The Best Apartments in California, USA

Located on the Venice Beach Boardwalk, the suites at Venice Breeze feel like a New York apartment crossed with an airy beach retreat. Large studios and one-bed rooms have red-brick walls and dark-wood floors, but the ocean views and surf decor is pure Venice Beach. Each suite has a full kitchen with a stovetop, microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker, silverware and a small dining table. Take time to revel on the rooftop terrace for a dose of afternoon sun or a golden-hour BBQ.

Play a Los Angeles mover and shaker with a stay at Level Los Angeles, an urban oasis among Downtown LA’s art-deco buildings and public plazas. Furnished one-, two- or three-bedroom apartments are kitted out with Sub-Zero fridges, Bosch appliances and floor-to-ceiling windows. Level also has a fitness center with a trainer, a rooftop pool and basketball court, as well as underground valet parking. The 24-hour concierge service can set up everything from coveted dinner reservations to concert tickets.

The one- and two-bedroom suites at Universal City’s Global Luxury Suites are the next best thing to owning a luxury LA condo. The apartments have kitted-out kitchens with large islands, stainless-steel appliances and recessed lighting. Amenities like a yoga deck, fitness center, volleyball and tennis courts, and even a pool, will make you feel like an instant A-Lister.

While Springhill Suites guest rooms don’t have full kitchens, they do offer more than the standard hotel room. Each suite has a living room, office and kitchenette with microwave, pantry and mini-fridge. Many of Los Angeles’ most famous attractions are within easy reach of the hotel including the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, the Los Angeles Zoo and Griffith Park.

Kasa is in San Diego’s up-and-coming East Village neighborhood, near many of the city’s best breweries, distilleries and restaurants, among them 10 Barrel, You & Yours Distilling and creative taqueria Lola 55. The bright, contemporary one- and two-bedroom apartments have living rooms with geometric-patterned rugs and sofa beds, bathrooms with double sinks and kitchens with ample counter space. Other pluses include washer-dryers and amenities like a heated pool and a fitness center.

This comfortable studio in San Diego’s Marin Hotel, a historic landmark dating back to 1888, has everything you need and nothing more. There’s a queen-size bed, flatscreen television and a kitchenette with a sitting area for two. Convenient contactless check-in is also available. The Gaslamp Quarter, a historic waterfront neighborhood with a mix of Victorian architecture and modern skyscrapers, is San Diego’s center for entertainment and nightlife.

Like a perfect European pied-à-terre, Palihouse Santa Monica’s studio, one- and two-bedroom residences are eclectic and modern. Bespoke wallpaper by Abnormals Anonymous and custom Avi Brosh furnishings – like orange-tree upholstered armchairs – add personality, while putty-colored kitchens with modern appliances are functional. The building, a Santa Monica Historic Landmark dating back to 1927, sports Mediterranean Revival architecture and each apartment is filled with abundant natural light.

Built in 1951 by Herbert W Burns, one of the Palm Springs’ first Modernists, Desert Rivera embodies the swinging post-war style. Funky mid-century rooms have stayed true to the original vision and feature kitchenettes with wooden cabinets, tile backsplashes, starburst wall art and colorful woven duvets.