Hotel at a Glance: Pacific Edge Hotel

You won’t have to go far to find a beach here—just like its name says, Pacific Edge Hotel is right on the coast. Simply step outside to walk along the beach or work on your tan from the comfort of a lounge chair.

• Direct beach access: From this hotel’s doors, it’s only a short trek to the beach.
• Dine alfresco: Savor fresh seafood at two oceanfront restaurants, The Deck on Laguna Beach and Driftwood Kitchen.
• Village and beachfront rooms keep you connected with WiFi (included with your resort fee).
• The daily $15 resort fee includes property-wide high-speed WiFi, access to an offsite fitness center (classes not included), and beach amenities (beach loungers, umbrellas, and towels) set up by a beach attendant.

Laguna Beach, California: Seaside Art Community with Cliffside Mansions and Tide Pools

Laguna Beach is widely known as an affluent seaside community just off the iconic Pacific Coast Highway, thanks in part to the MTV reality show Laguna Beach. The Orange County city has its fair share of elaborate mansions, high-end boutiques, and upscale restaurants, but what sets Laguna Beach apart is its artistic scene. The city’s artistic community is set mainly in the Laguna Village neighborhood, where visitors can browse galleries and watch artisans working in their studios.

In typical Southern California fashion, visitors are drawn to the city’s Main Beach, where they lounge by the ocean and play volleyball along the boardwalk. Toward the beach’s north end lies Bird Rock, a towering rock formation where seabirds often gather. Sea slugs, red urchins, and sea cucumbers can be spotted swimming in the tide pools around the rock when the tide ebbs.