The Best Resort In America Is The Ultimate Oceanside Escape Out West With Chic Design And Stunning Views

With so many stunning beach destinations to choose from, Southern California attracts millions of visitors each year along its shores. From Los Angeles to San Diego, there are plenty of beach towns and cities to explore, including Oceanside, one of California's coolest coastal cities with New England vibes. It's here where you can find the best resort in America, known for its chic design and picture-perfect views along the Pacific Ocean.

The Mission Pacific Beach Resort took top honors among the readers of Travel + Leisure for the number one resort in the continental U.S. and in California for 2024 in its "World's Best Awards" contest. Given its ideal beachfront location, a rooftop bar with amazing sunset views, and its Michelin-rated on-site restaurant, it's easy to see why. The magazine notes the property, which opened in 2021, is a first-time entry into the competition where readers rank properties based on value, location, facilities, service, and food. The resort was also ranked the #1 resort in San Diego and a Travelers' Choice among Tripadvisor members. With its accolades and amenities, The Mission Pacific Beach Resort is poised to join fellow San Diego-area property the Hotel Del Coronado as one of the 10 best beach resorts in the U.S. for family vacations.

Getting to the resort is easy and walkable from the Oceanside Transit Center, which serves as a stop on Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner train connecting to Los Angeles and points in between. From San Diego, you can also take the Coaster commuter train, Greyhound, or FlixBus service for an easy car-free getaway weekend. Once you've arrived, the sandy beach and sun await at your doorstep.

Under Hyatt management, the resort features 161 rooms, 38 of which are suites, with artwork in the rooms and around the property curated by the Oceanside Museum of Art. Many rooms also come with balconies boasting ocean views. A basic room ranges from 337 square feet to 394 square feet, featuring amenities including flat screens with premium channels, coffee makers, beverage coolers, and complimentary Wi-Fi. A studio suite is 449 square feet, while the Dreamscape Ocean Front one-bedroom suite is 626 square feet. This lavish space features a separate living area from the bedroom and standard amenities. The Bohemian one-bedroom suite with kitchenette is 894 square feet, with a 65" flat screen and ocean view. For the ultimate in luxury and space, book the oceanfront Ethereal Presidential two-bedroom suite, an impressive 1,290 square feet offering two king beds, 2.5 bathrooms, and a minibar with complimentary snacks. 

You'll find the pool, hot tub, and lanai on the sixth-floor rooftop encased in a glass safety wall. These amenities overlook the famed Oceanside Municipal Pier and the Pacific Ocean with sandy beach stretching for miles in every direction. The adjacent Rooftop Bar is outside the gated pool area, and poolgoers can order poolside from the menu, which includes snacks, small plates, and seafood delicacies such as oysters, octopus, and tiger prawns. The resort is also dog-friendly, so your four-legged family member can join you.

You'll find ample ways to please your palate while at the resort and its sister property next door, the Seabird Ocean Resort & Spa. Daytime dining is anchored by High/Low Oceanfront Cafe, serving breakfast and lunch classics, including house-made clam chowder. It's a popular spot for sipping cocktails, beer, wine, and champagne. Evening dining is flanked by Valle, a Michelin Star and Wine Spectator Award of Excellence restaurant, offering an eight-course tasting menu featuring cuisine and wine from Mexico's Guadalupe Valley, with no passport required. It's open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., with the bar with its street-level ocean views opening at 4 p.m. Try a handmade High-pie, a handmade pie filled with fruits and mascarpone ice cream and fried to perfection, inside the on-site "Top Gun" house, famous from the 1986 classic movie. The restored Victorian house also contains movie memorabilia, a storybook to peruse, and a replica Kawasaki motorcycle to match the one Tom Cruise rode in the movie.

If you want to indulge in some pampering, the resort's spa services are offered next door at Seabird Ocean Resort & Spa, open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunny's Spa & Beauty Lounge was voted #1 Spa in California by USA Today readers. Here, you can experience a 100-minute Soul Ritual treatment, a rejuvenating experience that includes a body scrub, a healing wrap, and a full-body massage. Other treatments include a full array of hair and nail services, massages, IV therapy, facials, and more.

If you choose to venture away from the resort, consider Carlsbad, an underrated beach town full of family-friendly fun, which is an easy four-mile trek south, with train and bus options.