These 5 CA Resorts Land On Best In U.S. List

CALIFORNIA — Five resorts in California have landed on a list of the best in the country from Travel + Leisure.

The Inn at Mattei's Tavern in Los Olivos and San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara both cracked the top five, ranking second and third, respectively.

Readers selected the winning resorts, which had a common theme of "a strong connection to nature," Travel + Leisure reported. Nearly 180,000 readers completed the 2025 survey, with over 657,000 votes cast across 8,700 properties, which were evaluated on everything from service to location to rooms and value.

Here's what Travel + Leisure had to say about The Inn at Mattei's Tavern: "Set in the heart of Santa Barbara wine country, this historic stagecoach stop — which one reader called a 'fantastic understated luxurious hotel' — opened in 1886 and has been transformed into a chic and modern retreat. Guests can enjoy farmhouse-style accommodations with roaring fireplaces and four-poster beds, seasonally inspired dining, and neighboring vineyards and tasting rooms."

Of San Ysidro Ranch, the publication said: "San Ysidro Ranch is nestled in the Montecito foothills, tucked behind a lengthy driveway, lending it an air of exclusivity. It offers 38 cottages surrounded by colorful gardens and has a long history of hosting Hollywood legends and dignitaries, famously including John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis for their honeymoon."

Other ranked California resorts include Solage in Calistoga at No. 9, The Ranch at Laguna Beach at No. 11, and Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa at No. 12.

Here are the magazine's top 15 resorts in the country:

1. Primland Resort in Dan, Virginia
2. The Inn at Mattei's Tavern, in Los Olivos, California
3. San Ysidro Ranch, in Santa Barbara, California
4. Quisisana Resort, in Lovell, Maine
5. Triple Creek Ranch, in Darby, Montana
6. Wildflower Farms, in Gardiner, New York
7. The Dunlin, in Johns Island, South Carolina
8. Madeline Hotel & Residences, in Telluride, Colorado
9. Solage, in Calistoga, California
10. Hotel Hartness, in Greenville, South Carolina
11. The Ranch at Laguna Beach, in Laguna Beach, California
12. Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, in Rancho Santa Fe, California
13. Deer Path Inn, in Lake Forest, Illinois
14. Castle Hot Springs, in Morristown, Arizona
15. The Winnetu Oceanside Resort, in Edgartown, Massachusetts

Check out the full rankings at Travel + Leisure.