Warm your soul this season next to a crackling fire. Whether it’s a soaring stone fireplace, an elegant Victorian hearth, or a striking modern flame, we’ve compiled some of the best fireplaces at California boutique hotels and B&Bs for cozying up to during the winter months.  

Granada Hotel & Bistro

An uber-modern, double-sided gas fireplace is the focal point of the private guest lounge and outdoor terrace at the Granada Hotel & Bistro in downtown San Luis Obispo. Backed by a wall of windows, the rectangular steel fireplace is striking in its design. The indoor guest lounge is made all the more inviting with comfy velvet couches, Persian rugs, and photography by Barry Goyette. Guests gather fireside in the lounge to socialize and sip wine and cocktails in the evenings. On the fireplace’s outdoor facing side, the terrace is a quiet space to read and enjoy breakfast in the sun-dappled shade of the trees.

The Inn at Newport Ranch 

When Will Jackson began planning to build The Inn at Newport Ranch near Fort Bragg, he dreamed of creating a walk-in fireplace that you could actually sit in. With the help of a crane, the builders placed stones weighing several tons where his dream hearth would reside before the walls or roof of the inn were ever constructed. Today, that cozy sanctuary is a 20-foot-wide fireplace in the inn’s Newport Room where guests can warm themselves and enjoy a glass of wine while sitting in the fireplace. In addition to the walk-in fireplace, nearly all of the inn’s guest rooms and suites feature wood-burning fireplaces. There’s also a kettle-style fire pit suspended from a trio of metal poles for enjoying an oceanfront fire on the bluff while the sun sets.

Maison Fleurie 

In Yountville, Maison Fleurie (or the Magnolia Hotel as it was originally named) was built in 1873 of stone from local quarries and bricks from a demolished church. It is Napa Valley’s oldest hotel. One of the best-preserved spaces in the hotel is the dining room. Located just off the lobby, a brick fireplace is the focal point of a snug dining room decorated with antique treasures, pendant lights with Edison bulbs, tufted wingback chairs, and an inviting farmhouse dining table and chairs. It’s a cozy place to enjoy the inn’s gourmet breakfasts and evening wine and cheese.

Black Bear Lodge

Just a mile from Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe, Black Bear Lodge blends rustic style with a modern, upscale vibe. The centerpiece of the main lodge is a soaring, 32-foot river rock fireplace in the great room, which also features rough-hewn wood timbers, vaulted ceilings, and a wall of windows. Leather couches and chairs flanking the fireplace and cozy seating in the loft above provide inviting spaces to gather, read, play games, and watch the snowflakes swirl outside. One of Lake Tahoe’s best-kept secrets is the lodge bar, which serves a rotating selection of craft beers, California wines, and small plates that can be enjoyed fireside. In addition, all of the lodge’s guest rooms and cabins feature private gas fireplaces.

Brewery Gulch Inn

Perched above the Mendocino coast, the cathedral-ceilinged great room at the Brewery Gulch Inn is anchored by an enormous four-sided glass and steel fireplace. Fabricated by a local shipbuilder and positioned in the center of the room, a wood-burning fire glows from the glass on all sides and warms the entire room. The fireplace is surrounded by Arts and Crafts-style leather couches, chairs, and tables where guests gather to read, play games, and sample the chef’s culinary creations. Cozy shag rugs and a tall bank of windows overlooking the ocean add to the room’s appeal. For more private fireside relaxation, each of the inn’s 10 guest rooms has a gas fireplace with leather club chairs and cozy blankets.

Channel Road Inn

Built in 1910, Santa Monica’s Channel Road Inn is a rare West Coast example of a shingle-clad Colonial Revival home. Saved from the wrecking ball and lovingly restored, the inn still boasts the original fireplace in the gathering room complete with its original, locally made Batchelder tiles. The tiles were handmade by Ernest Batchelder in his Los Angeles workshop in 1910. Sometimes, people stop by the inn just to see the tiles, which are highly sought-after collectibles. The fireplace, along with the great room’s beautiful woodwork and cozy seating, creates a welcoming space to gather with a glass of wine on a cool winter evening.

Timber Cove Resort

On the rugged Sonoma coastline, a three-story stone fireplace soars up through the exposed wood timbers in the great room of the Timber Cove Resort. The fireplace is original to the 1963 resort, which was designed by a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright. The resort underwent a massive renovation in 2016 to bestow the comforts and amenities of a modern boutique hotel while retaining the resort’s architecture and authentic midcentury vibe. Today, the massive stone fireplace presides over cozy seating areas, a full bar, an impressive collection of vinyl records, and board games and books. The resort also features a retro steel fireplace in the restaurant, gas fireplaces in most of the guest rooms, and two outdoor fire pits, one of which overlooks the ocean.

