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Laguna Beach · Hotel shortlist

The best 3 star hotels in Laguna Beach

Yuna Park

Yuna Park Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong

Updated 1 September 2026 · 124 Laguna Beach hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Laguna Beach, out of the 124 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.8 down to 4.7.

Nomads Hotel is the one I would book myself.

Nomads Hotel

Highest rated of the five

Nomads Hotel

★★★★★4.8 from 895 reviews

Nomads Hotel comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.8 from 895 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 3 star property, found under the station and around $186 a night on the dates we checked.

124 hotels in Laguna Beach qualified for this list and five made it. San Clemente Cove is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Restaurantdinner downstairs on the night you land
  • Bara drink without going back out
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze
  • Kitchenettebreakfast on your own schedule

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All five, ranked

  1. Nomads Hotel1

    Nomads Hotel

    ★★★★★4.8 from 895 reviews

    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

  2. San Clemente Cove2

    San Clemente Cove

    ★★★★★4.8 from 596 reviews

    • Spa
    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Kid friendly
    • Accessible

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  3. Ayres Hotel Fountain Valley - Huntington Beach3

    Ayres Hotel Fountain Valley - Huntington Beach

    ★★★★★4.7 from 1,648 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning

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  4. Homewood Suites by Hilton Irvine John Wayne Airport4

    Homewood Suites by Hilton Irvine John Wayne Airport

    ★★★★★4.7 from 1,146 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Pet friendly

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  5. Ayres Hotel Rialto/Fontana5

    Ayres Hotel Rialto/Fontana

    ★★★★★4.7 from 489 reviews

    • Pool
    • Gym
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

How this list was put together

124 Laguna Beach hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Yuna Park

Yuna Park Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong

Negotiated a fully remote contract and works a month at a time from a different city on home-office hours. Eleven cities in two years. Likes the routine in new places more than sightseeing.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.