Sea Blue Hotel

This was by far my worst hotel experience I have ever had in my 38 years of world traveling. Check in and location were all great. Some of the staff (mainly the night crew) were extremely helpful and courteous, but obviously had their hands tied in regards to my main issues. The main issue were with the room, and hotel management (not the support staff). First of all, the room had no central AC or heating. It is CA, so it is normally not an issue, but I took my family there for a week long stay just before Christmas. After my kids were freezing, I went to the front desk to ask about the heater as it was not working. They only provide a small heater fan about the size of a lunchbox. Mind you, the room I had was a large family suite with 2 rooms. This one heater is not rated for that large of a space, and since the doors had to be open, it defeated the purpose of having a separate master bedroom. The issue continued when the small heater they did provide constantly tripped the circuit breaker, leaving us without power and heat. The staff only recommended moving the heater around, but there were very limited outlets, so the only other open outlet also had the fridge on the circuit, so guess what happened, it tripped instantly. There is also an outlet that is right above the sink that is not GFCI protected (at least at the outlet, the circuit may be, but seeing the condition of the rest of the electrical, I highly doubt it). Next, they have a bathtub that could easily slice your foot open from the tub coming apart near the drain. If you like water pressure, you will be disappointed. A geriatric grandpa has better flow than the shower in this room, it is also cold, even with the "hot" water. Also, the first night we were completely out of hot water. The night staff couldn't fix it, so when the daytime manager came in, he gave us a very condescending attitude regarding the hot water. He claimed that we just didn't turn the right handle (they were labeled backwards which is a safety hazard), but we had tried both knobs for 15min each, and nothing. So it was apparent to us that they had it turned off and then just tried to blame us. From speaking with the staff, these issues are ongoing, and a failure of management. I should not have to go without heat or hot water when I am paying over $300/night. There were many other issues, such as the advertisement of walkup-beach location and misleading photos that make it appear that you are right on the beach, but you are still a block away and have to go around a gate as you are not provided with a key for the stairs leading to/from the beach (exit fine, but coming back you have to go around). The furniture in the pictures is also incorrect, but that is just a minor annoyance. This place is just a scam through and through. They should be shut down.

Sea Blue Hotel is the perfect old school beach hotel. Nothing fancy, but everything you need. It's a few minutes down a lovely, plant and flower filled walk to the beach and Santa Monica pier. Third Street Promenade is just a short walk away for shopping and restaurants. My brother and I arrived 12/16 at around 11:30 am for an overnight stay. We expected to leave our bags and return later at the 4pm check in time. However, Eddie informed us that our room was ready and gave us early check in at no additional cost. Check out is 11am, but we were given an extra 30 minutes, then left our bags at the office so we could enjoy the day before catching an afternoon flight. We met Hova that evening, and she was a gem as well. The beds and pillows were comfortable, and the room was clean and cozy. I will definitely return!

We loved our stay at the Sea Blue Hotel in Santa Monica! Our room (Room 16) was clean, bright, and comfortable — this room kind of has it's own little patio, which was such a nice bonus. The location couldn’t be better — just steps from the pier and surrounded by great restaurants and shops. The customer service was excellent, and everyone we interacted with was so friendly and helpful. If you’re looking for an affordable place to stay near the beach, this is a fantastic choice! 🌊☀️

We drove 10 hours from Klamath Falls, OR to visit for the first time. The location is unbelievable - a couple streets away from the pier and steps from the beach. That being said, the photos definitely make it seem way nicer than reality. It’s extremely outdated, walls are paper thin so you can hear everything (tvs, voices, pets, kids running) and the parking is INSANE, and we have a Sierra Denali 2500 double cab… we BARELY made it… and parking is $29. I highly recommend taking a small vehicle and then walking everywhere. We walked to The Lobster for dinner (incredible!!) and the pier was amazing. The beds are extremely uncomfortable, had a super rough night after our 10 hour drive. The shower was awful and uneven pressure. Very dirty. The service was great, the desk person was very helpful and nice. The location makes it worth it but do not expect anything other than a 90s room with minimal amenities. Most likely won’t be back

I stayed here recently and felt like I got a good deal for what I paid. My room was spacious and clean. The hotel was located to a lot of restaurants and touristy areas. I could see the Santa Monica Pier from my window, though the ocean view was a bit obstructed. They offer parking for $30/night, but there aren’t many spots available, so keep that in mind if you’re driving. One thing to note is that there were quite a few homeless individuals around the property, which made it feel a little unsafe when walking outside at night. The door to the room, which led directly outside didn't feel secure and I was a little scared to stay here by myself overnight. I did hear people yelling/screaming outside my room and I ran into a man who was jump-roping outside alone in the courtyard in the dark... That was kind of scary Inside, the room/bed was comfortable, but the walls were on the thinner side and it did get pretty cold. The only heating option I had was a small space heater. If you have a car or are traveling solo, I probably wouldn't recommend this place, but otherwise it's fine!

