La Valencia Hotel

Known locally as the Pink Lady for its rose-coloured stucco, La Valencia opened in 1926 on the cliff above La Jolla Cove and remains one of southern California's better-known Mediterranean Revival buildings. The public rooms include La Sala, a lounge with painted ceiling beams and a sea view, the ocean-facing Mediterranean Room, the Whaling Bar, and a Cabana Bar beside the heated pool. Terraces step down towards the water, and the grounds open directly onto Prospect Street, La Jolla's main shopping run. There is a spa on site, and the hotel belongs to the Preferred Hotels LVX collection. The atmosphere is old-money rather than design-led. The cove, the Children's Pool seal colony and the Coast Walk Trail are all a few minutes away on foot.