Hotel Shangri-La

Usually hit up the rooftop bar. It’s walking distance for me. Catching the sunsets is great and rooftop seating is always a fun time

The location is amazing. I booked a four-star hotel and this unfortunately may have been a four-star hotel back in 1965 but at this point is very rundown and is in bad shape. It is in much need of a thorough remodel if not gut job. The rooms are incredibly dated and it has major signs of deferred maintenance. I booked a four-star hotel on hotwire and was thoroughly shocked when I came to this hotel. We checked out within 20 minutes. The staff was extremely accommodating and very understanding of our decision and this review is merely about the facility, the staff was very polite and great. Please be more transparent of the condition as this should be start as a two-star or a motel. It does not warrant prices over $130 a night.

Such a great hotel in a great location. Our room was beautiful and came with complimentary champagne. There were rooftop events and pool parties all weekend, which was a plus because we got in for free just for being at the hotel. Everyone at the hotel is so sweet and helpful, but be prepared to pay $49/day for valet at the hotel. Will definitely come back!

What a special group of people that run this hotel. The building is old and has natural deficiencies with faucets, windows, ect due to its age, but the location, views, beds, commodities and service from the staff is truly unmatched. They sent us champagne and fresh fruit, which was delicious and they were so attentive each time we came and went. The vallet parking crew was so sweet, timely and efficient. Always talking to the kids and asking them about their adventures. I would definitely consider staying here again. Wonderful experience all around!

A hotel 6 would have been better than this. We paid $500/night for the worst hotel experience of our lives. The furniture was old and outdated, the floors were dusty and dirty and the windows were dirty and couldn't be opened. The bed was pushed towards the window with little room to sit and enjoy the view while there was a huge open area to the other side. The ironing board didn't work (legs were broken) and the chaise had white spots on it and looked as if it hadn't ever been cleaned. The plumbing was clogged and there were very few amenities. They had a huge private pool party the day we checked in (which they didn't warn us about) and we couldn’t use the pool. The party was obnoxiously loud and disturbing and had I known about it, I would have gone elsewhere. They didn’t clean our room during our entire stay and on the day of checkout we were an hour late checking out and they sent security to threaten us. Then they called our room every five minutes to harass us, even though we assured them we were doing our best to get packed up. Customer service is a joke here. This hotel is a stand alone hotel and run by a general manager who doesn't know the first thing about customer service. The young guy behind the front desk is extremely RUDE and should be working as a bouncer at a nightclub, not a hotel. The staff are untrained and unqualified to be in the service industry (except the Valet, who was extremely friendly and courteous). They do not know how to run a hotel and just trying to keep their dilapidated hotel afloat. Be warned, don't waste your money staying here! We’ve never been so disappointed. This place is an EPIC FAILURE.

I travelled with my 2 teenage daughters and was so disappointed when we checked into the hotel for which we were planning to spend the next 5 days. We checked in and checked out within less than 30 minutes. Didn't feel safe, very run down, elevators weren't working etc. Looked like it was part of a set from a horror movie. I will say the staff was cooperative with my decision to leave the property immediately. This is not a 4 star hotel. This is more like a motel. The pictures look great, but that is not what the property looks like at all.

The location of this hotel is great. All the nice restaurants and shopping is a short stroll away. The hotel is kind of out dated, but you can get past that. The pool and hot tub area is beautiful. The down sides were that the hot water in the shower is non existent or at least in our room on the 2nd floor. In addition that pressure on the sink water is the strongest I have ever seen or felt. This may also be a 2nd floor issue.The staff was friendly , valet was on point and the service was great.

Highly recommended. 5 star service, and friendly staff. We had a blast on the roof top lounge, but be prepared to pay more than your average lounge. But it was worth the extra cost.

*** A really great location for happy hours ... *** It's comfy, it's posh, it's loungey, it's Shangri-La. Food menu is top notch. We had 3 appetizers: burratta flatbread, octopus ceviche, and sliders. All were delectably prepared and quickly served. *** A good spot to chill on a warm summer day. ***

Even though the pool is small, the service is great and so is the food. There's not too many lay out chairs so get their in the morning if you plan on laying out all day. Annoying families and their kids take up so much space. I ordered French fries, chicken fingers and pizza while I was lying out. the pizza was ok but my aunt liked it so whatever. the fries were good and the chicken fingers are banging!

Come noon, the sun will be shining directly on you. There are no umbrellas, so bring lots of sunscreen especially during the summers! The pool is small, but the hot tub is decent sized. There are plenty of lounge chairs and several cabanas. I came to work remotely on a nice summer day. It is free of charge to use their wi-fi on weekdays. However, it is $25 on weekends. Parking isn't too bad as there are many parking structures in SaMo. Depending on how long you decide to stay, parking prices can range. It's free for the first two hours and a maximum of $9. I'm not sure how much it is to valet park at the hotel.

