hotel, club, and spa lure traveling executives, honeymooners, and leisure travelers alike with a 24-hour business center, luxurious suites, multiple outdoor pools, therapeutic massages, and a holistic 32-room spa. Most guest rooms are spacious and have views of the bay.

Camping-in-style for those who don't like to camp—think massage services—this eco-adventure resort is a popular getaway for Silicon Valley techies and other urbanites and suburbanites. Trails from the 40-acre property connect with Año Nuevo State Reserve (just across Highway 1) and Big Basin. Many rooms in the lodge have fireplaces and all open to patios and decks where you can relax and watch deer and other wildlife bound across the hillsides. Cabins and tent bungalows don't have private baths, but they have electric lights, comfy beds with real mattresses, and access to nearby "comfort stations": restroom facilities with a courtyard fireplace, sauna, heated concrete floors, and private indoor and outdoor showers. There is also on-site RV and tent camping area. The Cascade Bar & Grill serves coastal California-style meals all day.

Amid a 15-acre valley on the north end of Inverness, this secluded getaway offers spacious one- and two-bedroom cabins with fireplaces and patios perfect for sunset barbecues and leisurely breakfasts. The cabins are tidy and well lighted, with large windows and impressive skylights. The inn is ideal for families who want extra space and a kitchen (or kitchenette) for cooking. Extras include a pool, a hot tub, lawn games, and tennis courts.

This elegant boutique hotel is an extremely welcome breath of fresh air of non-gimmicky, non-tech-oriented space. It would fit right at home in a European capital, which makes sense given that the general theme is Spanish architecture. Above the small lobby is a spectacular salon that serves as hybrid living room–tapas bar where it’s easy to imagine visiting scholars holding court with Stanford professors. Rooms have pleasant tile-like carpet patterns, marble bathrooms, and side French doors that open to balconies overlooking the beautiful central courtyard with a fountain.

This property is convenient to both the Oakland airport and downtown Oakland, and to make up for its removed location, the inn offers free shuttle service to the Oakland airport, BART stations, and Jack London Square. Rooms are clean and were stylishly renovated in 2013; each room has a microwave, a refrigerator, and Wi-Fi access. Splurge for a water view for a really pleasant stay.

There is luxury at every turn in this stalwart accommodation for the Silicon Valley power players from the prestigious global brand. Technically, the hotel is in East Palo Alto, the historically-challenged neighbor of Palo Alto, but the hotel is situated right on busy U.S. 101, so it’s incredibly convenient to both San Francisco and the main office areas. The typical Four Seasons bells and whistles are here with particularly comfortable beds, excellent service, and a thoughtful, upscale modern design that feels posh and Californian together. For a sense of how the movers and shakers network in this pivotal region, just spend happy hour or peak morning coffee rush here.

There are many hotels with bland, corporate décor—and then there's the Graduate Palo Alto, where every square inch of space seems to have some form of elaborate design or decoration. With a base of very intricate Spanish Colonial architecture, the university town–focused brand completely remodeled what was the Hotel President (named for Stanford alum Herbert Hoover), a popular 20th-century hotel that had fallen into disrepair. Each room has a retro vibe (old-fashioned bed spreads and elaborate floral and bird wallpaper) and a huge amount of Stanford influence. The shower entry frame is arched like the classic campus architecture, and bed headboards are stenciled with redwood trees, a nod to the Stanford tree mascot.

Convenient to the freeway and 4th Street shopping, this peach-and-beige hotel provides good bang for the buck. The three-story property is surprisingly elegant; high ceilings lend the lobby and rooms an airy quality. Each room has a small kitchen area with a refrigerator and a microwave; some include a sink and cabinets. Free amenities include Wi-Fi, a business center, a small but well-equipped gym, a breakfast bar each morning, and parking.

The Tuscan villa–inspired design is hard to miss at this very pleasant hotel; it’s a welcome refuge from the sprawl and tech-centric culture of Silicon Valley. The lobby is grand with a fireplace, pillars, chandeliers, and plush sofas, benches, and chairs, plus a European-style fountain at the front entrance. It truly feels Old World, even though it only opened in 2002. Rooms are a little more subdued, boasting bright orange walls, an ergonomic chair for the work desk, handsome furnishings and balconies. Dio Deka, the hotel’s Michelin-starred Greek restaurant, is a big draw and certainly one of the South Bay’s leading restaurants (it serves dinner only).

One of the first of the new wave Silicon Valley hotels, this Autograph Collection property is the closest place to stay near Meta’s campus. Even though the location is right by a highway and the general office park environs are sterile corporate, the hotel exudes all kinds of energetic boutique vibes. Rooms have a polished, chic look, and the nicest suites have panoramic views of practically the entire Peninsula. Arguably the biggest draw is the fun outdoor courtyard with a bar, pool, and lawn games. Silicon Valley titans love to meet up here in the morning because the café serves Santa Cruz’s acclaimed Verve Coffee.

Handcrafted furniture and tasteful original art and reproductions give this Mission Revival–style inn the feel of a small European hotel. The Mediterranean-like glow comes from the soft yellow, green, and orange-tone rooms, some of which have harbor or park views. Space ranges from small quarters for budget-minded travelers to larger suites with downtown views. Best of all, the hotel is in the heart of Sausalito, next to the ferry landing.