A super cute hotel in a magnificent location. We stayed in a single room that was cozy, bed was super comfortable, ventilation in the room was perfect and super clean. My only disappointment was the water pressure and parking. It has very low water pressure so washing long hair is tough. Parking is minimal, pricey and if you are late arrival as we were there was no parking, and they suggest a civic center quite a distance away. My suggestion is to park one street down at the pay parking lot or street parking across the street. These 2 negatives will not keep us away. Location is perfect! Walking distance to the pier and so many restaurants, bars and shopping.

This is one of those places where beds are too small, the showers not meant for tall people, and you have to pay for parking , but they don't tell you in the ad. Parking is reserved. Otherwise the location is great.

The only star given is due to its location. The rest do not deserve any star. Bad customer service, clogged bathtub , with no option to fix until next day. Rooms needs an upgrade ,looks old dated, attendant was very rude upon questioning if there was an AC in rooms she said no just open the windows. Honestly look somewhere else. Will never come back! I am not sure where in the website said “clearly “ that there is no A/C in Alcove suite. I tried to book again just to see where does it said it and couldn’t find it ! Maybe you should look into it so no other guess suffer what I went thru. Thanks

I will be one of the few to do five stars. The star rating has nothing to do with cleanliness. You have to look past that, as clearly it is an old facility. The rooms are old and just a little icky visually, mostly just the bathroom area. If you are a visual clean freak, then, close your eyes. The stars are because it's an amazing location, within walking distance of the pier and anything else fun. The staff was friendly. The rooms are "cute" and quaint. They sleep 4 with two beds. The space heater didn't really keep it warm but there were plenty of blankets to make up for it. We paid $35 for overnight parking which seemed worth it, since they monitored us every time we parked and made it easy for us to not look for parking.

Caution when booking through 3rd party. There maybe 8 parking spots available and you need to call ahead to reserve. If not be prepared to park in a city lot a decent distance away. Walking to the garage is easy enough it's driving from the property to the lot that's a pain. This hotel took a lot of liberties with photo angles and advertising select rooms. Our room was very small and the bathroom was spacious but very very out dated. When I had concerns that I brought to the staff they were less than accommodating. I was traveling alone with my young daughter and I really did not like the idea of having to stop unload, check in, go park in a huge city lot and then walk back. I know that sounds entitled but like most when I save up enough to take my daughter away for a little vacation I want to get my moneys worth. This was not it.

What a great, California-style hotel. Wonderful staff! We were greeted by DJ who went out of his way to welcome us and make sure we had parking and helped with our bags. The next morning Eddie was also so welcoming and friendly as was Manager James who came out to greet us. Our room was quiet and great surfer decor with an ocean view: we were so happy here and spent two nights at Christmas! We highly recommend this super hotel!! We hope to come back next Christmas once again. Thank you to all the awesome staff! Sally and Jim

The hotels, in a very nice area 2 streets away from the beach. The only downfall is you cannot park in the parking lot. they make you find parking elsewhere. the front desk person is very rude and I'm referring to a worker named JP. He was rude from the start seemed like he was just irritated with the job had really bad customer service. Have your options open before you thinking about coming to sea blue

The price is purely for the location- which is AMAZING! Super close to the Santa Monica pier. Many surrounding restaurants and places to walk around. The hotel is very plain. There's no table inside so if you have food you have to eat it in the 1 chair in the room or on the bed. Thin walls and poor window blinds. Parking is $36/night in a super cramped parking lot out front. There's not really any street parking so you don't have much of a choice. It's a great place to stay if you're just looking for a place to crash after a fun day around Santa Monica. Very clean and cute decor. Staff is friendly. Another issue we had was we booked the hotel on Airbnb's website but the hotel also charged us for a new reservation when we arrived. So we have to work with the hotel to get that charge cancelled (seems to be an easy process).

