The Ranch at Laguna Beach

Despite what you may have seen on television, Laguna Beach isn’t just the sunny playground of privileged teenagers with expensive highlights and flashy sportscars. Indeed, Laguna Beach isn’t even entirely about the beach. Just paces away from the sand and surf, the land rises up into rocky hills and quiet canyons that have long attracted painters, writers, and musicians. The newly opened Ranch at Laguna Beach is an expression of that bohemian spirit, of the creative community that put this city on the map as an artist’s enclave years before it developed into the resort town it is today.

So it’s only natural that the hotel isn’t located right on the beach, but a short walk away from it, in one of the canyons beloved by generations of painters. The hotel is new, but the ranch itself is not. Strolling the tree-shaded pathways, you’ll see historic photos tracing the property’s days from farm to country club.

Now it’s a stylish but low-key resort with just under a hundred guest rooms, suites, and cottages. Even the most standard option, the Canyon Room, is graciously proportioned, with ample indoor and outdoor space, all designed with a coastal ranch aesthetic that feels just right for the location. Amenities include king-sized beds with Italian linens, oversized walk-in showers, 49-inch LCD TVs, and free wi-fi. If you need more space, cottages at the Ranch at Laguna Beach are two stories tall, with ground floor patios and second-level balconies.

Having your own wheels is certainly desirable in such a breathtaking natural landscape, but the resort is easy to explore on foot, too. There’s a pool, a spa, and golf, of course, as well as yoga-inspired fitness, sand volleyball, a restaurant centered around garden-fresh ingredients, and a cocktail bar specializing in hand-crafted drinks. Not to mention that one of the country’s most famous stretches of coastline is just a short walk away. The staff also arranges curated excursions into Laguna’s upscale gallery scene and secret surf spots. Forget about whatever you saw on TV: this is Laguna Beach the way you were meant to see it.