california

California, considered.

From sun-drenched coastline to redwood forests and high desert, California is less a state and more a collection of worlds. You can ski Lake Tahoe in the morning and be poolside in Palm Springs by nightfall. You can start your day with oysters in San Francisco and end it with mezcal in Baja-adjacent LA. Whether you’re chasing design hotels or secret surf breaks, it’s all here—if you know where to look.

We’ve filtered the fluff and skipped the clichés to bring you the California we actually return to. Boutique hotels with point of view. Restaurants worth a detour. Slow road trips, backdoor wine tastings, and the best places to be at sunset.

Where to go. Where to stay. What to skip. What to savor.

Every moment, considered.

Looking for a region?

Los Angeles

Northern California & Wine Country

The Desert

The Mountains

The Central Coast

Where we eat

Farm-to-table before it was a trend. We like our meals with a view, a twist, or a very good wine list.

Explore restaurants
where we sleep

Design-forward, boutique, and always in the know. No corporate towers. No cookie-cutter rooms.

View Stays
what we do

Vintage shopping in Echo Park, trail riding through wine country, soaking in mineral springs at midnight.

See experiences

Need to know

California is year-round, but the best time depends on where you’re headed. Spring and fall are sweet spots across the board—fewer crowds, better weather. Summer is ideal for coastal drives, winter for desert escapes and ski trips.
Don’t try to do it all in one trip. California is deceptively huge. Pick 2–3 regions and go deep. LA pairs well with Palm Springs. SF flows into Sonoma. Big Sur deserves at least two nights.
California is casual but curated. A place where $500 jeans and gas station tacos coexist. Don’t expect fast service, but do expect people to be friendly—and for the coffee to be very, very good.

Hala hit list

A few of our forever favorites.

The Sur House, Big Sur

Cliffside dining with sweeping Pacific views—come for golden hour, stay for the abalone.

The Proper Hotel, Downtown LA

A Kelly Wearstler-designed base that makes downtown feel like a destination again.

Harper’s LA, West Hollywood

Hidden entrance, vibey lighting, scene-y but somehow still cool. Perfect night starter.

Solage, Calistoga

A mineral spa resort that makes Napa feel a little less buttoned-up.

The Mojave Flea, Joshua Tree

A design market-meets-concept store—desert energy with very good vintage.

The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern, Los Olivos

An old stagecoach stop turned Auberge hotel. Rustic-chic meets wine country ease.

if you have 48 hours

START IN LA

Wake up in West Hollywood. Coffee at Maru, boutique browse along Melrose Place, lunch at Gjusta in Venice. Afternoon beach walk in Malibu, then a sunset drink at Little Beach House. Dinner at Bestia. Stay out or head back to your room at the Santa Monica Proper.

GO DESERT

Drive to Joshua Tree. Stop at Pioneertown for a beer. Check into a design-forward Airbnb or boutique motel. Explore the park’s surreal boulders, then soak under the stars at The Castle House Estate or a private hot tub in Yucca Valley.

GO COASTAL

Early start for Big Sur. Breakfast in Santa Barbara, then take Highway 1 north. Stop at McWay Falls and Bixby Bridge. Check into Deetjen’s or Ventana. Dinner at Nepenthe, wine in the clawfoot tub back at your cabin.

END IN SF

Arrive via Half Moon Bay. Coffee in the Mission, lunch at Swan Oyster Depot, sunset at Alamo Square. Stay at The Battery or 1 Hotel San Francisco. Finish with cocktails at ABV or Trick Dog—California, closed.