The 12 Best Hotels in Newport Beach

Fifteen acres of Newport Beach waterfront, a Forbes Four Star resort where the concierge can send you off in a vintage Mustang, color of your choosing, with maps and a packed picnic basket. Summer concerts, outdoor films, and Fourth of July barbecues keep the calendar full. Drive the coast toward Laguna Beach, and if the timing cooperates, blue whales and dolphins are out there doing their thing too.

1. Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Four Star
2. AAA Four Diamonds

Anchored in Fashion Island with floor-to-ceiling windows pulling California sunshine into every room, this hotel earns its Michelin Key for putting SoCal polish ahead of resort cliche. Art deco interiors run through 295 guest rooms, a sleek steakhouse, and a pool bar pouring Baja-flavored bites alongside cocktails. Ocean views are easy to come by here, which is either the point or the whole thing, depending how long you plan to stay.

1. Michelin Guide 1 Key
2. Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Recommended

Complimentary Stanley coolers and beach bags packed with towels greet you at check-in, which sets the tone for this 25-room boutique hotel one block from the Balboa Peninsula shore. The rooftop deck looks out over the harbor, and the whole place leans hard into the idea that you came here to do nothing useful. A low-key, sun-faded-in-a-good-way escape for anyone who doesn't need a sprawling resort to feel like they're on vacation.

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Four Diamonds

1. AAA Four Diamonds

1. AAA Approved

1. AAA Approved