Somehow ended up here for someone's birthday (who clearly was not staying here). I had heard from some reviews that there was a $25 charge to sit by the pool, thank goodness that was not in effect when we showed up. Had a row of about 9 lounge chairs near the bar which was most excellent. Pool was small but felt great as I submerged myself, while the little whirlpool a few feet away was nice to dip in afterwards. I was starving but a burger was about $18 so I ended up mooching off of someone's chili-some-spice-or-the-others popcorn that they didn't like. I didn't like it either, but I was hungry. I was going to give 2 stars, but had to tack on another since we did have one extremely intoxicated girl with us (go figure, the only other female there w/ our crew) who was laying on the ground, but management actually handled her quite well. I have to say I was impressed with them; I imagine most places would have just thrown her out. They probably should have, but they were rather accommodating. Sorry about her. All in all, not a bad place. Interesting daytime party-type crowds (seems lots of birthdays were going on) and if I am able to sneak in again simply just to use a pool, I surely will...

Overpriced drinks and racism are not an attractive combination. I have been to the Shangri-La's poolside lounge several times, but I won't be returning.

My friend booked a cabana here for her birthday and we were all really looking forward to the experience at Shangri-La, ooo la la...despite the somewhat steep $500 food/beverage charge to use the cabana for 5 hours (+$200 cabana charge). But we didn't think it would be too much of a problem - since we like to eat and drink. At least most of us there did, there's always that one in the group who doesn't order her fair share and rides the coattails of others for the experience, but that's another story. (I'm telling you this as a cautionary tale - I don't think this is a big deal with larger groups, but our group was rather small so you notice when you're ordering/spending WAY more than others in trying to meet the quota). The hotel pool has a boutique swanky Santa Monica feel and we were looking forward to soaking up the sun and relaxing. But the Saturday morning started started off on a bad note when the guys discovered that the TV at the cabana didn't work! Really? Isn't this supposed to be an upscale hotel on Ocean? ALL the expected amenities should be available. The ladies at the party didn't care too much about the TV as we were busy alternating between pool and sun-bathing, but the guys wanted to see the football games playing that day. Sorry, suckers. You got dragged into this girly poolside soirée with the promise of TVs at the cabana, and there was one (we didn't lie) it just doesn't work. Did they bother fixing it? No not really. The pool and hot tub are very nice, can't complain about that part. Loved the dark pink pool towels. There is a decent supply of pool chairs available. Although when we moved one chair over on the other side, (so everyone could be next to each other), staff immediately ran out and said that wasn't permitted, but the supervisor would allow it this time. Way to micro manage your patrons, Shangra-la. Let us do what we want (within reason). Our server was not happy to be serving, I felt like he would rather be anywhere else but there. He begrudgingly answered our questions and took our orders. He was doing somewhat well with coming around and taking/delivering our orders with a scowl on his face, but then at some point he just straight-up disappeared. I'll admit the food was pretty tasty (we ordered burgers, fries, sliders, hummus platters, fish tacos to name a few) and the drinks were pretty refreshing, but the service and experience - not so much. We're expected to spend $500 on food and beverage, yet we have no server to order from? Umm, NO. And when the food finally arrived, our server forgot a couple of orders so there was more waiting. At that point we weren't even hungry anymore, but ya know there's a minimum so we're trying to meet it! Luckily when it was time for us to go, the manager didn't force us to spend the minimum $500 because of the issue with the service. But still, at this kind of place one expects excellent service. And excellent service is definitely not what we got.

I was flittering back and forth between 3 and 4 on this one but at the end i decided that I had a really great day here and will probably be back so 4 it is. It was one of the first really hot days of the year and I just felt a need to be working by a pool. I never realized how difficult it is to make this happen, though, if you're not a hotel guest or willing to pay $35 for a lounge chair (as is the case at the W). After calling around to a few places the Shangri-La let me know that I was welcome to hang out as long as I ordered from the lounge or restaurant, so it was a done deal. It was easy enough to find a few chairs for my friends and me in the middle of a thursday, though I could definitely see it getting crazy on weekends. It was a fabulous place to catch some rays and relax, but not such a great place to work as we had planned - very few outlets, very unreliable wifi. But who tries to work at the pool anyway? That was our dumb mistake. Because we were required to order something to be there, I got the lightest thing possible on the hot day - the organic greens salad with braised beets. I have to say I was underwhelmed, as were my friends with their Caesar salad with chicken and the turkey wrap. It's basically your average bland-ish, very expensive hotel food... which is weird because I'd tried a couple of things including an amazing flatbread at the rooftop bar in the past and thought it was delicious. In any case, I like the art deco feel of the pool area and the fact that we were able to lounge in the cabana area or in the sun with no problem. It's a nice little tucked away sanctuary in the middle of a pretty touristy, busy part of SM!

