The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe

San Diego’s a great town, but the area around it is one of the most naturally beautiful regions in the country. Rancho Santa Fe is one of the wealthiest communities within the boundaries of San Diego County, so you can hazard a guess at what it’s like to stay at an elegant 1920s-era hotel like the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. Spoiler alert: it’s nice. Set on 11 hilltop acres planted with tall eucalyptus trees and fragrant rose gardens, the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe is a luxe getaway with a gracious old-world feel, complete with chandeliers and croquet lawns. It’s been updated as the years go by, made more stylish and more contemporary — but a sense of authenticity remains.

Indoor-outdoor living is a dominant concept across room categories, befitting a climate where the sun shines 300+ days out of the year. Even the most standard guest room comes with a private patio or deck. Charming details abound, from tiled fireplaces to clawfoot tubs, alongside modern interventions like Toto washlets and Nespresso coffee makers.

Go for farm-to-table cuisine and cocktails at Lilian’s, the inn’s signature restaurant, ideally followed by a sampling of small-batch whiskey, scotch, and bourbon at the Bing’s Bar. Elsewhere on the property, there’s a lovely spa, a saltwater heated pool and jacuzzi, and world-class tennis at the Rancho Santa Fe Tennis Club — not to mention miles of hiking and biking trails lacing the property. You could pedal towards the beach — it’s worth noting that Rancho Santa Fe is not a coastal town, but five miles inland — though you might just want to stay put in this charming enclave, saving the sand and sun for another day.