Sausalito

The The Gables Inn (62 Princess St., Sausalito, 415/289-1100, www.gablesinnsausalito.com [1], $200) inn was opened in 1869 and is the oldest B&B in the area. Each of the nine rooms is appointed in tasteful earth tones, with white linens and bountiful bathrooms. Though this inn honors its long history, it has also kept up with the times, adding cable televisions and Internet access. Genial innkeepers serve a buffet breakfast (available for a couple of hours) each morning and host a wine and cheese soiree each evening.

With a checkered history dating back to 1915, the Hotel Sausalito (16 El Portal, Sausalito, 888/442-0700, www.hotelsausalito.com [2], $178–325) may once have been a speakeasy, a bordello, and a home for the writers and artists of the beat generation. Today, this tiny boutique hotel, with its yellow walls and locally built furnishings, evokes the Mediterranean coast. Sink into your cozy room after a day spent walking or biking along the water and a scrumptious dinner out.

Then there’s the Casa Madrona Hotel and Spa (801 Bridgeway, Sausalito, 800/288-0502, www.casamadrona.com [3], $325–575). This sprawling collection of structures, built up the side of Sausalito [4]’s hill over the course of 100 years, houses contemporary luxury hotel rooms and suites that satisfy even the pickiest celebrity guest. Poggio, the on-site restaurant, serves award-winning Italian food, and the full service spa pampers guests with a full menu of body and salon treatments. If you’re treating yourself to a room at Casa Madrona, be sure to ask for one with a view overlooking the Bay or the harbor!

For a taste of the life of the richest residents of the area, stay at Sausalito [4]’s Inn Above Tide (30 El Portal, Sausalito, 800/893-8433, www.innabovetide.com [5], $350). Billed as the only hotel in the Bay Area [6] that’s actually on the Bay, the inn sits over the edge of the water looking out over the San Francisco [6] skyline. Most rooms have private decks that let guests take advantage of the sublime views (well, except when it’s foggy).

Inside the rooms, the appointments look like something you’d find in an upscale home rather than a hotel. Guests love the rooms with oversized bathtubs set by windows to take advantage of the Bay views. From the hotel, you can walk downtown to enjoy the shops, spas, and restaurants of Sausalito [4].