Best Hotel Bars in California

California's hotel bars split between San Francisco's grand rooms and the Los Angeles scene around Sunset Boulevard. San Francisco holds the Tonga Room at the Fairmont, with its lagoon and floating band, Starlite, a Regional Honoree for Best U.S. Hotel Bar at the 2026 Spirited Awards, and Bar Maritime and Cavaña, both 2026 Regional Honorees for Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar. Down the coast, The Manor Bar in Montecito was a Top 10 nominee for Best U.S. Hotel Bar in 2026, and the Polo Lounge at The Beverly Hills Hotel keeps the room the hotel calls Hollywood's commissary, complete with its candy-striped ceiling and Sunday jazz brunch. Bar Lis in Los Angeles and a San Diego room complete the set. Every listing is verified by BarMagazine, with the hotel named, the address, the hours the venue publishes and the signature drinks.