Amazing and comfy stay in LA so close to the beach!! The woman at the front desk - Gwen - was lovely in helping me navigate my stay and was very friendly answered all my questions making my visit even better

I had a wonderful stay here. Fantastic location, cozy rooms and Gwen, the front desk staff, was amazing!! She was so helpful and friendly and gave so many great LA recs to explore :) highly recommend

Love this hotel! I've taken my family here twice already and we love how the property is just steps away from the beach. During check in, the front desk clerk Gwen was extremely helpful with our questions about the city. She was so welcoming and made our trip off to a pleasant start.

Got here at 3:40 pm. Check in lady was very rude. Said if we wanted to check in even a minute before 4 pm it would be $50 extra even though our room is ready. The photos online look way nicer than the place actually is. It's quite junky. We vacation in this area frequently and saw this looked online just as nice as the Ocean View hotel but $100 cheaper. We will gladly pay the extra from now on. These people should be ashamed of themselves! This hotel will ruin your whole trip..

we stayed here on 7/6 to 7/8 ...1st of all the location and the customer service from the front desk was great the rest I'm going to say wasn't so good we didn't know that parking would literally be a 5 minute walk from the hotel I felt very uncomfortable with my car being so far away from us on the 1st day of our stay so ask for parking in advance they have like 9 parking spots we were able to get parking the 2nd day for $35 bucks ...The rooms were a little old and outdated and there was no outlets to even charge our cellphones..all night we heard the people walking back and forth from upstairs the floors creaked everytime they walked we stayed for 2 nights and not once did I get a good night's rest I felt very uneasy the last day we woke up to a cockroach crawling on the headboard we all jumped out of bed so quick we shook all of our clothes packed up couldn't get out of there fast enough nobody wants to take these nasty things home we brought it up to the man at the front desk when checking out he apologized and told us he would take off the parking fee although location was great I don't think I would ever stay there again not for that price!

I loved this quaint little m/hotel. My mom and daughter stayed there last July. We stayed there again last week. It's the perfect spot! While it doesn't have the extreme amenities people "want", it has all you need. I love this little diamond in the rough. And the staff is Uber friendly and accommodating! It is a block away from the Pier and so safe. I felt comfortable and happy the whole time I was there. I'm planning on making another trip to SM and will definitely be staying here. Thank you to the entire staff at Sea Blue for making my trip the best it could be!!

I stayed in room 17, very clean room, location was amazing, shower was small & my only complain parking was hard to find. I highly recommend to park few blocks away at a parking garage. Everything worked in room 17, no issues at all. Check in was funny. The man in glasses was yelling at some guy over the phone, I loved it. Not going to lie, I drove past the hotel twice. It was hard to spot the hotel!

The Sea Blue Hotel is a wonderful place to stay. The ambience of the room we stayed in was wonderful. The entire stay was more than enjoyable. The staff was great as well, the front desk girl Gwen was amazing super sweet, funny, and very cultured. She informed us of cool things to do and made sure we had everything we needed. Definitely will be back !!

I stayed in room 18. If you are looking for a cookie cutter hotel like the Hilton, then don't come here. This place is old but it has character and you can walk to the beach even if you're exhausted, it's so close. My 7 year old had no complaints. Sure there was one one outlet for my phone and I wish the rooms came with brooms and dustpans to sweep up your own sand in between housekeeping, but other than that, we would stay here again. Parking is tight but we had no issues all four nights and the $29 was worth it 100%. We walked to get coffee at multiple places and ate breakfast on the beach, access was perfect. If you are having a hard time listening to the cars, then turn on some white noise. Personally, I travel for the experience and loud cars on a downtown beach road is part of what I'd expect when I stayed somewhere like this. Some of the bad reviews seem like they are from ppl who order coffee and then complain it's too hot. I love to stay in quiet hotels too, this was a pleasure anyway. But please get some Netflix

Check in was a breeze and the location is great. The room was clean and had everything we needed. There was window AC which worked well for us as both a noisemaker and an air conditioner. The beds are clean and comfortable, and the lobby was neat. The location is exactly what we needed just steps away from the Santa Monica Pier, the Pacific Ocean, and tons of great restaurants. I'm giving only 4 stars because parking was difficult, not enough space in the provided lot, and the views, at least from our room room were of a parking lot and a wall. Also, we have a suite and although I didn't need a television there wasn't one in both sleeping areas and that is often the standard in suites. There also isn't a nightstand in my room. The lip of the headboard was wide enough to house my cell phone, glasses and water bottle. There also isn't breakfast available onsite, but I knew that prior to check-in. We would definitely stay here again and recommend it to our friends. It's cute, quaint, and clean.

