From Sonoma down to San Diego, a new wave of openings is raising the bar on what a hotel can be. California hotels are entering an era of boutique identity, a sense of purpose, and a guest experience that starts well before check-in. Aman is poised for a string of worldwide openings starting in 2026, including a Beverly Hills debut. Also on the horizon: Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara and The Resort at Pelican Hill’s transition to a St. Regis Estate. Hospitality names like PUBLIC, SingleThread, Palisociety and Small Luxury Hotels are already expanding and reinventing, while legacy properties are being transformed entirely. Consider a stay at one of these new properties across the Golden State.

Appellation Healdsburg

Healdsburg, Sonoma County

Chef Charlie Palmer (whose restaurants have collectively earned more than 20 Michelin stars) and hospitality veteran Christopher Hunsberger bring their combined expertise to Appellation Healdsburg, a 108-room Small Luxury Hotels of the World property (they dub it a “culinary hotel”) in Sonoma County, where the Dry Creek Valley, Russian River Valley and Alexander Valley all meet. The hotel’s restaurant, Folia Bar & Kitchen, run by Palmer and his son, Reed Palmer, centers on progressive American dishes cooked over oak ember open-fire grills. Rooms are decorated with light wood and modern furniture and feature either balconies or patios. With its deep local roots, the ownership team has also launched a membership club providing insider access to Sonoma’s vaunted wine culture.

The Baby Grand

Coronado, San Diego County
Opening in 2026

More will be more at The Baby Grand on Coronado Island, a highly anticipated project from San Diego’s CH Projects, whose portfolio spans Morning Glory, Born and Raised, Raised by Wolves and The Lafayette Hotel. Designed by award-winning firm Post Company, the 31 rooms lean into layers and textures created for a maximalist escape — think clamshell beds, mural-covered walls, mirrored panels, in-room bars and marble bathrooms. Palm trees and vines frame lagoons and rock formations on the grounds, while the dining program will include Night Hawk, an open-fire Greek restaurant, and Fallen Empire, an oyster and champagne bar.

The Bower Coronado

Coronado, San Diego County

A member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World collection, the Bower Coronado makes its home on Coronado Island, featuring 39 intimate rooms. The interiors hew to clean lines throughout, with limestone floors, light wood and a lobby adorned with sculptural floral art pieces. Dive, the first rooftop bar in Coronado, is a destination in itself, with a neon sign from the former Villa Capri surviving as a remnant of the property’s history. Set near San Diego Bay, the Bower makes the most of sailing and cruise experiences, beach picnics and island tours.

Casa Mani Resort Napa Valley

Napa, Napa Valley
Opening in late April

Casa Mani Resort pays tribute to the valley that surrounds it. The 203-room Curio Collection by Hilton property — the only full-service resort in downtown Napa — arrives after a multimillion-dollar revamp with sleek Mediterranean interiors, abundant greenery, wooden finishes, indoor and outdoor lounges, and fire pits among redwoods. The Spa at Casa Mani offers restorative treatments alongside a pool, and BOA Steakhouse makes its Napa debut on-site.

The Elene

Napa Valley
Opening in late 2026

Situated along the Napa Valley Vine Trail, The Elene is a new 50-room property from Mosaic Hotel Collection, Signum Architecture, Parts and Labor Design, and Surfacedesign. The hotel’s Thermal Garden, designed by consultant Lydia Mondavi, offers an infrared sauna, hot and cold plunge, alongside a thermal mineral pool. A curated cycling program and The Barn adventure hub will take full advantage of Napa’s 47-mile walking and biking trail, and guests can gather for locally sourced dining at communal fire-pit tables.

The Hearst Hotel, an Auberge Resorts Collection

San Francisco
Opening in 2026

Built in 1911, the storied 13-floor Renaissance Revival-style Hearst Building (once the home of the San Franciso Examiner) at the corner of Third and Market streets is taking on a new identity as The Hearst Hotel by Auberge Resorts Collection. The property’s 150 rooms will blend historic European architecture with contemporary West Coast influences, while the amenities will include a rooftop terrace and bar, outdoor plunge pool, a full spa and multiple dining options. “I love seeing Auberge Resorts Collection take on something like the Hearst Hotel because it’s not just a new build, it’s a real piece of San Francisco history being brought back to life,” says Matthew Lawrence, travel adviser at LuxRally Travel. “There’s this incredible sense of place right in the middle of everything.”

