Monterey County is home to a near-perfect year-round climate, blissful beaches, trail-laced redwood forests, rolling vineyards, and enchanting marine life. It’s no wonder the region has a long history of hosting visitors. Indeed, the county may have the world’s most diverse collection of luxury accommodations. And the spectacular Big Sur coastline is accessible again with the January reopening of the Coast Highway after a nearly three-year closure.
The area is known for its rich history, including a century-plus tradition of hospitality in the county. So, here’s a look at 10 of its leading luxury lodges, from oldest to newest.
Stay in historic resorts
La Playa Hotel began as a summer home, built in 1905 as a gift to Angela Ghirardelli from her husband. Its prime location near the beach and Carmel-by-the-Sea restaurants made its conversion into a hotel a no-brainer. It’s undergone several expansions and reinventions, most recently a $20 million refresh of all 75 rooms in 2023 that added contemporary comfort and conveniences to the “Grand Dame of Carmel.”
The Pebble Beach Resorts have been adored by visitors, especially golfers and golf fans, since their crown jewel, the Lodge at Pebble Beach, opened in 1909. Like La Playa, the lodge has been recently renovated, with the most notable improvements to its elegant restaurant, Stillwater.
Three of the top 50 public golf courses in America are at Pebble Beach, including Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill, featured at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am tournament each February. The tournament launched in 1937 as the Bing Crosby Pro-Am.
The Resorts’ two newer properties are the Inn at Spanish Bay and Casa Palmero. The first of these opened in 1987 at Spanish Bay Beach, the location of the Links at Spanish Bay, which is the third Pebble Beach championship public course. Fairways, pines, landscaped grounds, and beaches surround the inn, which has three on-property restaurants.
Casa Palmero, which opened six years later (and underwent major renovations in 2025), is a 24-unit hideaway across from the Lodge at Pebble Beach, the Spa at Pebble Beach, and the Pebble Beach Golf Links at Stillwater Cove. All three of Pebble Beach’s seaside resorts and all of its golf courses are on the sublimely scenic 17-Mile Drive. Even non-golfers can enjoy the Resort’s beach and tennis club, spa, restaurants, and 25 miles of hiking trails.
Shopping and dining in Carmel-by-the-Sea are within walking distance of inns such as L’Auberge Carmel, the Carmel Beach Hotel, and La Playa Hotel.
Courtesy of See Monterey
L’Auberge Carmel, which celebrates its centennial year in 2029, has aged as well as the pinots produced by Monterey County’s 150-plus wineries. Today, this gem in the heart of Carmel-by-the-Sea may be best known for its MICHELIN-star restaurant, Aubergine, which serves contemporary California cuisine and, yes, many pinots from nearby Carmel Valley and the Santa Lucia Highlands in its 4,500-bottle cellar.
Guests can relish the hotel’s signature breakfast after sleeping in four-poster canopied or tufted beds. The Old World-style hotel has just 20 rooms and is within walking distance of Carmel Beach and the boutiques and galleries of Carmel-by-the-Sea.
Book modern lodges with nature, wellness, and golf
Diners at The Sur House at Alila Ventana Big Sur enjoy a stunning ocean view with Cali-Mediterranean fare.
Courtesy of See Monterey
Books by two famed authors—Henry Miller (Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch, 1957) and Jack Kerouac (Big Sur, 1962)—kindled an interest among travelers in the untamed hills of coastal Monterey County. These literary works contributed to the opening of several new resorts in those hills, beginning with Carmel Valley Ranch in 1970. “The Ranch” is ideal for travelers seeking bucolic beauty and wide-open spaces with its 181 suites, a golf course, a vineyard, a lavender farm, and a renovated spa spread over 500 acres.
Alila Ventana Big Sur, opening soon after and also hidden in the Monterey County hills, is a 160-acre, adults-only sanctuary with 54 secluded guestrooms and suites. The recent reopening of the Coast Highway and a 2025 resort-wide reimagining enhanced the all-inclusive resort, where travelers enjoy amenities such as fireplaces, private hot tubs, Japanese hot baths, two pools; and ocean-view, Cali-Mediterranean dining at The Sur House. The spa provides 10 different couples treatments, and complimentary activities in the redwoods add to the tranquil vibe, including guided hikes, guided meditation, and “wildcrafting” classes.
The “infinity view” of the Pacific from the Post Ranch Inn infinity spa tub is stunning.
Courtesy of See Monterey
Post Ranch Inn, which also overlooks the Big Sur coast, opened in 1992 and is the county’s only MICHELIN Three-Key property. The ridgetop resort is unique, with 39 rooms (including tree-house rooms) overlooking the Pacific or nestled in the forest.
If they can be coaxed out of their rooms, guests can choose between infinity and lap pools, yoga and guided hikes, and an extensive “experiences” menu at the spa (undergoing renovations through spring) that includes drum journeys and shaman- and energy-balancing sessions. Sierra Mar, the cliff-top restaurant, serves complimentary breakfasts to guests, prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus highlighting courses drawn from the chef’s garden and local farmers, plus an award-winning wine list.
Another romance-forward luxury inn that arose in the Santa Lucia hills in the 1990s is Bernardus Lodge & Spa. Each of the 73 guestrooms and suites at this quietly exclusive lodge on Carmel Valley Road, surrounded by vineyards (including Bernardus Winery), has a fireplace and a two-person soaking tub. Found among the property’s lawns and gardens are a pool, tennis courts, The Spa at Bernardus (with treatments such as honey and sunflower massages), and Lucia, where guests can try the charred octopus and a harvest chicory salad that draws from the on-property vegetable and herb gardens.
When it opened in 2023, the Carmel Beach Hotel already had a long history. It began as the Colonial Terrace in the 1940s, but the new owners have made improvements that go far beyond a rebrand. The location near the beach and Carmel-by-the-Sea restaurants remains a major plus, and the 26 guestrooms in seven buildings now feature private decks, freestanding tubs, and handsome furnishings. Guests have access to Spa Adeline with its three treatment rooms and options such as an essential oil wrap with full-body exfoliation and scalp and foot massage.
Whichever resort you choose, Monterey awaits with relaxation, rejuvenation, and rave-worthy restaurants.
