Originally Posted by francophile
Great choices. Someone mentioned San Ysidro ranch, but it's not on the beach. For Santa Barbara, in addition to Bacara (which is up the coast several miles), also consider
http://www.fourseasons.com/santabarbara/.
For Monterey, right on the water (actually, IN the water):
http://www.woodsidehotels.com/monterey/monte_home.htm, but there have been some complaints on service. Can't beat the location though.
Second Hotel BelAir (but also not on the beach). For LA beach hotel, consider
http://www.shuttersonthebeach.com/.