Local lodging destinations get top marks in Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards

Three local hospitality destinations have been recognized by Travel & Leisure as best in their class in the U.S., with one of them earning a worldwide ranking.

In the travel publication’s annual World’s Best Awards, Rancho La Puerta in Tecate - located about 45 miles southeast of San Diego - was named the No. 1 international wellness retreat. Long a popular destination for both San Diegans as well as visitors from around the country, Rancho La Puerta has received the top honor multiple times, most recently in 2024.

Closer to home, the 13-room Orli boutique hotel in La Jolla was ranked third among the best inns in the continental U.S., while the Mission Pacific Beach hotel in Oceanside came in at No. 12 among the best resorts in the country.

Each year, Travel & Leisure asks its readers to weigh in on their favorite hotels, resorts, cruise ships, airlines, and more. This year, more than 207,000 readers voted in the survey. Together, they cast 661,000 votes, across more than 10,088 total properties, from hotels and cities to spas and islands.

The magazine describes the 4,000-acre Rancho La Puerta just south of the border as encompassing 40 miles of hiking trails, an organic farm, holistic spa treatments, and a culinary school. Founded in 1940 by Deborah Szekely and her late husband Edmond Szekely, Rancho La Puerta is known for its broad array of fitness offering, including yoga, water aerobics and Tai Chi, plus healthy pescatarian meals sourced from an on-site organic farm.

"We are incredibly honored and humbled to receive this accolade by the readers of Travel + Leisure once again," said General Manager Eliezer Quiñones. "This achievement is a true testament to our incredible staff and supportive guests, who we consider our friends and family. This recognition is a meaningful reminder of the enduring legacy of the Szekely family that we are proud to carry forward.”

Among the best inns in the U.S., the Orli La Jolla was the only San Diego property to be recognized as one of the top inns. The hotel, part of which is housed in a 1913 building designed by architect Irving Gill, was just last year among 37 U.S. properties to be designated Key hotels by the prestigious Michelin Guide. The “key” awards are akin to the star ratings the Michelin Guide gives out for highly regarded restaurants. The only other San Diego hotel getting a Michelin key was the Lafayette on El Cajon Boulevard.

Open for nearly four years following a $5 million reimagining of the property, the Orli consists of an historic front building that houses seven guestrooms and a lounge area, plus an annex that was added in 1985 and has six guestrooms.

In the category of best resorts in the continental U.S., the 161-room, seven-story Mission Pacific Beach hotel snagged a No. 12 ranking. It was the only San Diego resort to land in Travel + Leisure’s top 15 U.S. resorts. Two years earlier, the waterfront resort was named No. 1 in the same category.

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