Omg we love this place!! We lucked out and got a parking spot at the hotel. They are limited and if you get one, a little pricey, but totally worth it. It would have been hell without it. The hotel rooms are in a gated area which is nice because homeless people are everywhere. Super close to the pier amd the beach. Restaurants galore and 3rd st promenade is in walking distance. Once we parked we never had to drive again until we left! The room was like a beach house for sure. Out door patio with tables and chairs. Coffee available in the front office every morning. I can't say enough good about this place, totally loved it!

I wish I can give this place zero stars. This review says a lot because I am not one to really give a review. But I had to, to warn others! I am not a picky person and I don't expect everything to be perfect. Anyway, The only good thing about this place is that it's close to the beach. Other than that, NOT worth $350 per night. Everything is old and outdated. You can hear people walking, talking, and chewing from next door, upstairs, downstairs, and literally from every corner of your room, all hours of the day and night. Tiles in the bathroom are cracked and dirty, room is dusty, no f**king outlets to charge your phones (seriously?), tapped broken towel rack, uncomfortable beds, dirty shower curtain., the list goes on!! Never again!

i came on a mini trip with my daughter and everything was very comforting. !! Gwen was so sweet and helpful thank you for making my experience unique !!

Been struggling looking for a hotel nearby the beach and Wilshire blvd in Los Angeles, we are from Vegas and I need to fix some stuffs by Los Angeles, so I decided to check hotel prices, at first I picked one across Sea Blue hotel, and dang! The lady that I spoke to, told me they have $30+/night parking fee and I was like oh okay no thanks, I called in Sea blue hotel and they have the same parking fee, but do you know why I picked them? It is because the hotel stuff I spoke to, was really helpful, even told me I can park somewhere close thats half the price of their charge. The helpfulness of the stuff was really outstanding here at Sea blue Hotel and plus their Covid-19 precautions are great as well. And the are really close to Santa Monica Beach pier! Walking distance! Will be taking this hotel when we get back to Santa Monica

Older beach bungalow style hotel. Great location for a quick overnight pit stop. Decently clean room, there were a few random hairs in the sink, shower and on the shower curtain. There was no table in the room to eat so we had to use the ironing board. Make sure you get confirmation and clarification on where you room will be. Our room faced the parking lot and busy main road. The website is a little deceiving. Thin walls, you can hear your neighbors and outside. Single pane windows made it hard to sleep at night with all the cars zooming and crazies walking by at night.

Even after I requested a bottom floor room, due to my 86 year old grandmother. We still got put upstairs with out a rail on the stairs to hold on to or an elevator! James Greyhound the manager and JP up front could care less about the issues we faced staying here. My grandmother was embarrassed and felt ashamed she was such an inconvenience to be with. And nobody should EVER feel like this! I wish they would of tried harder to switch our rooms so my family and grandmother felt more comfortable. And our door didn't shut all the way.

This hotel is a fraud, the rooms look nothing like the online pictures. The junior suite is the worse it's extra small and no space what so ever. Dirty rooms hair every where and the bathroom floor is disgusting and smells like sewer. Please don't waste your almost $900 like I did! They don't have any amenities and no ocean view, you have to walk down flights of stairs to get to the beach.

This is not the quaint beach hotel they lead you to believe. It is a run down old motel. We would give it ZERO stars if we could. The rooms facing the street are a drag strip until 2am. The rooms look NOTHING like what's pictured (phots attached). Noise so loud the kids upstairs were crying at midnight. They have more rooms than parking spaces. Charged $36 for parking and then told when arriving back from dinner to park in a garage a 1/2 mile away. Walked back in the dark with the local homeless. The sheets were stained. The GM James makes no apologies (which is why he is running this dump) terrible hotel, terrible management and a COMPLETE LIE. Run ...do not be fooled by their pictures and make same mistake we did. Almost $300 for maybe 2 hours of sleep. Can not stress enough this is the WORST!!!!!!!!!

Shoutout to Jova for being friendly and welcoming and giving me a great room!! I actually prefer smaller rooms such as these when I travel- It adds a little more character I also loved the staircase with beach access on the property! We found our new little spot in Santa Monica and we can't wait to return!