Wonderful stay at the Shanghai-la! We were greeted by an amazing host Hanna. She was so warm, welcoming and accommodating. There was a screw up in our reservation (my error), and Hanna totally fixed it and went above and beyond. She made sure we were in the perfect room and location in the hotel room with an ocean view (anniversary weekend). Our room had all the amenities and was super clean and modern for an older building. We had outstanding bar/waiter service in upstairs lounge. Just a fantastic experience. I would definitely recommend this hotel. Unbelievable hospitality, comfort and professionalism. Thanks for kicking off our Anniversary weekend so nicely Hanna!

Review for lounge @ night: We were provided an address to meet some friends but not really told anything much about the place accept that it's the Shangri-La Hotel. It's my first real night out in SoCal so I was pretty excited and any adult night scene probably would've been good for me at that point. Everything glowing in soft lighting and fire glows from tiki torches, heat lamps, and firepits. Lounge chairs, cabanas, a long bar set up under a tent, and of course, the pool. At first we thought we might've been crashing a private party but, if we were, everyone was friendly enough to us. Bar was weak, from service to alcohol level...I'm sorry, did I just order a water?? Don't mind the prices (I mean, it's a lounge in SoCal, so I was kinda expecting it) but make the drink w/ alcohol, please!! Just stayed for one drink cause, turns out, the friends we were meeting are on the rooftop.

I have to be pretty PO-ed to write a review, but this place, and it's owner deserve it. This poolside "lounge" is a gloried prison yard with a pool and really ugly fencing and grounds. It doesn't get better with the poor drinks that seem like some frat boy is still working on his jungle juice formula, and the food is extremely sub par. Not to mention that when I was done eating, my table wasn't cleaned for an excessive amount of time. The owner parades around like a spoiled brat barking orders at her staff while her husband sits and scowls in his poolside cabana, not a very chill vibe. Many better options in this town....STAY AWAY!

I would give this 0 stars if I could. Huge scam and honestly want my money back. I paid $55 for 2 chairs at the pool then saw 2 people come in and sit for free. I've never been treated so poorly in my life. Also it was false advertisement because they said each chair was $25 but charged me $55. I'm no math wiz but this does not add up. I've been coming to the rooftop bar for 10 years and spent thousands of dollars - YOU just lost me as a customer and I'll advise all my friends.

Please Shangri-La, if I'm paying $500 a night to stay at your hotel, please don't make my ears bleed with 1970s music at poolside. Your staff can't change the music because supposedly your directors office said that the pool music has to be the same as the hotel music. But literally your music choice is complete shit. I'm not staying here again bc your poolside vibe sucked. I understand your hotel is historic but the majority of the clientele are 30's-40's. You should update your music choices.

I came here pretty randomly - Fairmont Miramar line was too long even on a weekday, and my friend said there was a rooftop bar at the Shangri-La. Unfortunately, that seemed to be closed, but some thumping music attracted us to the pool area, where we found some nice chairs for lounging and a sort of Vegas-style atmosphere. We figured 'sure, why not!' I got the 'Berry Apropos' and my friend got the cucumber gimlet - both drinks were well made and delicious - not too alcoholic but not watered down either. We also got some food to snack on: the korean bbq sliders, which were very good, the lobster sliders, which were fine but not as good as the kbbq ones, and some sweet potato fries. Don't get the sweet potato fries, they were lightly fried and good sweet potato, but they either needed to be fried longer or something because they were basically just limp sticks of sweet potato. The avocado salsa that came with them was pretty good, though. Prices were definitely high, but what do you expect - it's a poolside bar at a tourist hotel. It wasn't outrageously priced, so no big deal. One thing I have to note is that service here was exceptionally polite, which I really appreciate. It did take us a little while to get our drinks/food/bill, but they did seem pretty busy and we weren't in a rush. All in all, this spot is not a bad place to while away some time on a weekend in Santa Monica!

Awful experience. Because they don't take reservations for the lounge, several people took over our table WHILE there was already silver and napkins on it, awaiting our food, while we stepped aside to watch the sunset. And the security could do nothing about it. What an ugly experience.

