The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel

Hollywood can keep its stars, because the one that truly matters is this blockbuster-worthy gem 60 miles south. The reasons industry insiders flock here, again and again, are too numerous to mention, but here are a few: neutral-swathed guest rooms that look like a Nancy Meyers film set, a spa that could restore the most haggard starlet with treatments like the marine collagen-laden Coastal Illuminating Facial, and access to a few of California’s best oceanside golf courses (including Monarch Beach Golf Links, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr.). That the hotel is so incredibly pet friendly that they host a Yappy Hour where dogs can imbibe bacon-flavored water while you sip a cocktail called Merlot Over and Play Dead is just a bonus.

A 396-room beachside icon on a 150-foot-tall bluff, with gushing five-star reviews.

Unpopular. With 80,000-square-feet of event space and three oceanfront wedding sites, don’t expect solace in common areas. This place is beloved and it shows.

You pride yourself on your luxe-meets-granola lifestyle, and the hotel has its own Eco-Adventure Center with naturalist-led excursions.

You never expected to know how to Hang Ten. But after your two hour expert-led surf experience, you’re shredding the gnar with the best of them (a.k.a. At the very least, you know how to wax your board and hit the waves a la Endless Summer).

Raya - Pan-Latin Coastal Cuisine enoSTEAK - Steakhouse The Market Place - Cafe Style, Quick Bites The Dana Pool Cafe - Casual 180blu Lounge Bar Raya