Hotel San Luis Obispo 

In the heart of San Luis Obispo’s historic district, Hotel San Luis Obispo is a vibrant urban oasis with design-rich common areas for guests to enjoy. Just off the lobby in the S.Low Bar, a large modern fireplace with cozy seating offers an inviting space for sharing cocktails and conversation. It’s also a prime spot for watching the world drift by. The gas fireplace fronts floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of a bustling streetscape and SLO foothills in the distance. From their fireside gathering spot, guests can also catch live music performed in the bar on any given night. In the outdoor courtyard behind the bar, cozy seating surrounds rectangular fire pits made of weathered steel.

Circle Bar B Guest Ranch 

The massive stone fireplace at Circle Bar B Guest Ranch in Goleta has been warming visitors for more than a century. Featuring herringbone stonework and a log mantle, the fireplace was built as part of the original lodge for a children’s camp in the 1920s. Today, it’s the inviting focal point of the dude ranch’s lobby and western-style bar. After a day of horseback riding, guests can curl up next to the fire on cozy couches flanking the hearth. Directly in front of the flames, there’s a large coffee table that is perfect for playing cards or board games. Guests can also enjoy the crackling fire from nearby tables and an upstairs loft overlooking the great room.

Hotel Bel-Air

At the legendary Hotel Bel-Air, world-class luxury emanates from every corner of this Beverly Hills icon, including from three notable fireplaces that are always aflame. One of the fireplaces illuminates the dark and swanky bar which is lined with striking black-and-white portraits of Hollywood legends. An elongated glass and marble fireplace in the hotel’s main restaurant enhances the dining experience with its constant blaze. In the new communal Living Room, guests can gather around a large, four-sided glass fireplace that centers the inviting, botanical-inspired space. In addition to the hotel’s three famous fireplaces, guests can cozy up an outdoor courtyard fireplace or gas fire pits scattered amid the lush gardens.     

San Ysidro Ranch 

Nestled in the Santa Barbara foothills, San Ysidro Ranch is a destination of discreet luxury that has been attracting discerning travelers since 1893. The resort’s legacy of refined hospitality resonates throughout the property, including in the Old Adobe which can be reserved for private fine dining. A California historic landmark dating back to 1825, the Old Adobe is dressed in rustic elegance and features original adornments, including a mesmerizing fireplace built of thick adobe brick. Its soot-stained face elicits tales of early settlers while the crackling fire below casts a warm glow across the room’s rustic walls and wood-beamed ceiling.     

R Inn Napa

The stunning fireplace in the lobby at R Inn Napa looks like a modern art installation of glass and brushed metal. Its sleek lines complement the soothing rhythm of gas-lit flames, adding to the room’s overall appeal as a chic space to unwind. A bank of low-back couches faces the glass-front fireplace, offering guests front-row seating to the fire’s hypnotic performance. Jewel-toned accent furnishings, Italian chandeliers, and floor-to-ceiling windows complete the look of this inviting common area where guests can relax with a book, enjoy a glass of wine or cup of coffee, or meet up with others before a night on the town.    

The Pelican Inn 

Minutes north of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, The Pelican Inn is a coastal Tudor-style country inn steeped in 16th-century English legend and lore. The essence of ancient times is captured perfectly in the traditional pub and restaurant where a recessed inglenook fireplace adds warmth, glow, and story to the room. The fireplace features a hidden “priest hole” which has a trap door leading to a small escape room. The feature is a nod to the Catholic priest-hunting days of medieval England when people would secretly harbor priests from bounty hunters. The mantle above the fireplace reads, “Fear knocked at the door, faith answered, no one was there.”

Old Monterey Inn

The Old Monterey Inn was built in 1929 by Carmel Martin Sr., a grandson of Monterey’s earliest pioneers who laid plans for the City of Monterey and served as its first mayor. His grand, three-story English Tudor features the original wood-burning fireplaces in the dining room and parlor. The dining room fireplace has a unique hammered metal hood with a fleur-de-lis motif. Breakfast is served each morning in the dining room next to the roaring fire. In the parlor, the fire crackles during the evening wine reception where guests can curl up in front of the hearth. Each of the inn’s guest rooms and suites features fireplaces as well.

Highlands Ranch Resort

The heartbeat of Highlands Ranch Resort near Lassen Volcanic National Park is the large wood-burning fireplace located in the resort’s lodge-style restaurant and bar. The rustic-chic space was restored using reclaimed and repurposed materials and exudes an upscale alpine ambiance. Guests can sip cocktails at the bar and hear the fire crackling in the background or sink into one of the comfortable couches fronting the stone fireplace. The fireplace nook is especially popular on snowy days. With its vaulted ceilings and wall of windows, the restaurant and bar area is a fabulous place to watch the snow fall over Childs Meadow. All of the resort’s cottages also feature gas fireplaces.