05/31/2026
Raise your hand if you're overdue for a real break. If so, there's a Forbes Five-Star resort in Southern California with your name on it.
Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa is 45 acres of citrus groves and Mediterranean architecture just north of San Diego, and it has collected some of the most serious recognition in domestic travel. Forbes Five Star. AAA Five Diamond. Ranked the number one resort in California by U.S. News & World Report. The spa alone is worth the trip.
What makes it stand out: it has the intimacy of a boutique hotel with the amenities of a much larger resort. Fresh-squeezed orange juice delivered to your casita every morning. A Bentley fleet available to borrow. World-class tennis across 20 courts, including red clay. The Pony Room restaurant, serving coastal ranch cuisine that is significantly better than resort dining has any right to be.
If you’re looking for a California trip that doesn't involve LAX or the usual resort experience, this is the one I come back to.