With just eight units, Lokal feels somewhat residential, which is the exactly the point. The rooms are improbably elegant, with their contemporary-rustic décor and their subtly upscale details, and the waves, while not being the first thing that comes to mind when you think of New Jersey, are good enough to draw surfers from all over the tri-state area.

Ponta dos Ganchos sees more guests arrive by helicopter than by sputtering VW surf-van, but that doesn’t make the nearby surfing at Santa Catarina any less legitimate. It’s some of the best in Brazil, and back at the hotel, you get what you pay for — a chic little bungalow tucked into the lush hillside, with a hammock and chaise on the private veranda for taking in the sea views.

Hotelier-to-be Stefanie Tannenbaum was stranded in Nosara on a 2020 surf vacation, and made the absolute most of it: not only permanently relocating but eventually opening Sendero, a lovely little boutique hotel set a mere hundred or so paces from the beach at Playa Guiones, one of Costa Rica’s most famous surf spots.

A low-slung modernist hotel, stylish but unpretentious, situated right on Popoyo, a legendary surf beach, in a part of the world that’s developed enough to be hospitable but nowhere near overdeveloped. Every room has a view of the ocean, so you can check the surf conditions before you get out of bed. Basically, 99 Surf Lodge is perfect.

Noah is everything you’d want from a hip, laid-back, bohemian boutique surf hotel, plus a generous helping of the ultra-sleek modernist architecture and design that has become the new standard among Portuguese hotels. This is no mere surf-themed boutique hotel — they’re as serious as can be about surfing here, and they’ve got the surf school to prove it.

Hotel Escondido is “barefoot luxe” at its apex, a sort of impossibly stylish version of beach-bum living, its sixteen bungalows smallish and spare but perfectly formed. The location doesn’t hurt either, situated as it is right on the beach in Puerto Escondido, mere steps from some of Mexico’s best surfing, including the infamous Mexi-Pipe.

El Salvador’s Puro Surf Hotel is an inspired and inspiring place to stay, combining local craft and construction with modernist lines and colors, all accompanied by a laid-back, friendly vibe you don’t need to surf to enjoy. And their Puro Surf Academy is the real deal, priding itself on its ability to take total surf novices “from zero to elite.”

You and the Sea pretty well sums up the experience at this stylish apartment-style boutique hotel, set within walking distance of Praia do Sul beach, in the Portuguese surf mecca of Ericeira. This is a fantastic place to learn to surf, with breaks that are suitable for any skill level, and the hotel has an extensive menu of lessons available.

Few things lie more squarely within the Australian expertise than this sort of laid-back, effortlessly chic seaside escape. Bask & Stow is just a few minutes’ walk from the main drag and famous breaks of Byron Bay. The neighborhood provides the low-key, residential vibe, and Bask & Stow is nowhere near large enough to spoil it, with just five suites and a stand-alone three-bedroom cottage.

The Surfrider is inspired by California’s beach houses and surf culture. Inside, the look is pared-down and elegant, a sort of bohemian minimalism full of organic textures, reclaimed teak floorboards, and modern-rustic furnishings from local designers. Outside, you’re just across the PCH from Surfrider Beach, and the hotel has boards available should the urge to surf become too powerful to ignore.