California — Hollywood Glamour & Golden Gate Sophistication 🌉

The Golden State's two great luxury poles: Los Angeles for palm-lined glamour, Beverly Hills bungalows and Pacific sunsets, and San Francisco for Nob Hill grandeur, fog-wrapped bridges and Bay views. Hand-picked stays across both cities — every link takes you straight to Trip.com to check live prices and book.

🏨 Where to Stay — Los Angeles

• The Beverly Hills Hotel ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — "The Pink Palace" since 1912, with 23 private bungalows set in 12 acres of tropical gardens and the legendary Polo Lounge, where Hollywood deals have been struck for a century. LA's grandest, most photographed address.
• Casa Del Mar — smart pick, family-friendly — Trip.com's #10 Luxury Hotel in Los Angeles, a historic 1926 Renaissance Revival building and one of only two hotels directly on Santa Monica Beach. Barefoot beach access, Mediterranean-inspired interiors and genuine California coastal glamour.
• Kimpton Everly Hotel Hollywood — attainable pick — a stylish, well-priced boutique hotel steps from the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with a rooftop pool looking out over the Hollywood Hills and the sign itself — real value in the heart of Tinseltown.

🏨 Where to Stay — San Francisco

• Fairmont San Francisco ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — a 1907 landmark atop Nob Hill where all three of the city's cable car lines converge, host to the drafting of the UN Charter and guests from Marilyn Monroe to five US presidents. San Francisco's most historic grand hotel.
• Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel — family-friendly — San Francisco's first great luxury hotel, open since 1875, with a stunning sky-lit Garden Court, a heated indoor pool under a glass dome, and an unbeatable location steps from Union Square.

✈️ Flights

• Flights to Los Angeles (LAX) — no direct route from Manchester; fly one-stop with Aer Lingus via Dublin, which includes US pre-clearance (around 13 hours total).
• Flights to San Francisco (SFO) — no direct route from Manchester; fly one-stop with Aer Lingus via Dublin, which includes US pre-clearance (around 11 hours total).

🎟️ Experiences

• Griffith Observatory — a free, landmark observatory perched in the hills opposite the Hollywood sign, with sweeping views over LA at sunset, planetarium shows, and a dome theatre modelled on the night sky.
• Golden Gate Bridge — the iconic 1937 suspension bridge spanning the strait between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific, best photographed from the north side or explored on a bike ride across to Sausalito.

🚗 Car Hire & Transfers

• Car Hire — LAX & SFO Airports — genuinely essential in Los Angeles given the sprawl; far less necessary in San Francisco, which is compact and walkable with cable cars and rideshares covering most needs.
• Airport Transfers — to your hotel — fixed-price, door-to-door service; typically 30-45 minutes from LAX to Beverly Hills/Santa Monica, or 25-35 minutes from SFO into San Francisco.