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.

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.