Santa Monica – Pacific Palisades – Malibu
Hotel guests and beachgoers alike will want to stop by the new Rosé All Day bar at Shutters on the Beach. Located directly on the sand, the pop-up will be serving rosé and champagne varietals along with summery bites like long-stem strawberries and watermelon and feta salad. Nearby, the Oceana hotel debuts its $25M makeover by designer Anna Busta, complete with 70 newly designed guest rooms, an outdoor pool and lounge with James Perse teak furniture, and a restaurant and bar from Raphael Lunetta. The Pacific Palisades sprang to life last year with the opening of Caruso’s Palisades Village. The 3.5-acre development continues to thrive with the summer openings of Frame denim, cult-favorite grocer Erewhon, and Alfred Coffee. Malibu’s Cross Creek shopping area gets a throwback to its roots with the opening of Fred Segal. The new outpost features a curated selection of California cool clothing and accessories located in the same shopping complex Segal first developed in the early ’70s.
Ojai Santa Barbara
In February the Ojai Valley Inn debuted a $20M epicurean and event center called The Farmhouse. The 30,000-square-foot facility was designed by Napa’s Howard Backen, and Nancy Silverton serves as the venue’s culinary ambassador, curating a variety of experiential culinary events with chefs like Neil Fraser, Dario Cecchini, Ruth Reichl, and Michael Cimarusti throughout the year. More than a decade in the making, the Rosewood Miramar Beach finally debuted its 135 guest rooms and 26 beachfront suites in March of this year. Don’t miss the all-day dining venue from Malibu Farms, the oceanfront Southern Italian restaurant Caruso’s, and innovative retail stores Goop and The Gatehouse, a California concept store curated by James Perse. When the sun sets, head downtown to Hotel Californian’s hideaway bar, Djinn. The Moroccan-inspired intimate library bar features cocktails from Devon Espinosa, who will also bring a monthly cocktail series to the space, called Howl, to coincide with the full moon and include DJ sets and a tarot-card reader. Hide away from it all at the reimagined San Ysidro Ranch, which dates back to 1893 and just reopened after a 15-month closure following devastating wildfires. Long an escape for the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Winston Churchill, and John and Jackie Kennedy, the 500-acre property with 41 cottages renovated 11 of them, and completely rebuilt three of them with private plunge pools. Spa-goers will want to seek refuge at the Four Seasons Santa Barbara’s new wellness activities. Experience a meditation journey as a guide plays Tibetan and crystal bowls, didgeridoo, and chimes; dance and bend outside with the happy hour silent disco yoga, featuring noise-isolating wireless LED headphones; or relax with a Sound Mind Sound Body Massage, with a full body massage enhanced by vibrations from Peter Hess singing bowls, which trigger healing. Or for an uber-luxury experience, book the new Ty Warner villa (from $11,500). Highlights of the 4,000-square-foot beachfront villa include two outdoor entertaining terraces, a private plunge pool, and a 150-square-foot outdoor jungle rain shower.
San Luis Obispo – Big Sur
New to the Tolosa tasting room is the Perinet Tasting Experience ($45), which combines six wines from Tolosa’s sister winery in Spain. The tasting is meant to feel like a trip to the Piorat winery, located 90 minutes southwest of Barcelona, and includes a tasting flight with exclusives such as the 2016 vintage of 1194, Perinet’s flagship wine, of which only 300 cases were bottled. San Louis Obispo also sees the opening of two boutique hotels this summer. Hotel Cerro will offer rooms, suites, and apartment-style contemporary accommodations, while Hotel San Louis Obispo carries a modern-bohemian aesthetic, featuring the works of local artists. No drive up the coast is complete without a stop at Hearst Castle. On the brink of the monument’s 100th birthday next year, the castle is opening its famed Neptune Pool for a handful of dates for guests to swim ($950 per ticket, after becoming a member). Known for its combination of forest-strewn glamping tents and rustic-modern guestrooms, Ventana Inn in Big Sur welcomes guests for the second summer to its SurStream, a mini Airstream located in the heart of the redwoods, offering a full bar with local wines and beer, as well as snacks like falafel and chicken wraps. Adjacent to the inn, the Big Sur Smokehouse opens in July on Highway 1, situated in a restored homestead and offering hearty fare, from Texas-style brisket and Carolina barbecue to California farm-to-table produce sourced from Gardener Pete’s organic farm up the hill. Across the way, perched above the Pacific, The Post Ranch Inn harkens back to the region’s hippie roots with new therapeutic spa treatments, including sound therapies using vibrations, tuning forks, and meditation, as well as a Big Sur Jade Therapy treatment that uses thermo-therapy to stimulate circulation and relieve sore joints. Meanwhile, its acclaimed restaurant, Sierra Mar, stays true to its fine dining roots, and welcomes new executive chef Jonathan Black, who comes to the property from the Michelin three-star Crenn Dining Group in San Francisco and was previously at Quince and Per Se.