THE WORST HOTEL I HAVE EVER STAYED AT! When we arrived they let us do early check in, that was the only nice thing about the "hotel". First they gave us a room with a full and a twin bed when I had booked for 2 queen size beds for 2 adults and 2 teenagers, they tried to tell us that it was our fault and that as an upgrade they where going to give us a bigger room with two super uncomfortable and old full beds but we needed to leave a good review......... the room smelled so bad, so old, it was so unpleasant, we had to kill a huge cockroach on the bathroom floor, you could hear all the conversations from the room upstairs, I had almost no sleep at all!!! Even the electric sockets where loose, no heater and NO HOT WATER!!!!! The only reason we booked there was because of the proximity to the beach but save your money and just walk a few more blocks, it is not worth it, if I could get my money back I would, horrible horrible experience!! I do not recommend staying here.

DO NOT BOOK HERE!! A motel is a luxury room compared to this. My poor parents had the misfortune of staying here with lies! The rooms look nothing like the pictures. My mom came back with bites all over her legs (possible bed bugs). They had asked for a full bed and ended up with a twin bed in a small room. The bathroom is old and dirty, can't control the hot or cold water. Parking is an extra 36 dollars a night. The list of how horrible this place goes on! Please save yourself and book somewhere else.

Such a beautiful hotel and perfectly located in the heart of Santa Monica. I really couldn't ask for a better location. The rooms are clean and I slept like a baby. The front desk receptionist Ali was super helpful and professional. Overall great experience and would highly recommend!

Honestly didn't expect much from this hotel just because I booked it through a discounted website but I would consider it be one of my favorites in Santa Monica (for the price). I love the style,cleanliness, and amenities in the room(tV, fridge, etc). The bathroom could use some TLC or a make over but I really appreciated the bathtub. the shower head was so low and short my boyfriend(6'4) did not appreciate it so much. The area around the hotel are houses so it's pretty quiet and actually nice to walk through. Although it was just 2 blocks from the beach, there wasn't any easy access going back to our room and the Parking was so limited I didn't want to leave our spot just because I was afraid we wouldn't have anywhere to park coming back (paid $36 for overnight parking). The staff was super friendly and I overall had a good experience here. Stayed in room 26.

Okay it's just OKAY- Rooms with AC? Very limited air conditioned rooms. Luckily we got a room with AC - a tiny window air conditioning unit blowing from the bathroom toilet - Seriously. Our room was nice, the hotel is so close to the ocean, but with the heat & humidity our room was so uncomfortable.

Love Hotel California! Located just seconds from the Santa Monica pier and Aquarium this hotel offers a break from the normal "at the beach in a box" feel. James the manager and Carter at the front desk were a delight to talk to over a freshly brewed pot of coffee.I appreciated the time they took to explain sites to see and places to go. Their courtyard was dreamy to sit in as the breeze from the ocean wafts up. Perfect for lounging and reading a book while watching the sun go down. The first thing I noticed about the room was how clean it was and how nice it smelled. Whenever I needed fresh towels, housekeeping always delivered them with a smile. The bed was just right for sleeping after a day of exploring the area. Best of all, though I might be slightly bias as a guitarist, was the guitar hanging above my bed. I did have to pay for parking which I was fine with. As everyone knows who lives in California, parking is a premium commodity in Santa Monica. I was happy to pay for parking and walk, rather than park in an unmonitored lot. I liked that I could bike to other beaches. like Venice, from this location. Did I mention this place is a hop skip and a jump from the beach? If you are looking for a relaxing time away from the norm, with plenty to see and do, stay at the Hotel California. Thanks to all the staff there who truly made this place a lovely place! :)

The staff was very helpful and friendly and our room was very clean! We were so close to the beach and to the pier and lots of great local food. Beds were comfy! We will definitely stay here again.

Love this place! For what is it...nothing fancy...it is awesome! We will definitely stay here again. Very beachy, clean and super friendly staff. Can't beat the location, walk to everything. Can't wait to come back!

Great staff! Great service! The room was clean.. the location was unbeatable. I'd definitely recommend this hotel as a quick getaway knowing you won't spend much time inside. It's a beach hotel right off the beach, and a great price.. you honestly can't beat that. Hubs and I would definitely return. Thanks Blue Sea staff!

What a great place. This is a quaint little place surrounded by high-priced hotels. Everything is walking distance, there is a courtyard where you can grab a smoke, trail to the beach, very clean rooms and friendly hotel staff.

