For travelers ready to grab Santa Monica by the horns, this casual, seven-story hotel offers an unbeatable location, as well as a heated outdoor pool with its own menu of snacks and cocktails. The limited amenities are offset by delicious Mexican grub and the neutral, modern rooms.
Cozied right up to the ocean, this modern hotel offers a front row seat to Santa Monica’s bustling main strip, Ocean Avenue. Despite the building’s impersonal navy-and-white facade, effort has clearly been made to set a homey mood inside: the rooms have earthy tones and warm lighting, and the headboards are designed to look like shutters on a beachside bungalow. What you won’t necessarily find here is seclusion, as indicated by the giant ferris wheel across the street. But for up-and-at-’em sightseers, the hotel performs its function well: there’s an outdoor pool, a 24-hour gym and an all-day dining hall with communal seating that also doubles as the common area. (The “open concept” design means you can claim a lounge area with comfy armchairs all to yourself, and there are plenty of TVs.) As appropriate for southern California, the menu veers towards Mexican fare, with dinner options like braised short rib enchiladas and lamb in mole sauce. If the valet fee (almost $50 per day) proves prohibitive, consider not renting a car at all: you’ll be two steps from the Downtown Santa Monica metro station, so accessing the rest of L.A. won’t be a problem.
Location: The name says it all: Wyndham Santa Monica at the Pier sits right across the street from Santa Monica Pier and all the attractions that entails. The whole point of Santa Monica is the beach, and this hotel puts you half a block from the shore, not to mention countless restaurants, shops and bars along Ocean Ave.
Nearby:
Third Street Promenade: Packed with shops, restaurants, frozen yogurt vendors and an always-entertaining lineup of street performers, this open-air mall is a 5-minute stroll from the hotel.
AMC Loews Broadway 4: Just across the street from the hotel, this multiplex is surrounded by shops and makes a convenient stop-off for movie-goers that like to be in the thick of it all.
Santa Monica State Beach: Just outside the hotel, you’ll spend hours strolling the length of this enormous beach, which is typically the main attraction for visitors to Santa Monica; along the way, stop in at the various video arcades, fortune tellers and fairground rides offered at Santa Monica Pier.
Santa Monica Farmers Market: A 10-minute walk from the hotel, this yummy congress of food vendors takes place every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, and has become the most in-demand farmers market in all of L.A., with prominent chefs stopping here to pick up their basil, leeks, berries, spices and seafood fresh each week.
Good for: Families will have plenty to keep the kids entertained, thanks to the hotel’s easy proximity to the ocean, shops and movie theaters. If you’re planning to use the hotel as a base for exploring other parts of L.A., the all-day restaurant and connection to Downtown Santa Monica metro station means you can grab a tasty meal before you set off for the day.
Amenities: pool, room service, free Wi-Fi, restaurant, bar, gym, laundry service, concierge
Time Out tip: Staying in the heart of downtown Santa Monica doesn’t mean your vacation has to be non-stop action. There are ways to slow it down, too: the Wyndham Santa Monica at the Pier has its own bike rental program. Simply ask at the front desk, and you’ll be granted access to a complimentary half-day bike, perfect for lazily cruising down the side of Santa Monica beach. Now, that’s the life.