The Best Boutique Hotels to Book in Santa Monica, California

This grand old lady of Santa Monica has been welcoming guests since 1933. Her face hasn’t changed much since then, still turquoise and sunshine-yellow with art deco flourishes on show. A striped awning shades the cafe bistro seating, facing the promenade – the perfect spot for a tipple and Mediterranean-style tapas beneath stringed lights as you watch the world go by. Want to get closer to the beach? No problem, the concierge team can arrange a deluxe picnic for you. Sleek and modern rooms are a far cry from the vintage facade, most boasting ocean views for miles.

A rooftop terrace with views of the ocean and a bohemian and eclectic interior; Hotel Erwin captures the spirit of Venice Beach. Funky-chic rooms come with ocean or city views and the suites have stylish mid-century seating areas. If you really want to splash out on something unique, the Red Bull Dogday suite has its own foosball table, oceanview balcony, and graffiti-style art inside. When it comes to sundowners, there’s probably no better spot in Venice than Hotel Erwin’s rooftop bar, as the sky streaks purple and pink over the water.

A bold, street-art mural on the side of this Santa Monica hotel sets the tone here. The hotel is set around The Quad – the ultimate hang-out spot in Venice Beach style. Dappled with stringed lights, there’s a festival atmosphere and the astroturf is furnished with beanbags and loungers, ping pong tables, and fire pits. Crash-pad suites and standard rooms are all bold and bright, dazzled with modern art, and all feature a minibar of pre-mixed craft cocktails. In the morning, the Breakfast Club’s breakfast burritos are sure to set you up for the day.

Steps from the Pacific Ocean, this lavish hotel is a Santa Monica icon. Geometric artworks adorn the exterior and can be found scattered throughout the grounds. Cabanas are decked out like surf shacks amid the Art Deco pool scene. This is also where you find the main dining option, Sugar Palm, which offers craft cocktails and a menu of seafood specialties served under strings of festive light bulbs. When it comes to exploring the area, Santa Monica Pier and beach are just a five-minute walk away, and the hotel offers free bike rentals to get around.

While not directly on the beach, Shore Hotel is just across the street from the Santa Monica Pier, which is perhaps one of the biggest draws of this boutique property. The turquoise and brown color scheme, and the decor made from local recycled materials, are a stylish take on beach chic, while the fact that the hotel uses solar energy and drought-resistant landscaping makes this one of Santa Monica’s best boutique properties. It shows as much love for its guests as it does the environment, with in-room spa services, balconies with ocean views, and a taco joint on-site where guests can grab a bite after hitting the beach.

Casa Del Mar has a beachfront location in Santa Monica, which is surprisingly rare in such a beach-centric city, but there’s much more to this boutique property than its setting. Walking into the lobby, guests are met with a sweeping staircase, iron chandelier, and stained-glass window, and further in, the soft blue and green decor has been put together by White House interior designer Michael Smith. Rooms have beach views and Italian marble jet tubs, though guests can also choose to relax around the guests-only pool or in the Terrazza lounge for cocktails. Extra LA luxury is on offer in the form of gemstone and diamond dust treatments in the spa and in the restaurant, which serves some of the freshest seafood on the coast.

Set in a building that dates back to 1927, the Mediterranean revival-style Palihouse Santa Monica mixes historic elegance with quirky touches such as antlers on the walls, armchairs with peach-printed fabric, pink domed poufs and tartan throws. Some rooms have kitchenettes – perfect for guests who are in town for longer stays – but you may not need to use it, as the restaurant serves impeccable plates of food, made from produce sourced at the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market.

There are only two hotels with beachfront locations in Santa Monica, and Shutters on the Beach is one of them. It was designed by Michael Smith, so there’s a sophisticated vibe to the beachy decor, and the hotel has appeared in TV shows such as Entourage. Sometimes it’s the small things that make a boutique property special, and at Shutters on the Beach guests will discover priceless art pieces on the walls by artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, an on-site sommelier (one of only 96 master sommeliers in the US), and of course, wooden shutters that open to spectacular beach views.

Hotel Shangri-La, built in 1939, is an art deco property just a block from the beach and within walking distance of the Santa Monica Pier. The ocean liner-inspired architecture is just one Instagram-worthy aspect of the property, as is the outdoor pool framed by black-and-white striped loungers and pink towels. In the evenings, up at the Onyx Rooftop Lounge, SoCal comes out dressed to impress, but you can also forgo partying in favor of a relaxing day at the spa or a soak in one of the tubs if your budget will stretch to a suite.

Oceana Beach Club Hotel offers a mid-century beach house vibe. It’s a quiet and elegant beach vacation spot and doesn’t attract the party crowds of other trendy boutique hotels. The courtyard pool is a lovely place for a relaxing dip, while Tower 8, the on-site restaurant, caters to guests with farm-to-table SoCal cuisine. With only 70 rooms, it’s the sort of quiet stay where the staff remembers your name, and its small size means they can offer extras such as free yoga classes and guided hikes.