The Best Hotels to Book Near Pacific Park, Santa Monica

Save that rideshare money for funnel cakes and cotton candy when you stay at Sea Blue Hotel. Right around the corner from the Santa Monica Pier, these beachfront rooms have a wave rider vibe with cool blue color schemes and surfer decor. Park your car once, and use your trusty pair of trainers to stroll Ocean Avenue, flex a little at Muscle Beach, and ride roller coasters until the sun sets.

An endless prescription of vitamin sea awaits at Viceroy. Open-air cabanas and two sparkling pools give you all the warm rays and chill breezes you could ever ask for. Relax by the pool, and spend your time on the sand during a morning yoga class. You may be in the shade when you get ready for the evening in your Empire Suite, but you won’t have to miss the ocean views.

“Surf and turf” has two different meanings at Casa del Mar. You’ll sleep only footsteps from the shores and Crescent Bay Park, giving you endless hours of surfing waves and laying in the grass with a good book. More importantly, the real surf and turf you came here for is available right beneath your suite. The raw bar at Catch has all of the goodies from the deep ocean, while, on the outdoor patio of Terrazza, you get served peach-braised lamb shank to fulfill your earthy appetite.

The Shore Hotel proves that there is no wrong side of Ocean Avenue. All of its eco-conscious accommodations have ocean, pool or city views. Within five minutes, you can walk to the beach, but don’t spend all of your time on the shoreside. The city side of Ocean Avenue has boutique shopping, a boatload of restaurants and a long park trail that’ll give you sunset ocean views without getting sand in your shoes.

Georgian Hotel is an art deco abode by the beach so stylish that you’ll swear you were on South Beach, not Santa Monica. Classy, vintage-style decor jazzes up every room. Classic cocktails with a modern Pacific twist are served up at the Veranda, no matter where the sun’s in the sky. Sip on a Georgian Sangra (or three), then saunter down to Santa Monica Beach, where you may just be convinced that the West Coast is the best coast.

You’re going to embrace loose luxury at the Proper Hotel and never be the same again. The top-notch spa treatments you desire are available at Surya Spa, complemented by personalized sound baths and transcendental meditation instructions. The fine, fresh flavors of California ooze from the charred octopus, baba ganoush and chicken tagine, all served at a rooftop pool with laid-back vibes and world-class wines. Loosen up a little more by slipping into a Parachute Home robe and getting cozy on the comfortable bed positioned in full view of the water.

Is it the bespoke wallpaper or set of antlers above the bed that give the Palihouse its quirky yet cozy vibes? See for yourself as you explore this century-old hotel that is best described as boutique-adjacent and slanted with luxury. The staff will chat your ear off when you stroll down for a complimentary lemonade and candy bar. Just don’t tell them that your afternoon is free, or you may find yourself in a riveting game of croquet or bocce ball.

Shutters on the Beach lets you draw the curtain on your day however you please. Your suite’s personal library has a novella or two that you’re welcome to get lost in. Go ahead and hang out in the communal Living Room should you fancy conversation, letting refills of coffee turn into refills of cognac before retiring to your room. And yes, your oceanfront room does have shutters, but the only person that can peek in your room would be the Man in the Moon.

How will you use Oceana to escape from the waves of everyday life? Will you steal yourself away in your room, allowing morning beverage service, a stocked mini-bar, curated in-room library and bespoke vanity kits to keep you distracted? Or will you hide away in the spa, letting California-style indulgence pamper your every skin cell, from your toes to your scalp? As long as you make a fleeting appearance on North Beach for a moment of sun worship, you won’t miss much if you spend your days relaxing indoors.

Just pack a swimsuit, and let Bayside Hotel take care of the rest. It’s got bike rentals and beach gear available at the front desk for whenever you need some fun in the sun. Stark white rooms drenched in sunlight will brighten up your every morning, almost making your in-room coffee maker a dust collector. When you’re ready to rock it on the roller coasters, Pacific Park is a 13-minute walk away, an easy distance to cover even for those with little legs.