One of the best parts of Oceanside, California’s glow-up this past decade is the birth of new boutique hotels across the city (if you’re unfamiliar with the West Coast’s new-cool-kid-on-the-block beach town, make sure to check out our Oceanside Destination Guide). From 1960s California-surf-culture-inspired architecture to a coastal-chic boutique hotel with a buzzy rooftop bar, we’ve rounded up the best stays in Oceanside.
The Green Room Hotel
4 Stars | Website | McClellan-Palomar Airport
12 | Free WiFi; Pet friendly; Jacuzzi | 0
Oceanside City Beach; Tamarack State Beach; Magee Park
The Green Room Oceanside is a microcosmical example of the mid-century laid-back surfer culture for which Southern California is known. Stephen Poovey and his wife Brett bought a dingy 1940s-built motel on the Pacific Coast Highway, amidst the shops and restaurants comprising the city’s South Oceanside neighborhood, and turned it into a modern boutique hotel. Its unprepossessing charcoal-hued assortment of adobe-style bungalows house six studios, five one-bedroom suites, and one two-bedroom suite: mid-century furniture, bohemian fixtures, Moroccan rugs, and 1960s-era art adorning walls dresses their interiors. A 10-minute walk from the beach, guests can return from a day on the shore and take advantage of the hotel’s cedar-style hot tub and fire pit.
Mission Pacific Hotel
4 Stars | Website | McClellan-Palomar Airport
161 | Outdoor pool; Beachfront; Fitness center | 3
Oceanside City Beach; Harbor Beach; California Surf Museum
Located right across from the beach and Oceanside Pier, the Mission Pacific Hotel imbues a gentle Southern California-coastal aesthetic — the interior sports earthy textures, neutral tones, and beachy rattan lamps hanging over soothing-toned furniture. Those seeking Vitamin D can head to the heated rooftop pool, where cabanas and lounge chairs encourage soaking up the sun — when here, grab a drink at the Rooftop Bar, where you can look forward to sipping cocktails with a view of the Pacific. Also on the premises are Valle — a lofty restaurant serving California-style cuisine under the culinary talents of Chef Roberto Alcocer — and Top Gun House, Home of the High Pie — a dessert bar occupying one of the iconic filming locations of 1980s hit movie Top Gun, the Victorian-style “Graves House.” Those looking to casually “catch up” with friends should grab a coffee at the hotel’s oceanfront café High/Low (needless to say, there’s nothing like sipping a “cup of joe” while peering out at sea).
The Brick Hotel
5 Stars | Website | McClellan-Palomar Airport
10 | Free WiFi; Bar; Beach nearby | 2
Oceanside City Beach; Torrey Pines State Reserve; Harbor Beach
Functioning as Oceanside’s main hardware store when it was first constructed in 1888, The Brick Hotel is one of the city’s most fantastic stays. When it comes to the design, preserved red brick envelops the exterior, and in many cases, occupies portions of the interior — exemplified in each of the hotel’s 10 rooms, where the material is paired with rose-gold furnishings and vivaciously-patterned wallpaper. The rooftop lounge Cococabana is a vibe and a half, with its enlivening furniture, beachy-hip rattan lamps, creative cocktail menu, and selection of bites.
The Seabird Resort
4 Stars | Website | McClellan-Palomar Airport
226 | Outdoor pool; Fitness center; Pet friendly | 3
Oceanside City Beach; California Surf Museum; The Flower Fields
Mission Pacific Hotel’s sister stay, The Seabird Resort, even though comprising a hefty 226-key room count, feels boutique to its core. It too is right across from Oceanside Pier, which, when it comes to design, functions as a key contributor to the hotel’s seafaring-inspired aesthetic — an example of this is the lobby, where furniture upholstery comprises piercing blues, splashes of punchy yellow, and neutral tones, paired with white walls displaying punctuated nautical-style art pieces specially curated via The Seabird’s partnership with the Oceanside Museum of Art. Grab a bite to eat at Piper, the hotel’s brightly-hued restaurant serving garden-to-table California cuisine. After taking a dip in the hotel’s Pacific-facing pool, lido-side restaurant & bar The Shore Club invites guests to grab a nosh & a drink and play one of its many in-stock board games. When it comes to pampering, the on-site Sunny’s Spa and Beauty Lounge offers a medley of different treatments imbuing a “farm-to-sea” approach that draws inspiration from the sun and nourishes it provides.
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The Fin, a Tapestry Collection by Hilton
4 Stars | Website | McClellan-Palomar Airport
27 | Free WiFi; Beach nearby; Fitness center | 0
Oceanside City Beach; California Surf Museum; Harbor Beach
This charming and affordable boutique hotel dates back to 1927. Vestiges of its past are ubiquitous, from the preserved lobby tiles to the original Spanish-style exterior framing the building on the Pacific Coast Highway. It’s right in the heart of Downtown Oceanside — shops, restaurants, and coffee joints, along with the beach, are right at your doorstep when staying here.
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