When you want a feeling of independence from your hotel stay, go west. The Golden State has got you covered.
When the pioneers advanced west across what would become the United States, they were in search of space — more room for themselves, their families, their ideas and their dreams. It’s no wonder then that California, the pinnacle of westward progress, has so many hotels that offer some sort of detached, freestanding accommodation: bungalows, cottages, cabanas, and casitas that give guests more privacy, more independence, more freedom. Below, a bushel of our favorite bungalow-esque hotels in the Golden State.
Avalon Hotel and Bungalows
Palm Springs, California
The Avalon’s hacienda-style Spanish tile roofs and whitewashed stucco walls hide stylish interiors, a modern take on the Hollywood Regency style of the resort’s golden age. Surrounded by manicured gardens and citrus trees, the eponymous bungalows are nearly palatial, sleeping four to six, and feature outdoor banquette seating and parlor rooms.
The Charlie
Los Angeles, California
Charlie Chaplin himself once owned this jumble of bungalows, scattered among incongruously tranquil gardens right in the heart of West Hollywood. Once inhabited by the likes of Marlene Dietrich and Rudolph Valentino, they’re up to date but true to their original English country-house style. Short of acquiring your own Hollywood hideaway, there’s no more private place to stay.
The Bungalows at Retreat
Joshua Tree, California
Situated on the grounds of the Joshua Tree Retreat Center, the Bungalows at Retreat by Homestead Modern are a series of impressively restored midcentury buildings by Harold Zook. And while the 14 rooms, studios, and suites share three structures, each one feels like a freestanding mid-century home, complete with full-length windows that stretch from the concrete floors to the post-and-beam ceilings.
Carneros Resort and Spa
Sonoma, California
The corrugated metal roofs of the cottages at Carneros are striking and unassuming at the same time, and fit well into the landscape of rolling hills and wide-open farmland. Inside, the cottages are simple, tasteful, and more than luxurious enough, with the full range of modern electronics, splendid indoor-outdoor showers, and private garden patios with gas heaters.
La Serena Villas
Palm Springs, California
Despite its central location, just off Palm Canyon Drive, La Serena feels pleasantly private, a compound comprising 18 individual bungalows, each with a kitchenette and a private patio with an outdoor bathtub. They’re not all identical — some are rather more elaborate than others — but all are luxe enough, and certainly more than spacious enough.
Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa
Rancho Santa Fe, California
Rancho Valencia Resort is a quiet retreat in a private canyon near the affluent San Diego residential community of Rancho Santa Fe. Accommodations are scattered about the grounds, hacienda-style, with one or two suites to each casita. Suites feature cathedral ceilings, hand-painted tiles, fireplaces, and above all a generous measure of space. There’s also a world-renowned tennis clinic.
Chateau Marmont
Los Angeles, California
Perhaps the most famous ones on this list, the bungalows at the Chateau have seen more than their fair share of Hollywood drama, intrigue, and tragedy. You’ve heard all those stories before, but what you might not know is that a Chateau bungalow could come with two or three bedrooms, a working fireplace, a full kitchen and dining area, and even a carport with a private street entrance.
Hotel Bel-Air
Los Angeles, California
Built in 1946 in a style that can only be described as romantic Mediterranean, the Hotel Bel-Air, with its rose-colored mission-style bungalows, is about as elite a hideaway as you can find. Hidden by bougainvillea, ficus, orange blossom, and fern, on eighteen acres right in the middle of LA’s most exclusive suburb, the grounds are mapped by terracotta passageways, and the reception area lies just beyond an arched stone bridge.
Belmond El Encanto
Santa Barbara, California
The vibe at Belmond El Encanto is less gleaming opulence and more posh residential village, with the hotel’s accommodations spread among dozens of bungalows scattered over the hillside property. That’s not to say life isn’t luxe here, however. You’ll have at very least your own suite, and quite possibly your own Craftsman-influenced California bungalow.
Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows
Santa Monica, California
The grounds at Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows are planted with lush gardens overlooking the Pacific; the hotel’s own private beach club is accessible via a shuttle. The rooms and suites are handsome and rather understated, with just the right amount of local color and flavor. The most unusual options are the bungalows mentioned in the hotel’s name — 31 colorful freestanding bungalows set amid the hotel’s gardens.
Colony Palms Hotel
Palm Springs, California
Founded in 1936, Colony Palms became a favorite of the Hollywood in-crowd before they eventually decamped for more distant destinations. But now, refurbished and redesigned, it’s once again a luxe and stylish destination that consciously recalls the glamour of the golden age of Hollywood — and Palm Springs. For extra space and privacy, book one of the bungalows, or the hotel’s crown jewel, the Hermann Residence.
L’Horizon Resort & Spa
Palm Springs, California
In its first heyday, L’Horizon Resort & Spa was a private residence and a series of guest houses, and played host to Hollywood luminaries on the caliber of a Marilyn Monroe. Today, under the ownership of celebrity designer Steve Hermann, it’s as pure a dose of glamorous luxury boutique hospitality as you’re likely to find in town, the Residence and surrounding bungalows decked out in a crisp re-imagining of classic mid-century style.
Post Ranch Inn
Big Sur, California
Modernist architect Mickey Muennig settled in Big Sur in 1971, and has been responsible for most of its notable buildings ever since. Post Ranch Inn is his only hotel design, and indeed it’s hard to imagine it translating into some kind of movable hotel template, comprising as it does a number of discreet house designs, each uniquely suited to its location.
Mark Fedeli is the hotel marketing and editorial director for Tablet and Michelin Guide. He’s been with Tablet since 2006, and he thinks you should subscribe to our newsletter.