This historic boutique hotel sits amid Berkeley's downtown arts district, just steps from the U.C. campus and a short walk from North Berkeley's best bites. The elegant property, built in 1910, emphasizes its turn-of-the-20th-century glamour, but from HDTVs in every room to eco-conscious business practices, the hotel is completely upgraded and modernized. ZINO, the on-site restaurant, specializes in Mediterranean fare and well-crafted cocktails.

This outpost of a Texas-based boutique hotel group is located in the glossy, Disneyland-ish Santana Row shopping area on the outskirts of San Jose. The Valencia has beautiful Spanish Colonial architecture and large, well-appointed rooms. The main attractions are a rooftop pool and patio along with another courtyard situated by the third-floor lobby, bar, and restaurant.

For years, Uptown Oakland was a hip neighborhood with outstanding restaurants and bars and nowhere to stay—until this ultra-chic Hyatt-flagged property came along. It's a game-changer and quite the design spectacle, from the grand arched windows of its Occitania brasserie to the art-deco lobby. Guest rooms are on the upscale minimalist side with small works of abstract art on the walls and hardwood floors partially covered by rugs, and the furniture leans towards the modern trendy direction. All rooms have helpful blackout curtains and the nicest suites even have their own terrace.

Chef-owner Margaret Gradé takes rustic fantasy to extravagant heights in her historic cabins and suites (circa 1910), where mica-shaded lamps cast an amber glow, and bearskin rugs warm wide-planked floors. Each accommodation is unique, though all feature feather beds, deep leather armchairs, and huge Victorian soaking tubs. Breakfast is brought to your room each morning, and a locally sourced in-room dinner from the famed Sir and Star restaurant is available on Friday and Sunday evenings. Offices are based in Airstream trailers and staff are relatively hands-off, making this more of a private hideaway than a woodsy resort.

The only hotel in downtown Mill Valley comprises one of the area's first homes, the Creek House, which has smart-looking Victorian rooms, and two small cottages nestled in a grove beyond a creek. Beds are made with crisp white linens, starkly contrasting with the deep browns and greens of the towering redwoods just outside the windows. Hiking and biking trails are steps away, as are Lytton Square and downtown shops, restaurants, and performing arts. A continental breakfast is provided each morning, and there's an evening wine-and-cheese reception.

This roadside row of rooms has everything a small-town motel should offer: friendly management, spotless seaside accommodations, and extras that add real value. Some rooms have a small kitchen with cooking utensils, while the lodge—a window-lined common room with skylighted cathedral ceiling—has a fireplace, a big-screen TV, a billiards table, and a kitchenette. French doors open to a deck overlooking Tomales Bay.

Abutting 40,000 acres of state and national parks, this airy wooden inn sits on the skirt of Mt. Tamalpais, where you can follow hiking trails all the way to Stinson Beach. Sunrise-facing rooms are built for romance, each mixing huge views of pristine wilderness and the sweeping San Francisco Bay with some combination of balcony, fireplace, and whirlpool tub. The full-service restaurant, with on-site wine bar, serves an excellent lunch on the sunny deck or inside by the cozy fire; a prix-fixe dinner is available on select evenings. Even if you're not staying overnight, this is a great spot for a post-hike libation and bite.

While most upscale hotels on the Peninsular coastline are indeed on the actual coast, this delightful bed-and-breakfast resides right in the heart of Half Moon Bay's pleasant downtown. In many ways, that location brings together the best of both worlds—a short jaunt to the beach in the daytime and then walking distance to restaurants in the evening. The small B&Bs design theme is inspired by the island of Nantucket on the opposite coast, and rooms are split between the main house and a garden cottage.

The owners of this 1898 Victorian farmhouse, located in the heart of old downtown, brings East Coast charm out West. Named after favorite landmarks on the island of Nantucket, each room is uniquely and tastefully decorated and furnished with spa robes, plush linens, and Hermes bath products. Relax in the tranquil garden or cozy up beside the outdoor fire pit. A generous spread of complimentary wine, cheeses, meats, and delicacies is set out each afternoon, and a hearty gourmet breakfast is provided each morning.

On the shore of Tomales Bay, these cottages (some are quite grand, others are typical hotel room–sized) are warm and homey with wooden stoves and a decor that nicely balances an old maritime aesthetic with a contemporary edge. The prime cottages overlook the water, while the other half of accommodations are on the non–water side of Highway 1. The farm-to-table restaurant is a draw even for visitors who aren't staying at the hotel, plus there's live music every Tuesday.

When Silicon Valley tech money meets the country’s biggest celebrity sushi chef, you get this ultra-contemporary luxury hotel with, of course, a Nobu restaurant included. Japanese ryokan elements are sprinkled throughout the public spaces and guest rooms, including specific ryokan suites that include deep-soaking teak tubs. The sharp, serene room design emphasizes clean lines and beautiful furniture, rather than crowding walls and tables with art. And, it’s hard not to escape one of the biggest assets of all—that you can order Nobu's restaurant food for room service.