Four stars because of location! Walk to the Pier/Beach, Promenade, and to the Viceroy, Fairmont Miramar, Chez Jay across the Street. Cora's Coffee Shoppe is down the street. The rooms are nice , updated great colors. They can use a bath mat ( slippery tub) and some shelves in the bathroom to place your toiletries. They can also use a throw or area rug in the main room and an extra chair or table. If your a couple only 1 person can sit in the room. Also we had a nice private porch, but it had an old outdated Palapa and table. I would throw those out, they were really dirty and took away from the area. These are all easy fixes. The most important thing, was the plumbing , not great water pressure and hot water is used up fast, so you have to wait otherwise, your hot and then cold. But they are trying and very nice. If you want location this is the place.

You get wat you pay. No parking. U get out ur room, and u can not come back. Suck.. Not recommend. Park else and 35 a night. Room heater also not work.. No microwave.

Booked a room at this hotel through AirBnB. Did not get the room that was advertised. Lobby was unwilling to assist and told us our room had smoke smell, and the alternate room was all that was available. Paid $36 for parking but after leaving and coming back, lot was oversold. We were told to park 3 blocks away in a parking garage. Woke up to walk in the morning and had a homeless person sleeping a few feet from our door. Spend the extra money for one of the larger beachside hotels in the area. Yes, the location is great, but its not worth it in the long run.

My recent business trip to LA took me to Santa Monica. Our staff normally books travel, but with the flu swarming our office, I did it all by myself. Just like a big boy, I set up own air travel (SWA-never again), rental car (Enterprise-definitely again), and The Hotel California (most definitely again). I tried to book on-line, but it appeared the hotel was sold out. I called up on the toll-free number and the lovely Mary Bell booked my room on the last minute deal of $129! Once I pulled up and parked in the last space on the property, I did have to take a breath. It's like The Bates meets The Palm. And, I fully expected to find Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon filming Beach Blanket Bingo. But, inside it even more special. And it starts with the room key (see photo). Clean room, fresh linen (not scratchy towels), comfy bed, even a microwave, it was nice. The best touches were the surfboard beds, real guitar art on the wall, and OMG, Ecossential toiletries that rival The Venetian Hotel. Soap, lotion, and shampoo, are environmentally responsible amenities with, no animal testing and are 100% biodegradable. OK, I did take the extras home. It's not a resort, but you do have the Santa Moncia Beach 1/2 a block away. Right across the street is the Chez Jay, which I heard rumor that it's the local dive for the "Hollywood Crowd." Another day and another Yelp. Lost one star at first for a nightly parking fee of $25, but I put it back five stars on since even South Beach's,The Palm, charges $29. When I checked out, Mary Bell, the charming manager said frequent customers get a discount. I'll be back next month.

I wish that there were microwaves, but the people were very accommodating. Fine place to stay, good location.

By far the worst place I have ever stayed in my entire life. The room was decently sized but there appeared to have been no cleaning done prior to our arrival. The floors were beyond dirty with our feet turning black and needing to be washed in the tub several times on our first day. The floor was so disgusting we resolved to wear shoes the entire time while we were inside until it was time to go to bed. The tub had grime in it and a couple dead bugs which were super appealing. One of the beds had crumbs in it which gave us the impression that the sheets were not changed in between guest changes. In addition to all of that, the walls are stupid thin and you can hear everything going on outside so you better pray you don't get loud neighbors. Misfortune was once again reigning down on us when we found that our room shared a wall/outdoor patio with a large group of college partiers who stayed up until 4 AM drunk yelling, poorly singing 90s hits, and debating on the total of their food with a 20% tip...If you're coming to the area do yourself a favor and go elsewhere. The cost/value offered is not worth the stress and frustrations.

Very odd little hotel. Could be cleaned a little better and rooms need updated. If this place had a new manager it would be amazing. We had booked last minute and for the price and location I am happy. When we arrived the from desk was very very nice. When we got to the room the house keepers had left a small space heater on. The room was boiling so we had to turn the ac on and leave for a few hours. The bed was made nice however the towels in the bathroom looked used and were not hung properly. The place has loads of potential if the right person was managing it.

