Santa Monica is my favorite city in Los Angeles. Yes, it’s a city. Because LA actually contains over 80 cities!
I’m here in beachy West LA and have stayed more than a dozen times at the various boutique hotels dotted along the coast. Here are my thoughts on a few boutique hotels to help you decide the best place to stay in Santa Monica.
If you’ve never been to Santa Monica before, it has everything you need for a stopover from Los Angeles. It’s not far from LAX Airport and you can enjoy shopping on the pedestrian-only 3rd Avenue promenade (and many more on surrounding streets).
The food is also delicious. You can enjoy a wonderful sunset over the Pacific Ocean. If you want to enjoy a cocktail at a cool bar, read about my favorite bars with the best sea views here>
You’ll recognize Santa Monica by its iconic pier, home to the Ferris wheel and Bubba Gump restaurant. The end of the Santa Monica Pier is officially the end of Route 66 (if you’re a Forrest Gump fan). There are plenty of fun activities, bike rentals and tourist shops along the way, beyond the wide sandy beach and down to the sea.
This is actually something you must do. Take a walk along the pier, rent a bike or walk down to the beach and take the 2km walk to Venice Beach past all the buff bodies showing off at Muscle Beach, or take a driverless Waymo car a little further afield.
if you have 1 day in Santa MonicaI have a great little itinerary here on my new site. day trip to usa.
This is the best Santa Monica hotels I’ve stayed and loved:
The Georgian Hotel
This historic Santa Monica hotel is located directly on Ocean Ave and just a short walk from shops. This hotel is one of the closest hotels to the liveliness of central Santa Monica, with stunning views of the beach, pier and dazzling sunsets.
But once inside, the Art Deco décor will have 1930 fans wide-eyed and twirling.
We stayed here for two nights on our honeymoon and loved the streetside veranda where we could enjoy breakfast or a glass of wine. A great place for people watching – when we weren’t looking into each other’s eyes, that’s where it was!
Regent Santa Monica Beach
The former Loews underwent a multi-million dollar renovation to ensure this beachfront beauty will endure for years to come. I stayed here a few years ago and the view overlooking Muscle Beach across from the Santa Monica Pier was unchanged.
But the other day I stopped by to check out the new lobby area and dining options. The fresh flowers that greet you at the front door highlight the elegance of this entire ground floor hospitality space.
When you need a quick snack with your coffee, Sweet July, a cafe where you can enjoy pastries and baked goods, is located in front. But I walked over to Orla, a restaurant spread over two floors with floor-to-ceiling windows. It was breakfast time, so I ordered a bagel, lox, and a latte. So generous that it won me over!
The pool cabana is only available to hotel guests, but I secretly took a photo!
Pierside Santa Monica
Formerly a Holiday Inn, Pierside is a hidden gem of an otherwise plain hotel. It’s located right across from the Santa Monica Pier and has the most amazing six-story mural on its west-facing side.
The Surfing Fox, a first-floor lobby restaurant and bar, is a great place to enjoy a drink or sit at a table on the outdoor streetside patio or central bar. They also serve amazing lobster rolls and fries!
A small swimming pool is built into the wall bordering the highway. But on a hot day in LA, this is a really nice retreat. The room was spacious and the bed was very comfortable, but what really greeted me was the shower. Large walk-in tiled shower with bench seating and rainforest or wall shower head. It’s like a spa!
Instead of providing an iron and ironing board, they thoughtfully added an iron and ironing board for those of us who had delicate, wrinkled clothes in our luggage. Located across the street from Santa Monica Place for shopping and rooftop dining, and two blocks from Third Street Promenade for even more shopping.
Shutters on the Beach
If you’re looking for a premium Santa Monica beach hotel, there’s no better beach hotel than Shutters on the Beach!
The sand is literally outside the front door, and because the hotel is U-shaped, most rooms have panoramic views of Santa Monica Beach beyond the pool and the pier about 200 meters away.
It’s designed like I imagine a Cape Cod vacation home to be. There are wooden shutters on the windows (a nice touch), white wooden furniture in the room, a comfortable chair and bed that is so high you might need a chair from the closet to climb up (I did!), and a bathroom that opens into the bedroom for those romantic moments. A bath with a view!
It is also within easy walking distance to the shopping and entertainment district of Third Street Promenade.
Shore Hotel
This hotel is located on Ocean Drive with only a road between you and the cliff top above the sands of Santa Monica Beach below.
It’s all made of glass and has a sophisticated design. It’s very stylish and has a swimming pool out front but hidden behind frosted glass separating it from the road. It lights up blue even at night.
The hotel’s location is perfect for shopping, literally around the corner from Nordstrom and just two blocks from the pedestrianized shopping street Third Street Promenade.
The place to eat here is Mexican Blue Plate Taco, located on the street right in front of the hotel. It’s the perfect place to people-watch while having a margarita and a bowl of tortilla chips.
Governor of Santa Monica
A former office building from the 1960s is the most understated building in town, blocked off from the road by a high fence that seems to hide the boxy hotel.
The Viceroy Hotel looks really boring, but as you enter the Kelly Wearstler-designed lobby, which has shabby-chic antique mirrors lining the wall behind the reception, you’ll see the pool and cabanas. You will be amazed by this boutique hotel.
Even if you’re not staying here, come by for a poolside drink or make a reservation for dinner. If you stay here, you’ll love the little touches in the rooms and the spectacular views.
It’s a bit further from 3rd Avenue for shopping than other hotels, but a quick walk doesn’t solve the problem!
Fairmont Miramar Hotel
Behind the 100-year-old fig tree, which is said to have been planted in exchange for hotel room fees, is the elegant Fairmont Hotel.
There are two very different types of accommodation here. These are the Garden Villa, which can be accessed through the lobby while taking a walk through the pool and garden, and the hotel suite located in the main building. I have stayed in both and the level of luxury is plentiful.
The former conference room in Bungalow (left in my photo) has been transformed into Bungalow, one of the most popular bars in town. Check out my post about my favorite bars in Santa Monica.
Eden
This art deco hotel, which was Shangri La when I stayed there (actually Streamline Moderne), was recently acquired and renamed by Eden. Painted in dazzling white and enviably positioned on the corner of Ocean Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard, the hotel evokes the feel of an ocean liner from the street.
The interior has been carefully redecorated to reflect its original 1939 features and rooms offer incredible views of the sea.
The rooftop bar is undergoing a full refurbishment and is scheduled to open by the end of summer 2025. Stay tuned.
my top reads Recommendations for the best bars in Santa Monica Several of these hotels feature views, fireplaces, and great bars with craft beer.
If you have time, choose one of the quick road trips from this list. 12 Amazing Day Trips from LA!getget
