C For Men

Short and Suite

by slh

Three luxurious California getaways fit for romantic long weekends

When schedules don’t allow for an ocean-crossing, time zone-shifting honeymoon, there’s the mini-moon. The abbreviated—but no less luxurious—local getaway to help newlyweds gracefully come down from their celebration is steadily gaining in popularity. Here, three time-tested resorts where you can do just that.


For 130 years, newlyweds have retreated to charming Coronado Island to stay at the Hotel del Coronado. Opt for a roomy cottage practically on the sand at Beach Village, which comes with private concierge, access to exclusive pools and primo sunset vistas. Add an indulgent multicourse dinner, cooked in your dwelling by a master chef. Rooms from $319/night. hoteldel.com.


If timeless glamour is your vibe, a few nights in a Canyon Suite—complete with a spa pool, private outdoor terrace and fireplace—at Hotel Bel-Air is a flawless post-nuptial treat. On your itinerary: a candlelit dinner at Wolfgang Puck’s on-site restaurant, an appointment in the waterfall-adorned private spa suite The Enclave, and a stroll around the famed Swan Lake with a gourmet picnic basket. Rooms from $545/night. dorchestercollection.com.


For a winning combination of seclusion and Pacific Ocean views, check in at The Resort at Pelican Hill. Up for a tantalizing Dinner of the Senses—in which each multisensory course is savored sans utensils in a private cabana? Or, stay in to enjoy your opulent bungalow (request one numbered in the high 400s), where deep marble soaking tubs fit two, and Italian limestone-framed fireplaces await. Rooms from $495/night. pelicanhill.com.

Written by KATHRYN ROMEYN.