The Craft: Hotels near West Coast Breweries

“Like your beer? We mean, do you really like your beer? Then there’s only one place for you – the brewing mecca that is the USA’s West Coast. The huge, juicy IPAs that typify West Coast brewing owe most of their distinctive style to the hop varieties grown in the Pacific Northwest. And while many of those hop names reference their origins in the North (Willamette for the valley in Oregon, Centennial for a state festival in Washington – you get the picture), the West Coast has its own brewing culture up and down the western seaboard. Check out these hotels ideal for exploring the West Coast’s unrivalled craft beer scene, from Seattle to San Diego.

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Oxford Suites Chico, California
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It’s really not overstating it to say that Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi pretty much invented craft beer when they founded Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in 1979. The brewery has since grown to become one of the USA’s largest craft breweries with an international reputation for excellence and innovation, setting the bar for the American Pale Ale style that’s come to dominate 21st-century brewing. A visit to Sierra Nevada’s California home is a real beer pilgrimage, and combines well with a hiking trip in the nearby mountains and forests. Oxford Suites Chico is just a 15-minute walk from Sierra Nevada HQ, where you can book brewery tours and tastings.

If you want to see more hotels in Chico, visit our Chico hotels page.

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McMenamins Crystal Hotel, Oregon
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McMenamins has no equivalent in the UK. Sort of an independent brewpub chain, the company was founded in 1983 and has since branched out to cinemas and hotels, usually converted from characterful historic buildings. McMenamins Crystal Hotel in Portland, Oregon is a perfect example – next to the historic Crystal Ballroom music venue, the hotel has its own bar where you can try McMenamins’ own brews. But best of all, one block north is the Portland brewpub of Deschutes, one of the USA’s biggest and best craft breweries – the Mirror Pond pale ale is legendary.

If you want to see more hotels in Portland, visit our Portland hotels page.

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Holiday Inn San Diego North Miramar, California
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Something special happened in San Diego in 2016. Danish beer superhero and self-proclaimed ‘gypsy brewer’ Mikkel Borg Bjergsø put down roots for his Mikkeller brewery in the city, partnering with local craft institution AleSmith. The results have been spectacular – it’s worth the trip to Southern California just for a taste of Mikkeller San Diego’s Waves IPA, heavy on the tropical fruit flavours typical of the West Coast. But the on-site tap room also has a rotating line-up of up to 19 beers on draft. Fortunately the Holiday Inn San Diego North Miramar is a five-minute cab ride away if you want to try a few.

If you want to see more hotels in San Diego, visit our San Diego hotels page.

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Hotel Ballard, Washington
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Like in most cities on the West Coast, beer is booming in Seattle. And everyone wants in on the action – including the Brits. Reuben’s Brews in Seattle’s buzzing Ballard neighbourhood is the brainchild of UK expats and has become established as one of the area’s favourite spots for exceptional quality beer, with its signature porter. And if you want to really explore Seattle’s craft scene, the Reuben’s taproom on 14th Avenue Northwest is also less than five minutes’ walk from neighbours Stoup Brewing, Lucky Envelope and Populuxe. You can reach them all on foot from the conveniently situated Hotel Ballard near the waterfront.

If you want to see more hotels in Seattle, visit our Seattle hotels page.

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Inn San Francisco, California
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If there’s one West Coast brewery that can rival Sierra Nevada for craft heritage, it’s Anchor Brewing in San Francisco. World-famous for its flagship Steam Beer, Anchor was founded in 1896, over a century before the term ‘craft beer’ was coined. Its quality remains, and the company is now exploring distilling alongside its reliable range of classic beers. You can visit for a tour of the brewery with a stay at nearby Inn San Francisco in the Mission District.

If you want to see more hotels in San Francisco, visit our San Francisco hotels page.”