The most expensive destinations in California

Beverly Hills is living up to its celebrity and high-priced shopping image this summer. The California city with the star-studded 90201 zip code has just earned the distinction of being the state’s most expensive destination. The most recent survey from TravelMag.com came to this conclusion after comparing the Golden State’s various destinations based on their lodging cost. The summer 2015 timeframe served as the basis of comparison.

Photo: Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills (Photo via Flickr)

In coming up with the rankings, the survey established the nightly price a summer guest can expect to pay for the most affordable room in each destination. It must be mentioned that hotels with less than a 3-star rating and those not situated in close proximity to the city center or beach were excluded by the survey.

When the results were tabulated, Beverly Hills took the top spot with an average overnight price tag of $239 for its least costly room. The second- and third-place finishers trailed Beverly Hills only slightly. Per-night rates of $235 and $234 respectively secured Palo Alto and Santa Monica the number two and number three slots on the survey. Palo Alto’s Silicon Valley location and Santa Monica’s beachfront locale contributed to their high summer price tags.

The following table shows the 20 most expensive destinations in California based on the average rate for their cheapest available double room (minimum: 3-star hotel) during the time period spanning June 1 through August 31, 2015.