Casa del Mar Hotel Santa Monica

This hotel is really quite something. Set right on the beach at Santa Monica it is a stunningly attractive building with very tasteful décor and friendly helpful staff and service. It should be as it is a 4 star hotel and is expensive to stay at! It is the sort of place that one stays for a treat or special occasion as rooms average around $400 and up in the summer season.

The building that houses the hotel has a rich and interesting history that is worth exploring as it adds to the stay. After the Second World War, the building was taken over by the military as a hotel for enlisted men and then eventually became a drug rehabilitation centre and later acted for 20 years as a “longevity centre”. Finally in 1999 it was acquired and converted into the stunning building it is today, by recreating the look of the 1920s when the hotel was in its heyday.

The rooms are large and very spacious. The bed is vast and soft with rich and luxurious linen. The bathroom is huge with spa style bath and lots of treats and amenities – right down to shaped soaps and a cheeky bath duck with goggles. The bedroom has a TV with loads of channels, DVD and video player. The rooms do have a wow factor, and there are lots of little surprises that come with this sort of “treat” hotel – like a tiny teddy bear left on your bed at night!

The bar downstairs that overlooks the beach is very “buzzy” at night and seems to be the place that hip people hang out of an evening. There is a beach service that gives you towels for the beach and you can hire bikes etc.

This is stunning hotel, but at the price you would expect that!