After the Biltmore’s $225 million makeover, you won’t find wall-to-wall carpeting or dark, mismatched furnishings, but rather cream stucco buildings with hardwood floors filled with 1920s-era antiques and reproductions. The most stunning part of the overhaul is the $30 million spa and fitness center that overlooks one of the city’s best beaches. Accommodations The 207 guest rooms include 26 suites and 13 secluded, single-story cottages, some with living rooms and fireplaces. Recreation Swim in the one-of-a-kind pool, with tiles and a design that will likely never be replicated. Dining Watch porpoises swim by while you sip mimosas during Sunday brunch at the hotel’s ocean-view Bella Vista restaurant. Worthy Diversion Charter a boat to search the Pacific for California gray whales (January through early April) and humpbacks and blue whales (July through September). Rates From $550 for a standard room to $4,400 for the Odell Cottage.
