The Best Half Moon Bay Hotels with Eye-Popping Ocean Views.

Being the only five-star hotel in this Californian coastal city, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, presiding over Three Rocks Beach, easily snaps the title of the best hotel in Half Moon Bay with an ocean view.

Waves crash against the rocks below while fog often drapes the property in a mystical morning haze, creating the kind of raw coastal beauty that draws visitors from San Francisco and around the world. Behind the weathered shingle exterior, the lobby sets the scene with floor-to-ceiling windows framing Three Rocks Beach. A stone fireplace adds warmth to the space, while oversized chairs invite guests to linger over morning coffee or evening wine. The sound of bagpipes drifting across the grounds at sunset has become something of a local tradition, drawing both hotel guests and area residents to witness the daily ceremony.

Each of the 261 rooms showcases careful attention to coastal living. Ocean-view rooms, measuring 425 square feet (39.5 square meters), feature private fire pits on stone terraces where the salt air mingles with wood smoke. Inside, gas fireplaces, deep soaking tubs, and beds dressed in Italian linens create a retreat from the elements. The Coastal View rooms offer partial glimpses of the water, while Ocean Front rooms deliver unobstructed Pacific panoramas. Some rooms include private fire pits on their terraces, perfect for watching the sun sink into the Pacific while wrapped in provided blankets.

The property's two golf courses wind along the bluffs, designed to incorporate rather than compete with the natural landscape. The Old Course, dating to 1973, rewards early-morning players with quiet fairways and the chance to spot harbor seals on the rocks below. The Ocean Course presents a more modern challenge, with holes 16 through 18 playing directly along the cliff edge. Non-golfers find their adventures on the coastal trail, which connects to Half Moon Bay State Beach for miles of uninterrupted shoreline walking.

Dining at Navio restaurant means 180-degree ocean views through dramatic arched windows, with tables positioned to watch fishing boats return to Pillar Point Harbor. The menu changes seasonally, though the local black cod with mushroom dashi remains a constant favorite. For more casual meals, The Conservatory serves comfort food with coastal influences - think house-made sourdough and just-caught fish tacos. The Ocean Lawn transforms into an outdoor raw bar in fair weather, where Tomales Bay oysters and local Dungeness crab appear alongside craft cocktails.

As evening approaches, guests gather around the fire pits dotting the coastal trail. Some rooms include private fire pits on their terraces, perfect for watching the sun sink into the Pacific while wrapped in provided blankets. The nightly bagpipe performance signals the end of another day on this remarkable stretch of coast, where luxury meets the raw power of the Pacific.

🔭 Hotel View: Ocean, Mountains, Golf Course

Address: One Miramontes Point Road, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019