The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel

What the classifiers highlight

Set atop a 150-foot bluff above the Pacific in Dana Point since 1984, the hotel underwent a $50 million renovation that sharpened its sense of place. Forbes points to a dining lineup unusually deep for the brand, from Kahani's modern Indian menu to Taikun's omakase and Raya's pan-Latin plates, alongside surf lessons and women's surf clinics on the beach below.