Why This Century-Old Beachfront Santa Monica Property Is Still One of the Hottest Spots in Town

Stay Here For

Direct access to the sand. In Santa Monica, this is as close as you’ll get to rolling out of bed and onto the beach.

Originally a private club for the Los Angeles elite, Club Casa del Mar charged just $10 in annual dues when it first opened in 1926. A lot changed between then and its reopening as a hotel in 1999, including a $50 million renovation (and a brief stint as a casino and speakeasy). At the time, it was only the second true beachfront property in the seaside city of Santa Monica; only a bike path separates you from the hotel and the sand. (The other hotel in question? Its sister from the same owners, Shutters on the Beach, which is right next door.)

Having your feet on the beach in under a minute might draw you here in the first place, but there are other reasons to book a stay at Hotel Casa del Mar, including the many reciprocal benefits and amenities you can enjoy at its sister property next door. You can charge dinner at either hotel to your room, for example, and use either hotel’s spa; guests at Hotel Casa del Mar can also head over to Shutters for morning yoga on the beach.

Or perhaps it’s Hotel Casa del Mar’s Mediterranean-inspired façade, which gives the impression of staying on the Italian Riviera, that might have first caught your eye. Inside, the grand entryway features an imperial stairway, a coffered ceiling supported by imposing columns and glittering mosaics crowned with a colored-glass chandelier.

And that’s to say nothing of the rooms, with their approachable residential design, and the endless views of the beach, the ocean and the neon glow of Pacific Park illuminating the pier each evening. It’s why you’re just as likely to see business travelers mingling in the lobby as guests on a beach vacation. After all, since it got its start as a private beach club, the property has hinged its reputation on thoughtful, anticipatory service and unmatched beach access. Whatever brings you to town, you can have the best of it here.

The Essentials

The Location

The hotel’s aesthetic might evoke a riviera in Europe, but you’re steps from the 3.5-mile stretch of Santa Monica Beach, and within walking distance of the city’s famous pier and shopping district. You can also easily reach Venice Beach, less than 10 minutes away, by borrowing one of the property’s chic beach cruisers and heading down the bike path.

You’ll get unmatched access to Santa Monica Beach and a protected bike path, bringing nearby destinations and attractions well within reach.

The Room

Dark wood beds, pale blues and creams that evoke a calm day at sea and peekaboo bathrooms with hydrothermal massage tubs: Rooms here are designed to feel like elegant residential apartments by the sea. The decor has a lived-in vibe, down to the framed photographs by your bedside (think: historic snaps from the property’s previous incarnation as an elite beach club). Personal libraries include an assortment of books, decorative coral and objets d’art that feel like selections from your quirky aunt’s personal collection, such as texts like “Mammals of California”and a jar of shells.

The effect is rooms that feel lived in, but not worn down, making a stay at either hotel feel like you’ve returned to your private beach house for the season. Actual tea lights with matches are an unusual and incredibly cozy touch that amplifies the effect.

Book one of the Palm Terrace rooms to step out on a private patio by the pool deck, or a suite with a sofa bed, hardwood floors and enhanced amenities like high-end hair dryers.

The Bars and Restaurants

In so many ways, Hotel Casa del Mar delivers a buy one, get one experience, thanks to its reciprocal relationship with its sister hotel, Shutters on the Beach. It means having double the dining options. In the mornings, you can grab a seat on the patio at Coast Beach Café and Bar (located at Shutters) for a breakfast of fresh juices (like strawberry-orange or organic carrot) and skillets with spicy tomato, eggs and roasted eggplant, or eggs Benedict with crab. Or on the weekends, you might grab brunch at 1 Pico, also at Shutters, where you can sit on the lantern-lit patio and top your omelet with caviar.

For happy hour cocktails and light bites (like a tuna tostada with avocado), visit Hotel Casa del Mar’s Lobby Lounge, then roll right over to a sunset reservation at the hotel’s Mediterranean restaurant, Terrazza. Request a table against the window and watch the Pacific become a saturated watercolor painting. Make sure to order an assortment of the menu’s seafood plates, including the various crudos (hirame with pickled kumquats and wasabi oil; kanpachi with citrus miso and furikake). You can also find live music at one of the two hotels every night of the week, though it varies from smooth jazz to rock and roll covers. Between the two hotels, you have four restaurants to choose from, plus two lobby bars.

The Standout Feature

It’s all about the direct beach access here. You’re steps from Santa Monica Beach, plain and simple.

The Time to Go

You’ll want to wait until at least April or May, so you can really enjoy the outdoor seating and pool deck. The weather is also great in the fall, and after September, the crowds thin out.

The Vibe

A glass of wine around the firepit is the perfect way to end an evening in Santa Monica.

The highly specific reason you’d come here: You’re visiting Los Angeles, but want to be able to opt out of the chaos of West Hollywood or DTLA. You’re close to the action, but with the beach just there and the quieter Santa Monica surrounds, it’s easy to unplug after a full day in the city.

The amenity that’s really for the kids: Check in to Hotel Casa del Mar, and you’ll find a rubber duck with a snorkel mask by your tub. You’ll even see the motif echoed by the coffee machine, where mugs have rubber duck designs. Consider this the hotel’s cute (unofficial) kid-friendly mascot.

The local spot you can’t miss: It’s against the law to skip complimentary coffee, whether from the in-room Nespresso machine or in the lobby before breakfast. But you’ll want to walk around the corner to Dogtown Coffee, the casual surf- and skate-themed spot on the corner of Main Street and Bay Street that serves fun coffee beverages (like the “chagaccino” made with mushrooms, monk fruit, cacao, cinnamon and vanilla) and a whole menu of breakfast burritos.

Everything Else