A decent pool area, not bad not amazing. One thing you have to keep in mind is that Shangri-La is knee deep in the Beach Community. Which means their decor is going to appeal to a more minimalist eye than an extravagant luxurious eye. Which eye do I have? A sexy eye! OK, sorry....I'm more drawn to extravagance and luxury. The thing about beachy decor is, it looks like something from Target. Came here for a Movie after-party years ago. It was great! But that was because of the hosting company. If you stay at the hotel, the pool provides a nice alternative to laying in sand.

A star for the good food, friendly staff and the cool ambience. Enjoyed coming here and will return. The fourth star is for the firepits!!!

Pluses: Cool ambiance and no cover charge at night Cons: Really crappy drinks that are overpriced It's a fun place to chill maybe around sunset time around the pool and the cabanas, but the drinks are really overpriced. We ordered mojitos, or more should I say watered down tasteless mojitos. It's a cool mixed crowd with the chic posh and the casual cool. But overall, this place is a hit and miss

It's great once you clear the sometimes ling lines at security!

The bartender is terrible I don't know if it was wrong of me to expect more from the Shangrila, but this bartender needs to get her stuff together. My friend ordered a drink with dry ice, and she didn't put dry ice in there; I got a shaken martini, she somehow didn't strain it well and ice cubes made it in there. When there are so many other bars to go to around that area, I would recommend you NOT to go to this one because it is really not worth it

Food and service was superb! Highly recommend! Went there for lunch. Definitely try the steak salad!

Doorman at hotel invited us in for a drink off the street at their poolside bar. After buying drinks at the bar, the attendants near the pool then informed us we couldn't actually sit at the pool directly contradicting what the doorman had said. Rest of hotel management was extremely rude and not accommodating when trying to handle the situation. Also turns out Saturday's they have a drink special - every cocktail is $15 - awesome!

What is this place? It's supposed to be a luxe hotel in Santa Monica and it's basically a crack den. The pool is just an oversized jacuzzi, they charged us to sit on beach chairs! EVEN THOUGH WE WERE STILL PAYING FOR DRINKS! They let underage kids in and prioritize them over adults who can actually afford to pay for drinks. This is a joke of a hotel/bar/whatever they call it. Also the bartenders know nothing about customer service. Give me my $80 back.

It's cool. Nothing worth driving across town for, but as far as poolside lounges go, this is above average (then again, I'm not much of a poolside lounge guy). It's pretty small, so it gets crowded fast. And drinks are pricey. But damn, they make good margaritas (but I'm not much of a margarita guy).

What a lovely little slice of Santa Monica.Great views and tasty bar fare like crispy pizzas, filet mignon tacos, and oysters. Be sure to try the Cucumber gimlet. Absolutely delicious!

This place is great! The view of the pier is amazing and the drinks are great too! Would recommend anytime.

Do NOT waste your time here! They had the nerves to charge us for a pool fee, and were dining there!!!! $25 pool fee!! Are you kidding me? I put it on my credit card, and disputed not only the pool fee, but the dinner as well (for absolutely ruining my day) and my credit card company sided with me! So kiss my you know what with your stinkin pool fee!

Great place to stay!!! Service is extremely helpful, accommodating and kind. We have not had a bad experience at all during our stay! Food, drinks, service and atmosphere are great! I have traveled to many places and I will certainly be back!! I highly recommend without reservation!!!!!

Amazing views for sunsets in the winter time. Just grab a cocktail and just sit back and relax. Summertime can be a little iffy with all the tourists, definitely recommended during the down part of the season.

welp, yelp...shangri-la was as expected. poolside, lounge chairs, firepit fires nearly scorching off my dainty eyebrows topped off with a few douchebags to complete the picture. drinks are pricey during non-happy hour times, 50% off full drink menu during happy hour (which ends at 7pm) and while i haven't sat down and had a full meal here yet, i have in fact had a few nibbles poolside during a meeting with their staff. food is good. keep in mind that this is all coming from a gal not quite interested in this scene, so if you are into it, they do it rather well. they have cabanas that you can rent out and come to think of it, there was a hoppin' birthday party happening at the same time which took over a spread of 3 or 4 cabanas. for us, we had a small mixer there and the space around the firepit was enjoyable as the sun slowly set and the evening settled in. now. the firepit. the fire. i must have played musical chairs every 10 minutes depending on the temperament and direction of the wind. perhaps if they just turned down the fire a notch, it wouldn't have been such a fire hazard and i wouldn't have been so worried about my eyebrows.

i was invited to a poolside party this afternoon, promoting a Jewish organization. The owner made it very clear that we were not welcome. Sad, but true. Security was told to let none of us in the pool, and after a while she stopped letting people in altogether. Very frustrating.

I had a horrible experience all around, including room check-in, at the poolside lounge and in the rooftop bar. This used to be a wonderful and respectable hotel, but is now run by a team of arrogant, incompetent, rude people.