Santa Monica has long held a reputation as one of the places to see for visitors to The Golden State. Located just 15 miles from Downtown Los Angeles, home to some of the best urban beaches the world over, and boasting an iconic pier that’s featured in more films and Instagram posts than almost any other attraction in the Golden State barring the Golden Gate Bridge and the Hollywood Hills, this lively oceanfront city is an absolute must for lovers of sea, sand, sun, and quintessentially Californian settings. Santa Monica is also home to dozens of outstanding hotels, ranging from budget hostels to upscale boutiques and luxury hotels fit for kings and queens. In this article, we introduce you to our top 25 picks.
We reviewed dozens of Santa Monica hotels to identify the very best of the best. We based our assessment on a range of factors, including cost, location, convenience, style, amenities, and average customer reviews.
This eco-friendly, modern hotel is located within easy walking distance of Santa Monica Pier and offers unobstructed ocean views from its private balconies and patios.
Check PriceHaving considered a large number of hotels, we chose the Shore Hotel as our top pick. This hotel combines an outstanding beachfront location with stylish, comfortable rooms and excellent amenities to offer unbeatable value and the ideal stopover to make the most of all that Santa Monica has to offer.
In This Article
The 5 Top-Rated Hotels in Santa Monica
Editor's Picks | Brand | Rating |
---|---|---|
Best Overall | Shore Hotel | 4.4 |
Runner Up | The Kinney Venice Beach | 4.4 |
Best Budget Hotel | Samesun Venice Beach | 4.1 |
Best Luxury Hotel | Shutters on the Beach | 4.5 |
Best Boutique Hotel | Venice Breeze Suites | 4.4 |
*Ratings are from Google Reviews at the time of publication and can change
Our Top Pick: Shore Hotel
After careful consideration, our top pick of hotels in Santa Monica is the Shore Hotel. Despite stiff competition, this hotel wins our vote for its combination of comfort, location, outstanding amenities, and the chilled-out, fuss-free vibe that aligns so well with its surroundings and the spirit of the Santa Monica area.
Perhaps the most endearing feature of this hotel is its proximity to the Santa Monica Pier, the 3rd Street Promenade’s shops and restaurants and, of course, the beach. From the hotel entrance, visitors can take a leisurely stroll across the street and reach all of these popular attractions within just a few minutes at most.
In addition to its location, the Shore Hotel offers pet-friendly, modern rooms with free WiFi, flat-screen TVs, and private patios or balconies, some of which have ocean views to die for! In terms of amenities, the hotel has a well-equipped, 24-hour gym, a heated outdoor pool and hot tub, and also a relaxed restaurant serving tasty Mexican dishes.
Shore Hotel Key Features:
- Outstanding oceanfront location, just across the street from the Santa Monica Pier
- Pet-friendly
- Modern vibe
- Amenities include a heated outdoor pool and hot tub, a Mexican restaurant, and a 24-hour gym
Our Runner Up Pick: The Kinney Venice Beach
A superbly trendy, chic hotel that fully embraces the area’s bohemian spirit whilst also scoring high on comfort and convenience.
Check PriceFor lovers of a laid-back vibe, The Kinney Venice Beach could well be the ideal choice for your stay in the Santa Monica area. This hip, trendy, modern hotel in Venice Beach is located a couple of miles from the Santa Monica Pier but more than makes up for it with a more relaxed atmosphere than other hotels in the area and very easy access to the beach and Venice Boardwalk. It’s also a winner in terms of amenities, offering plenty to make your stay as comfortable and convenient as possible, including hot breakfast, cookies and refreshments in the lobby throughout the day, a courtyard patio with sun loungers, a fire pit, an outdoor plunge pool, a hot tub, exercise room, and a 24-hour business center.
The rooms in this hotel also tick all the boxes for lovers of comfort and style, boasting bright, quirky decor, cozy beds, partial ocean views, microwaves, flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges and coffeemakers.
