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 21 hilltop acres planted with tall eucalyptus trees and fragrant rose gardens, the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe is a classic getaway with a gracious old-world feel, complete with chandeliers and croquet lawns. It’s been updated as the years go by, but there’s something pleasingly authentic, even rustic, about it — the owners haven’t fallen victim to trends, save for the artisanal cocktails served at the hotel bar. But we’re pretty sure you won’t object to those.

The inn is centered around its oldest building, the Spanish Revival-style La Morada, which still serves as the main lodge; additional guest rooms and cottages are scattered across the property. 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, the Classic Queen, comes with a private patio or deck. The look traditional, and charming details abound, from tiled fireplaces to clawfoot tubs. All rooms, suites and cottages feature Keurig coffeemakers, flat-screen TVs, iPod stations, and wi-fi.

Go for farm-to-table cuisine and cocktails at Morada, the inn’s signature restaurant, ideally followed by a sampling of small-batch whiskey, scotch, and bourbon at the gentleman’s club-style cocktail bar, the Huntsman. Elsewhere on the property, there’s a lovely spa, a saltwater heated pool and jacuzzi, and world-class golf at Bing Crosby’s old stomping grounds, the Rancho Santa Fe Golf 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.