Mt. Ada

If you want to look down your nose on Avalon and Catalina Harbor, Mt. Ada is the only place you should stay. The gorgeous old mansion is the former residence of William Wrigley Jr. and his wife Ada, who once owned 99 percent of Santa Catalina Island. It was converted to an inn in 1985 and it’s now the island’s most exclusive inn (at 92 percent occupancy year-round, according to the front desk). If you stay there, count on magnificent views of Avalon and the mountains, plus your own private van-ride from the harbor up to the inn and a private golf cart in case you want to mix with common vacationers or island-folk in town. Maybe the treatment is different if you have money to burn, but don’t expect a warm welcome if you hike up the hill just to see the grounds and enjoy the view—which is both awesome and free, for the record.