The Best Hotel in Merced, The Central Valley

This 1931 neocolonial home stands regally along M Street; rooms are appointed with antiques and big, soft beds. All rooms have Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs, and four have fireplaces. The immaculately landscaped 1½-acre property has fruit trees and grapevines. Breakfast is hearty and imaginative, featuring locally grown fruit and other ingredients. Across the street is a walking and bicycling trail that runs for a few miles beside the creek.