8 California hotels make Conde Nast Traveler’s list of 100 best

Conde Nast Traveler editors chose eight California hotels for its 2015 Gold List of “100 hotels that change the way we see the world.”

It’s a dream list of top hotels deemed the best of the best in 37 countries on six continents. Twenty-two hotels in the United States made the list, with more in California than any other state.

What makes these hotels so special? A high standard of service, luxury and beauty with “unforgettable special touches that bring a hotel’s ethos to life,” according to the magazine.

Five are in or near Los Angeles: Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica, Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood, Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, Ojai Valley Inn and Spa in Ojai, and Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa in Rancho Santa Fe.

The others are within weekend getaway reach: Ventana Inn & Spa in Big Sur, the Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay (the only Ritz-Carlton among U.S. picks) and Hotel Vitale in San Francisco.

Hotels in the West that made the cut include Montage Deer Valley in Park City, Utah, the Four Seasons Hotel Seattle, and in Hawaii the Halekulani on Oahu, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on the Big Island and the Royal Hawaiian in Honolulu.

Editors, writers and a “network of influencers” made the selections that are based more on experiences than any point system. In a statement, editor in chief Pilar Guzman described the top hotels as “properties that inspire memories that linger long after we’ve left them.”

Check out the full Conde Nast Traveler’s 2015 Gold List.