Set across a pink, 1926 Spanish-style building and its adjacent annexes, this old-world, oceanfront hotel is a 4-minute walk from La Jolla Cove Beach.

The lounge dates back to 1948, and for the sharp-eyed, boasts some murals — appraised in the tens of thousands, notes Reid—painted by artist Wing Howard, who’d exchanged his work for room and board at the hotel. There’s also a Depression-era piano.