The Huntington Hotel

San Francisco

“The whole place feels less like a hotel and more like the most elegant address in San Francisco,” says Erica Gray, a travel adviser with Fora Travel, about 143-room Huntington Hotel, the renewed urban landmark on top of Nob Hill, operated by Flynn Properties and Highgate. “More than half the rooms are suites and the spa spans three floors with an indoor pool overlooking the city,” she adds. The Clintons recently checked in to the property, which features lovingly preserved architectural details including boiserie-paneled walls and reimagined interior designs by Ken Fulk. On the ground level, The Big Four Restaurant has been a San Francisco institution since 1976; the Chicken Pot Pie (pictured, above) is practically mandatory.

The Hôtel Lili

Beverly Hills

Just off Rodeo Drive, The Hôtel Lili has opened in Beverly Hills with 44 rooms as part of hotelier Avi Brosh’s Palisociety collection. With a grand, pearly white facade, the hotel inhabits a former private residence originally built in 1939. Inside, the lobby is kitted out in sienna velvet curtains and herringbone floors that draw on maximalist Old World European glamour. The Bar evokes an old-school private members club and offers house-crafted and classic cocktails, including a Lili’s Martini with vodka and lychee liqueur and a small bites menu. Each room has the feel of a pied-à-terre, with Bellino fine bed linens, Diptyque bath amenities, a curated mini bar and signature striped accents designed by Palisociety’s in-house team.

The Selvedge, a SingleThread Inn

Healdsburg, Sonoma County
Opening in late 2026

SingleThread is opening a second hotel less than a mile from its three-Michelin-starred restaurant and inn in Sonoma County, bringing its approach to agriculture, cuisine and hospitality to a restored 1895 Victorian mansion on the banks of the Russian River. Formerly the River Belle Inn and once home to wine industry pioneer Isabelle Simi Haigh, The Selvedge takes its cues from the Oxfordshire countryside, with herb and rose gardens, a wraparound porch, afternoon tea and traditional Sunday roasts. A library, fitness center and wellness programming with offerings from SingleThread’s own farm round out the amenities. Accommodations will include a 2,000-square-foot two-bedroom suite with its own kitchen and dining room.

Hotel Solea, An Autograph Collection

Carlsbad, San Diego County

The just-opened Hotel Solea has arrived in North County San Diego, just minutes from Carlsbad Village, The Crossings at Carlsbad golf club and the famed Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch, a vibrant sweep of ranunculus flowers across 55 acres. But perhaps the biggest draw is a private entrance to Legoland that’s available for guests of the hotel. The hotel’s design vibe is Mediterranean meets California contemporary, highlighted by a peaceful olive tree grove off the lobby. Verise restaurant focuses on locally sourced Italian cuisine and al fresco dining, while The Break poolside café adds cocktails, bites and a candy shop. The heated pool is a great spot to catch sunsets, while wellness offerings include rooftop yoga.

Le Petit Pali

St. Helena, Napa Valley

The fifth and latest Le Petit Pali from Palisociety has settled into St. Helena in Napa Valley. Set across 3 acres with 24 guest rooms and five private cottages, the property leans fully into wine country charm. Expect to find the hospitality brand’s signature palette of rich greens and cream, along with Hermès decorative plates, wallpapered ceilings, patterned curtains and bed frames, all lending a cottage-chic sensibility. The daily Champagne Continental Breakfast features pastries from the local Model Bakery, with Antipodes water and Baci chocolates placed bedside.

Maison Twenty Seven

Santa Monica

Somehow, Maison Twenty Seven (part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World portfolio) feels a world away from Santa Monica while sitting directly on the city’s Third Street Promenade. The landmark Mediterranean-Revival villa, once known as the “Aristocrat of Santa Monica,” now houses 38 guest rooms, some functioning as full apartment-style accommodations with kitchens. Unapologetically eclectic, the property doesn’t hold back on the moody interiors, with vintage patterned wallpaper, dark umber wood framing windows and beams, and antique furniture, plus a garden courtyard with iron gates. The beach and Santa Monica’s famed farmers market are steps away.

PUBLIC Hotel

West Hollywood
Opening 2026

PUBLIC Hotel is coming to the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, which will be the hotel brand’s second location, after first opening on the Lower Eastside in NYC in 2017. Under the creative direction of legendary hotelier Ian Schrager, with interiors by John Pawson, the 137-room property promises to be a buzzy social hub, with a pool, three restaurants and a dance floor. A 16,000-square-foot rooftop terrace crowns the hotel, offering sweeping views across the city. In keeping with its East Coast counterpart, the property pairs accessible pricing with a high-design experience.