The Kinney Venice Beach Key Features:
- Located under 15-minutes’ walk from the marina, roughly 1.5 miles from Venice Beach Boardwalk, and 5 miles from Los Angeles Airport
- Stylish, laid-back vibe
- Amenities include hot breakfasts, parking (paid), a courtyard patio, a fire pit, an outdoor pool, hot tub, exercise room, and business center
Our Budget Pick: Samesun Venice Beach
A hip, budget hostel located just off the Venice Boardwalk offering basic dorms and private rooms with en suite or shared bathrooms.
Check PriceVisitors to the Santa Monica area could be easily forgiven for balking at the sky-high prices and choosing a hotel that locates them somewhere far from the heart of the action and the main attractions on offer. In the Samesun Venice Beach, however, we find a very attractive solution that allows you to enjoy your stay in a hip, comfortable hostel-cum-hotel that occupies some of the most prime real estate in the Santa Monica area.
Traditionally, the term ‘hostel’ has carried with it a few undesirable connotations and usually brings to mind very shoddy residences with questionable hygiene and very limited space. With the Samesun Venice this is categorically not the case. While a fraction ‘cozier’ than many budget hotels elsewhere, this hostel’s private rooms are spotlessly clean and well furnished, and the communal spaces – a bar, lounge, library, and kitchen – are on a par with those of any other hotel you’ll find in the sub-$200 per night range.
The Samesun’s most endearing feature, however, is its location. Situated just off the Venice Beach Boardwalk, a 3-minute walk from Muscle Beach, a 9-minute walk from the shops and restaurants on Abbot Kinney Boulevard, and an enjoyable 30-40 minute stroll from the Santa Monica Pier, this residence places you at the heart of everything that’s happening.
Samesun Venice Beach Key Features:
- Located just off the Venice Beach Boardwalk, roughly 300 yards from Muscle Beach
- Hip vibe
- Private rooms available
- Amenities include a communal kitchen, library, 24-hour security, a bar and lounge, and free all-day tea and coffee
Best Luxury Hotel in Santa Monica: Shutters on the Beach
A truly opulent, polished hotel boasting upscale amenities, an unbeatable oceanfront location, and outstanding amenities.
Check PriceFor those looking to enjoy possibly the best location and amenities the Santa Monica area has to offer, the Shutters on the Beach hotel merits a place somewhere very near the top of your shortlist. This elegant beachfront hotel offers visitors everything they could possibly look for, with opulent decor, polished and spacious rooms, peerless amenities, and possibly the most outstanding location in the Santa Monica area as a whole.
This five-star hotel is set directly in front of Santa Monica State beach, just a 9-minute walk from the Santa Monica Pier and a mile from the shops and restaurants on Third Street Promenade. Despite its proximity to the area’s highlights, however, Shutters on the Beach feels like a secluded oasis of calm inside, with its relaxed vibe offering the ideal respite from the often busy streets and attractions just beyond its doors.
The rooms are light and airy and most come with balconies, around half of which afford visitors stunning ocean views. And in terms of amenities it performs none too shabbily, either, boasting a polished restaurant, a casual beachfront cafe and bar, a lobby lounge, a seasonal outdoor pool, hot tub, spa, and a fitness center.
It might be pricey, but most past visitors, we imagine, would assure you it’s worth every penny!
Shutters on the Beach Key Features:
- Located in front of Santa Monica State Beach, just a 9-minute walk from the Santa Monica Pier
- Bright and airy rooms
- Relaxed but stylish vibe
- Kid and pet-friendly
- Amenities include a seasonal outdoor pool, spa, hot tube, business center, paid parking, kitchens in every room, paid parking, a restaurant, bar, lounge, and a fitness center
Best Boutique Hotel in Santa Monica: Venice Breeze Suites
A contemporary, all-apartment hotel with outstanding ocean views, a rooftop terrace, and quirky, loft-style rooms.
Check PriceVisitors looking for a non-generic, one-of-kind place to lay their head during their stay in Santa Monica are likely to find the Venice Breeze Suites just what their looking for. This superbly stylish, all-apartment, modern hotel offers loft-style accommodation in a characterful, red-brick building with ocean views and an utterly unique vibe.
