The Best Hotels in Solvang, California, for Every Traveler

Plonk yourself in a European village-style property with lashings of grown-up fun. Guest rooms have large grayscale murals of rural landscapes and come with Malin+Goetz bath products – while some offer valley views. The relaxed V Lounge has a happy hour from Thursday to Monday and serves Californian-Danish small plates – plus local craft ales and wines. There’s also a freeform dipping pool and hot tub.

Lover of the outdoors? Book a room at Hotel Ynez, where an estate the size of two football fields houses plenty of alfresco attractions. There’s a restored 1950s dipping pool, bonfire pits circled by wooden Adirondack chairs and a cushioned lounger bed. Dine under the Californian sky, enjoy the complimentary continental breakfast in the mornings and a tipple from local vineyards come sundown. Rooms and suites have a boho-beach vibe – complete with Bolivian hammocks out front.

The M may have been the first motel in town, but won’t you see any flickering neon signs here. Instead, you’ll stay in a classic piece of Solvang architecture, which is styled on Danish provincial properties. The guest rooms and suites have a cottage-like feel, with plenty of wood and antique furniture. Enjoy a morning stroll around the pretty English gardens – before taking the five-minute walk to downtown.

Stylish simplicity is the hallmark of this Solvang hotel. The rooms are practical, dressed in an inoffensive blue-and-red color scheme and come complete with coffee machines. Outside, there’s a bocce ball court and a faux-grass garden with loungers. A stay here includes complimentary use of the hotel bikes – it’ll take you seconds to ride to the Wilding Museum, home to nature-focused art and not much further on to the playgrounds and picnic spots of Hans Christian Andersen Park.

Resort-style amenities make the WorldMark one of the best hotels in Solvang for families. For the little ones, there’s a kids’ pool, plus a games room with table tennis. For the adults, there’s a pair of hot tubs and a fitness center – while the rooms are homey with a fireplace. There’s plenty to see nearby, too, including the River Course at Alisal – a championship golf course with views of the Santa Ynez Mountains – and the Solvang Festival Theater, a 700-seat amphitheater with a varied events calendar.

Combining the exterior look of an English country house with guest rooms inspired by Scandi minimalism, the Landsby has a cosmopolitan charm. The food and drink, though, are purely local – book a tour of the valley’s wineries, then come home to Manila clams and Santa Ynez wagyu burgers at the Mad & Vin restaurant.

There’s something reminiscent of the 70s in the dark wood and burnt-orange stylings of your room at the Hotel Corque, but the view from the balcony – over the Santa Inés Mission and the Santa Ynez Mountains beyond – is utterly timeless. The best of the valley’s wine and freshest produce are available at Willows restaurant.

The chateaus and cottages of Wine Valley Inn sum up the old-world charm of Solvang, with its sturdy beams, wooden floors and wood-burning stoves. Danish pastries and coffee in the breakfast room are the best way to start the day – while bikes are on hand for you to explore Solvang like it’s Copenhagen. Don’t miss the quiet pathways and meadows of Hans Christian Andersen Park.

It may be named for royalty, but there’s nothing stuffy or pretentious about the King Frederik Inn – which has an easy charm permeating its traditional rooms. The homey atmosphere is compounded by the fresh Danish pastries, delivered fresh daily to your door. The outdoor pool and spa are heated, so you can enjoy them year-round – perfect after a day’s hiking in the mountains.

The Kronborg Inn is an exercise in fusion: describing itself as a “French boutique inn with Danish architecture”, there’s also a traditional Dutch windmill by the entrance. The effect is a cozy European aesthetic, which extends to the rooms and suites – upgrade to the jacuzzi suite for comfy sofas and a spa bath. Wine tours to the acclaimed wineries of the valley are on offer.

With stone walls and wooden beams thick with ivy and lit atmospherically by lanterns, the Mirabelle is lovely even by Solvang’s high standards. The rooms contain period touches such as antique armchairs and Renaissance fireplaces alongside mod-cons such as smart TVs and whirlpool bathtubs. The third-floor wine lounge and library – and the fireside room downstairs – encapsulate the Danish concept of “hygge” and are both places where it’s easy to watch the hours melt away.

This half-timbered hotel combines a medieval exterior with stylish, modern rooms and suites – with elegant touches such as crystal chandeliers and patios with private firepits. Bikes can be borrowed for free for you to explore the Danish bakeries, boutiques and architecture of Solvang Village Square. However, if you’re getting acquainted with the area’s wineries or brewpubs, it may be better to go on foot.

The emerald-green, timbered exterior of Svendsgaard’s Danish Lodge certainly catches the eye and the lodge-style coziness continues within – where deep armchairs and brick fireplaces set the tone. Get a feel for Solvang’s Spanish history at the Mission Santa Inés directly across the street – before visiting the Solvang Windmill just next door, one of four in town. The Elverhøj Museum of History and Art is full of insights into Danish culture and the history of Solvang.