Forget cookie-cutter motels and over-the-top resorts; book your next vacation at a boutique hotel or boutique bed and breakfast. These special lodgings combine the first-class service of a big hotel with the charm and intimacy of a bed and breakfast. The West Coast offers an abundance of unique choices.



Los Angeles is a huge metropolitan area, filled with diversity. Drive south and you'll find a quiet harbor town with an ocean view boutique bed and breakfast. Just minutes from the city, you can enjoy seaside access at a historic boutique inn. A short drive inland and you'll find a quaint old-fashioned village with a modern, sophisticated boutique hotel offering plenty of amenities.

For a Southern California boutique experience, try the Blue Lantern Inn. Nestled atop a bluff overlooking the Dana Point Harbor, the inn is all about location, location, location. This boutique hotel/bed and breakfast is midway between Los Angeles and San Diego. Famous local hot spots such as Doheny Beach and Laguna Beach are just a few minutes away. Better yet, many of the rooms offer views of the harbor and coastline. All of the guest rooms include both a fireplace and jetted spa tub. Guests enjoy both a full breakfast service, as well as afternoon wine and hors d'oeuvres.

Located in Santa Monica, just a few blocks from the beach, the Channel Road Inn is a boutique bed and breakfast with plenty of historic charm. The guest rooms are individually decorated and many have a fireplace, jetted spa tub or a private patio. Each room features fine linens, European bath soaps and DVD players. Guests can borrow movies and books at the front desk. The innkeepers serve a full breakfast, as well as afternoon tea and homemade cookies. Concierge services also are available. Guests can walk or borrow the inn's bicycles and visit local shops and restaurants.

Just east of Los Angeles, you'll find charming Claremont Village and Hotel Casa 425, a modern boutique hotel. Rooms are decorated in contemporary style, opening to the hotel's courtyard. An outdoor living room offers plenty of places to relax, as well as fountains and fire pits. The hotel staff screens movies in this outdoor living room, so you can snuggle up and enjoy the show. The lounge and bar offers a full cocktail menu, as well as selection of fine wines. Claremont Village is loaded with historic ambiance, and plenty of shops and cafes are within walking distance of the hotel.

Boutique hotels and boutique bed and breakfasts are all about personal service and sophistication. These special Los Angeles bed and breakfasts offer everything you'll find at a chain hotel, as well as the charm and unique atmosphere that sets them a world apart from ordinary lodgings.