The Venice Breeze Suites are located on Venice’s Ocean Front Walk, just 2 miles from the Santa Monica Pier and a short stroll from the white sands of Venice Beach. All of the studios and 1-bedroom suites feature designer furnishings, exposed brick walls, fully-equipped kitchens, memory-foam beds, free WiFi, flat-screen TVs/DVD players, and plush bathrooms with rainfall shower heads.
And in terms of amenities it’s don’t disappoint, either, offering free parking, a rooftop deck with a BBQ grill and sea views, and a wet bar.
Venice Breeze Suites Key Features:
- Located in front of the Venice Beach Ocean Front Walk, 2 miles from Santa Monica Pier
- Airy rooms with designer furnishings
- Family friendly
- Amenities include free parking, a rooftop terrace with a BBQ grill and sun loungers, and a wet bar
Who Should Visit Santa Monica
The reasons why Santa Monica is an absolute must-visit destination for travelers headed to California and the Los Angeles area run into the dozens. The area has plenty to offer for families, solo travelers, sun worshippers, beach lovers, art lovers, culture enthusiasts, and couples alike, from lively nightlife and nooks boasting the bohemian vibe that made the area famous in the sixties in seventies to upscale dining, art galleries, and shops. But, being California, one of the main lures of this destination is, of course, the ocean. Whether you’re checking out the piers at Santa Monica or Venice, strolling the boardwalks and oceanfronts, lounging on the beach or catching waves on your surfboard, this feature lends the area an ever-present allure and backdrop to the wealth of other nearby highlights.
If you find yourself traveling across the states, take a look at Modern Mansions: Must-See Homes On Your Next American Travel Excursion for some more location options.
Important Factors to Consider
- Budget. Santa Monica is unlikely to ever win any prizes for the most affordable location to visit and those planning a trip should be aware that on this small slither of real estate you get a lot less bang for a lot more bucks. As a general rule, the closer you are to the pier and the waterfront, the more you can expect to pay, though there are also several top-end hotels located a few blocks back from the shore and a few basic hostels located within just a few minutes’ walking of the beach. As you might expect, the pricier of these offer the most central location, upscale amenities and luxurious rooms, but a high standard of accommodation can be found without breaking the bank, as seen in the items listed on our ‘budget hotels’ list, below.
- Location. One of the blessings of choosing accommodation in Santa Monica is that, no matter which hotel you ultimately plump for, you’re likely to be within walking distance or a just a short drive away from the area’s main attractions. For those of you who wish to go car-free and still see everything there is to see, we’d recommend plumping for a hotel near the waterfront that allows you to stroll between Venice and Santa Monica along the oceanfront whilst making short forays inland to enjoy the restaurants, shopping, and cultural highlights found just a short remove from the busier beach area.
- Hotel type. Santa Monica has a wealth of chain, boutique, and luxury hotels on offer. Owing to the area’s popularity, however, it does have a slight shortage of budget hotels and those listed as ‘budget’ may cost more than double the price of low-cost hotels elsewhere in the US. That said, there are bargains to be found, with a small handful of hostel-type residences on the oceanfront offering basic rooms in prime locations and further handful of cheaper hotels or motels dotted around the area’s periphery. If you’d prefer to pamper yourself during your stay, then the options abound, both in terms of luxury hotels and boutique hotels. The pick of the bunch are featured on our Luxury Hotels and Boutique Hotels lists, below. These hotels generally offer polished rooms, pools, terraces, a sophisticated or stylish vibe, and also easy access to the beach and the area’s other main highlights. On the downside, however, they can cost in excess of $400 per night, particularly during peak season.
- Amenities. As with any destination, when booking your hotel in Santa Monica it’s a wise policy to list a few amenities that are non-negotiable (pet-friendly, spa, and/or gym, for example) to narrow down the options and then work through those remaining using a simple process of elimination until you have created a shortlist. Owing to the proximity to the ocean, it’s worth bearing in mind that a swimming pool may be unnecessary, particularly if you happen to be visiting in the summer months.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best attractions in Santa Monica?
