Cuyama Buckhorn

Masterminded by celebrated Los Angeles architect George Vernon Russell in 1952, the 21-room midcentury roadside resort in the Central Valley—once a bustling oil town—was impeccably reimagined in 2021 by owners and architects Ferial Sadeghian and Jeff Vance with hints of nostalgia and the Old West. Choose from a plethora of activities from nearby hikes and scenic day trip drives to lounging poolside. At night, grab a complimentary in-room s’mores kit with all of the essentials and head to two communal firepits, or stare at the stars by the warmth of a freestanding vintage yellow fireplace.  

Dawn Ranch

Tucked in a woodsy enclave in Guerneville, the 22-acre retreat features 86 accommodations—spanning chalets, bungalows, spa cottages, cabins, and glamping tents—a spa with hand-crafted redwood soaking tubs, coffee shop, and an on-site farm-to-table restaurant, The Lodge. Designed by Bridgeton (of Marram in Montauk and Walker Hotel in Greenwich Village and Tribeca) in collaboration with Brian Smith and Whitney Clark, the hideaway offers Retrospec bikes for exploring town, and Swarovski Optik binoculars and in-room birding guide books. Activities range from flower-pressing to meditation and yoga. On chilly winter nights, warm up in front of the communal firepit at The Lodge, or by your own individual firepit at the spa cottages and glamping tents. 

Azure Sky

Originally constructed in 1929, the revamped 14-room desert oasis is teeming with midcentury style. Transformed by interior design firm Lightning Bar Collective in Palm Springs—whose projects include Holbrooke Hotel in Grass Valley and National Exchange Hotel in Nevada City) and reopened in 2022, the property features an outdoor pool and jacuzzi; a bar; and rooms and suites boasting varying design features depending on room type including custom-designed floating wooden beds; outdoor patios with hammocks; yoga mats; kitchenettes with cookware and induction stovetops; and mini-fridges. In the spacious “Meadow,” an expansive courtyard lawn area, watch the sunset and get acquainted with fellow guests around an ultra-long, rectangular firepit flanked with built-in planters. 

Farmhouse Inn

Overhauled in 2001 by owners and siblings Joe and Christina Bartolomei, the idyllic 25-room boutique hotel in Sonoma County feels worlds away with manicured gardens, a wellness barn, and an on-site restaurant helmed by husband-and-wife duo, Craig Wilmer and Amanda Hoang. Accommodations range from Farmhouse rooms in an original building dating to 1873, to spacious 850-square-foot barn one-bedroom suites with two-person soaking tubs and dual-sided fireplaces. Guest perks are abundant with minibars stocked with complimentary snacks and non-alcoholic beverages; complimentary parking; nightly in-room milk and house-made gluten-free triple chocolate chip cookies at turndown, nightly complimentary wine tasting experience; and nightly s’mores around the communal firepit with roasting forks, homemade vanilla marshmallows, Valrhona chocolate and graham crackers.