This story appears in The Hollywood Reporter’s 2026 Travel Issue. Click here to read more.

SANTA ROSA, Calif. – While the Great 1906 Earthquake was a centerpiece of news around the world when its massive damage and fire destroyed much of San Francisco and took 3,000 lives, another far smaller, far less famous town, suffered massive damage almost forgotten by history.

Nearly forgotten

On this day 120 years ago, stunned people were digging for survivors two nights after the quake. Like a demon in the night, the Great 1906 Earthquake also came to Santa Rosa also bent on mass death and destruction.

Eric Stanley is the history curator and deputy director of the Museum of Sonoma County in Santa Rosa that supplied these pictures. “Santa Rosa, in particular, was devastated by the 1906 earthquake,” he said.

Survivors were shaken awake as whole buildings collapsed around them or on them. “A good portion, a really significant portion, of downtown Santa Rosa was completely destroyed,” said Stanley.

Many never woke up; crushed to death in their sleep. There were over a hundred people killed in the 1906 earthquake in Santa Rosa that only had 7,000 people in it at the time,” said the curator.

Active fault line 

Sixty-three years later, in 1969, a time of budding, but far better science-based building codes, a double shaker nonetheless did significant damage and killed one person. “Even understanding all those things, you kind of at the earlier stage of that in the sixties,” said Stanley.

Today, four of Santa Rosa’s School buildings lie near or on the Rodgers Creek Earthquake Fault, capable of up to a 7.3 magnitude rupture. One is already closed with another due to close at the end of the school year for budgetary reasons.

That leaves two elementary schools, Hidden Valley, alongside the fault and Proctor, on the fault. The school board says both are seismically sound and safe to continue operating. “The two that are remaining open are both the ones that have the potential and the ability to grow because the entire site is not impacted by the fault line,” said Nick Caston, Santa Rosa City School Board president.

Staying prepared 

In other words, things can and will eventually be moved around. 

“What we’re gonna end up having to do is redesign the campus over the next several decades to have our fields and our parking in the front, which are totally acceptable to be over a fault line and actually move our academic builds and our student-serving buildings to the back,” said Caston.

Ultimately, the pictures and relics museums hold from natural disasters are given to those who come, a lesson and a warning. “Real people went through these experiences and we really do have to be aware of that and do our very best to prepare for those kinds of things,” said Stanley.

The 1933 Field Act requires earthquake-safe construction of schools, with evolving seismic codes as we learn more.

A California sea lion pup found last week on a San Francisco street corner is malnourished but “active and quite feisty,” The Marine Mammal Center said Monday.

The sea lion, believed to be about 10 months old, had apparently wandered into city’s Outer Sunset neighborhood and was discovered early Thursday morning, authorities said.

The pup was spotted near 48th and Irving Streets, one block from Ocean Beach and Sunset Dunes park. A trained responder from the Marine Mammal Center was joined by San Francisco park rangers and police officers to safely corral the pup, now named ‘Irving’, into a carrier crate.

Dubbed ‘Irving’ by his rescuers, Irving weighed in at 40 pounds and is considered malnourished, the Marine Mammal Center said.

“The sea lion is active and quite feisty which is a positive initial sign in terms of general behavior,” the center said in a news release on Monday.

During an exam by veterinarians, a series of blood samples were also taken to determine whether there’s any underlying ailment.

Irving is being tube fed a fish smoothie blend two times per day to boost hydration and weight; offers of whole herring will also begin shortly.

The quick actions by police, recreation and parks staff and Ocean Avenue Animal Hospital gave the young sea lion a second chance at life, said Lauren Campbell, animal husbandry manager at The Marine Mammal Center.

“As a roughly 10-month-old pup in his first year of learning how to forage on his own, this animal has a long road to recovery due to his severe malnutrition,” Campbell said. “We are hopeful that in the coming weeks with continued specialized care that this pup starts to make positive strides toward recovery and release.”

Irving will be held in the Center’s Intensive Quarantine Unit until clearing medical protocols, before likely being transferred this week to a traditional rehabilitation pool pen. A long-term prognosis and potential release timeline are not currently known.