Santa Monica has numerous attractions for visitors of all interests. The most notable of these are the beaches, the iconic Santa Monica Pier, Pacific Park Amusement Park, the historic Looff Hippodrome Carousel, the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, and the world-famous Muscle Beach (an outdoor gym built in the 1930s where you can watch muscle-bound locals pump iron), and, in the city center, the Bergamot Station arts center (aka 26th Street Art Center).
What is there to do in downtown Santa Monica?
Santa Monica will never be accused of having a shortage of things to do. Whether you’re interested in more cultural activities, sports, relaxing, dining, or just digging the area’s unique vibe, there are plenty of ways to do so. Our top suggestion for things to do include:
- Biking or Skating the Marvin Braude Beach Trail (aka “The Strand”)
- Surfing!
- Walking from Santa Monica to Venice Beach
- Visiting the Santa Monica Pier and its aquarium
- Shopping and sampling the food in the stalls on Third Street Promenade
- Climbing the Santa Monica Stairs
- Visiting the California Heritage Museum on Main Street
- Taking in a show at the Westside Comedy Theater
- Kicking back on the beach
- Shopping at Santa Monica Place
Can you walk from Santa Monica to Venice Beach?
Yes. The distance between the piers in each location is just under three miles and should take a reasonably fit walker in the region of 45 minutes each way.
Is Santa Monica safe for tourists?
While both Santa Monica and Venice Beach have some gang activity and an above-average number of homeless people, they are generally safe as long as you stay in the more frequented tourist areas.
Other Hotels in Santa Monica We Reviewed
This eco-friendly, modern hotel is located within easy walking distance of Santa Monica Pier and offers unobstructed ocean views from its private balconies and patios.
Check PriceWe looked at 20 other hotels in Santa Monica. Even though they didn’t make our 5 best hotels in Santa Monica list, they’re the best of the rest and each is still a great option for your trip. The information you’ll need to compare each one is included with the listing.
Budget Hotels in Santa Monica
HI Los Angeles Santa Monica Hostel
This colorful and quirky hostel offers functional dorms and private beds just one block from LA’s trendy West Side and 2 blocks from Santa Monica Pier and beach.
Key Features:
- Located just 2 blocks from Santa Monica Pier
- Dorms and private rooms available
- Amenities include an airport shuttle, free breakfast, lounge with cable TV, a shared kitchen, a game room with a pool table, a courtyard, laundry facilities, and bike storage
Cost: $81
Comfort Inn Santa Monica – West Los Angeles
A basic but perfectly functional hotel with a relaxed vibe and decent amenities located just 3 miles from the Santa Monica Pier.
Key Features:
- Located on Santa Monica Boulevard, 3 miles from the Santa Monica Pier
- Relaxed vibe
- Amenities include free parking, an outdoor pool, free breakfasts, and a business center
Cost: $152
SureStay Hotel by Best Western Santa Monica
This cozy little hotel offers nicely furnished and very comfortable, spacious rooms in a quieter area off I-10, just 3 miles from the Santa Monica Pier. A great choice for those more concerned with comfort and quality than proximity to the oceanfront.
Key Features:
- Located off the I-10, 3 miles from the Santa Monica Pier and 5 miles from the Venice Canal Historic District
- Relaxed vibe
- Family friendly
- Amenities include free parking, free breakfast, an outdoor pool, a courtyard, BBQ area, and laundry facilities
Cost: $140
This motel is a little short on amenities but offers basic, cozy lodging in a relaxed environment just 7 blocks from Santa Monica State Beach and Santa Monica Pier.
Key Features:
- Located just off Lincoln Blvd, 1 mile from the Santa Monica Pier
- Relaxed vibe
- Spacious, clean rooms
- Amenities include free parking and WiFi
Cost: $138
Days Inn by Wyndham Santa Monica/Los Angeles
A two-star hotel with casual rooms and ample amenities situated in a unique, colorful building 2 miles from the Third Street Promenade and Santa Monica’s beach and pier.
Key Features:
- Located on Santa Monica Blvd, just 2 miles from the Santa Monica Pier
- Casual vibe
- Kids 17 and under stay free with a paying adult
- Amenities include free parking, free breakfast, a pool, fitness room, and a business center
Cost: $138
Located just 3.4 miles from the Santa Monica Pier and offering frill-free but functional rooms with communal bathrooms, this budget hotel is a good choice for those more concerned with getting value for money than being at the heart of the action.
Key Features:
- Located opposite Santa Monica Municipal Airport, 3.4 miles from Santa Monica Pier
- Straightforward rooms and communal bathrooms
- Amenities include free parking, laundry facilities, a cafe, and a fitness center
Cost: $103
This hotel offers simple but spacious rooms within 2 miles of Santa Monica State Beach and Venice Beach Boardwalk.
Key Features:
- Located just 2 miles from Santa Monica State Beach
- Modest rooms (some with kitchens)
- Amenities include free parking, a courtyard, and free WiFi
Luxury Hotels in Santa Monica
Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel
This elegant, wonderfully refined hotel offers almost peerless amenities and places you just a 5/6-minute walk from the Santa Monica Pier and even less from the shops and entertainment on 3rd Street Promenade.
Key Features:
- Located just off Ocean Avenue, a 1-minute walk from Muscle Beach and just a few minutes more from the Santa Monica Pier
- Modern rooms with balconies
- Kid and pet-friendly
- Amenities include event space, a fine-dining Californian restaurant with ocean views, two lounges, a lively tapas bar, a heated outdoor pool, hot tub, a spa with oxygen treatments, and a fitness room
Cost: $437
A truly opulent hideaway boasting to-die-for amenities, a posh restaurant, ocean views, and two outdoor pools located 3 minutes on foot from Santa Monica State Beach and the Santa Monica Pier.
Key Features:
- Located on Ocean Avenue, just a 3-minute walk from Santa Monica State Beach
- Stylish vibe
- Kid and pet-friendly
- Amenities include event facilities, an upscale restaurant, a trendy bar-cum-lounge, a fitness center, and two outdoor pools with cabanas
Cost: $408
Le Méridien Delfina Santa Monica
A very polished, elegant high-rise hotel with California-inspired decor and private balconies, an enormous fitness center, and a posh restaurant. Located half a mile from the beach and 1.5 miles from the Santa Monica Pier.
Key Features:
- Located 0.4 miles from the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and 1.4 miles from the Santa Monica Pier
- Modern and stylish vibe
- Kid and pet-friendly
- Amenities include a heated outdoor pool with cabanas, a 24-hour, 1,200-sq-ft fitness center, a restaurant, cocktail bar, and open-air terrace
Cost: $359
JW Marriott Santa Monica Le Merigot
An outstandingly luxurious, contemporary hotel that oozes class at every turn. Offers upscale dining in a French eatery, easy access to the oceanfront and Santa Monica Pier, and top-end amenities.
Key Features:
- Located just off Ocean Avenue, a 3-minute walk from the beach and 9-minute walk from the Santa Monica Pier
- Sophisticated vibe
- Kid and pet-friendly
- Amenities include a French restaurant with ocean views, parking, a terrace lounge, an outdoor pool, a posh spa, a fitness center, a business center, and 10 meeting rooms
Cost: $485
Fairmont Miramar – Hotel & Bungalows
It’s pricey, granted, but those with $ to burn could find far worse ways of doing so than in this wonderfully exotic, chic, opulent residence on the Santa Monica waterfront.
Key Features:
- Located on Ocean Avenue, less than a mile from the Santa Monica Pier
- Sophisticated vibe
- Kid and pet-friendly
- Amenities include 24/7 room service, a refined restaurant, a lobby bar, a spa, a heated outdoor pool, an exercise room, and a business center
Cost: $560
Hilton Garden Inn Los Angeles Marina Del Rey
They don’t score much higher on “wow-factor” than this incredibly stylish, swanky waterfront hotel with lavish suites, sophisticated decor, and nigh-on palatial amenities.
Key Features:
- Located near the Santa Monica Marina, less than 2 miles from the Venice Beach Boardwalk and under 4 miles from the Santa Monica Pier
- Sophisticated vibe
- Amenities include a breakfast buffet (fee), a restaurant serving California cuisine, a 24/7 pantry, a 24/7 fitness center, an outdoor pool, whirlpool, 2 meeting rooms, and a business center
Cost: $294
Channel Road Inn, A Four Sisters Inn
An elegant bed and breakfast set in a wonderfully restored Colonial Revival home that’s located within easy walking distance of the beach in the residential neighborhood of Pacific Palisades.
Key Features:
- Located in Pacific Palisades, 2 miles from Santa Monica Pier
- Colonial Revival building
- Pet-friendly
- Kids age 5 and under stay free with a parent
- Amenities include a free hot breakfast buffet, free afternoon wine and snacks, free parking, a cozy lounge with a fireplace, a library, a swimming pool, and massages (fee)
Boutique Hotels in Santa Monica
A 1926 Renaissance Revival hotel that oozes class and style and offers visitors direct access to the beach, palatial rooms, and the kind of amenities that will make it hard to set foot beyond the hotel entrance!
Key Features:
- Located on the Oceanfront Boardwalk, roughly 7 minutes on foot from the Santa Monica Pier
- Renaissance Revival building
- Kid and pet-friendly
- Amenities include use of a hotel car, a fitness room, an oceanfront seafood restaurant, and Italian restaurant, a wellness spa, and a trendy bar with live entertainment
Cost: $473
An art-deco-style hotel with ocean views from a trendy rooftop bar that’s situated just across the street from the beach and 1 mile from Santa Monica Pier.
Key Features:
- Located on Ocean Avenue, roughly 1 mile northwest of Santa Monica Pier and only a few dozen steps from the beach
- 1939 art deco building
- Chic, minimalist rooms
- Amenities include free parking, a restaurant with a New American menu, and an indoor/outdoor rooftop bar, a fitness center, a courtyard pool with private cabanas, a poolside spa offering massages, facials and meditation classes, and valet parking
Cost: $306
A relaxed, nautical-themed hotel offering down-to-earth rooms and a quirky, hip vibe just under two miles from the Santa Monica Pier.
Key Features:
- Located mid-way between Venice and Santa Monica piers just one block back from the beach
- Trendy vibe
- Amenities include free parking, free breakfasts, a bar, an on-site masseuse, bike rentals, a communal lounge, and daily coffee and pastries
Cost: $205
This small, surf-themed hotel offers easy access to the beach, a chilled-out vibe, and homey, quirky rooms, all just five minutes on foot from the Santa Monica Pier.
Key Features:
- Located on Ocean Avenue, just a tree-minute walk from the beach and 5 minutes on foot from Santa Monica Pier
- Hacienda-style property
- Kid and pet-friendly
- Amenities include parking, free continental breakfast and 24-hour snacks, laundry facilities and a smoking patio
Cost: $259
Set in a landmark art deco building just off Ocean Avenue and just 3 minutes on foot from the beach, this stylish hotel offers an utterly unique bohemian vibe in combination with outstanding comfort and convenience.
Key Features:
- Located on Ocean Avenue, one block back from the beach and under 10 minutes on foot from Santa Monica Pier
- Pet turn down service provides a mat, a water bowl, a toy, and a treat
- Amenities include free parking, a chic restaurant, a bar, a gym, and event space
Cost: $313
This uber-chic, Mediterranean Revival-style hotel from 1927 wouldn’t look out of place on the shores of Lake Como or Garda and offers a superbly refined, elegant experience with a more personal touch than many of its high-end competitors in the area.
Key Features:
- Located near Palisades Park, 5 blocks from the waterfront and 1 mile from the Santa Monica Pier
- Mediterranean Revival-style building
- Eclectic, individually decorated suites
- Amenities include free parking, a spa, a bar, a lobby cafe with lounge seating, a restaurant, and bike rentals
Cost: $376