We arrived in Santa Monica in the late afternoon Thursday, and was trying to decide if we should stay the night or continue on and stay near LAX for our flight the next day. Taking a short walk we spied the Hotel California sign painted on the side of the building and decided to scope it out. Walking into the small lobby, we were greeted by a kindly gentleman. We inquired about price and availability, and were not too surprised that one suite was still available at a cost of $209 plus. He gave us a key to look at the room, advising us that since it is an older hotel some people were reluctant to register sight unseen. The suite was in the Arcadia Terrace section of the hotel, first floor. Indeed it is an older building, but was very well maintained. Apparently it may have been an apartment house in a former incarnation. Looking OK, we returned to the lobby and asked about parking. There's the rub! He said that they charge an extra $36 a night for parking in their very small lot. Across the street at another business they will charge $12, or you could use the Santa Monica Civic Center parking lot, which is about 3 blocks away for a flat $5 fee. He said that many travelers choose that option, and that the area is secured and should not be a problem. We took that option after unloading our bags. The suite included a kitchenette, a bedroom, and a living room. There were sleeping accommodations for two in the bedroom, and one on a bed in the living room. All bed were comfortable. All of the furniture was of the vintage variety which fit with the design of the hotel. The ceiling fan in the bedroom was unusable due to a squeaking noise every time the blade spun round. The fan in the living area worked well. There was also an AC unit in the kitchenette area. The Arcadia Suites are set on a small private terrace with a few tables that are nice to sit at and pass the time, until a smoker comes out and sits across from you. Oh well. Bedding was clean as was the bathroom and assorted towels. Our room, number 4, was next to the laundry room. That was a problem. There is no signage designating hours for use of the laundry room. There needs to be, as someone decided it would be nice to do their laundry at 4 in the morning. The racket it caused was disturbing. It may be common sense to not do your clothes before dawn, but not everyone has common sense. No breakfast is included, but bananas, coffee and tea are available in the lobby all hours. The hotel is very well located, just a few minute walk to the Santa Monica Pier, and the 3rd Street Promenade. That is a plus plus. One of the flat screen televisions was not receiving a signal. The front desk fellow apologized in the morning for that malfunction, and said they were working in conjunction with the service provider to fix it. He offered, and I accepted a Hotel California T-shirt as a token of his appreciation for our troubles. I would stay again because of the convenient location. And yes, our rental vehicle was safely parked overnight. That lot was full the next morning as it is used as parking for the county courthouse.

Firsts time I'm here w new name and owners. Loved it last summer when it was hotel California. We had a ground floor room w a queen and a little bedroom w a double. Plenty of space. Big bathroom. This time we had room 20 on second floor. Worst room ever. A queen and twin. Couldn't even walk front into bathroom it was so cramped. Had to turn sideways. Almost had to crawl over queen bed to get to bathroom. This room was $400 including $36 Parking. Super rip off. I could have stayed at The Shore across the street for $25 more and had a 5 star experience.

Strongly suggest you forget this hotel. Walls are paper thin and it was a party house during my stay. It was dirty, unkept and management wound not stop a party of loud rap music and people at 9pm saying they had to wait until 10pm. I'm in town on business. This is not the spot for biz types. Leaving as soon as I can.

The only good thing I can say is it's close to the beach and pier. When we arrived and checked into our 2 room suite the thermostat was broken and there were several box fans placed through. We were then moved to a room and when my sister went to get into bed we found a large yellow/brown wet spot that was on the mattress pad only. It was not on the top blanket, comforter but had soaked through to the fitted sheet. The hotel staff came to replace it but couldn't find the correct size bedding so she had no mattress pad or fitted sheet on the bed. We received a slight discount for the inconvenience but needless to say we won't be returning.

1) The fan wobbles so much that I either worry of my two year old daughter overheating during her nap or getting squashed by it falling. 2) The ancient television didn't even turn on for three days of our trip even though management knew about the tv (they even mentioned it to us at check in) and promised to fix it the next day. It's difficult to shower with a toddler screaming outside the door because they are used to watching a show while you shower. Not relaxing by any means. 3) The shower doesn't have a temperature regulator so it will go from Freezing to scalding hot in mere seconds. Like hot enough to give a second degree burn. On your nipples. Good luck trying to shower in the am because everyone else is showering, or flushing a toliet, or brushing their teeth, etc. Your water will never be a consistent temp. 4) Our room smells of ammonia when housekeeping leaves. It smells like a woman from the 80s broke in and permed her hair. No joke. I had to go and buy a candle and matches at Anthropology to get through the trip. 5) The bathroom is so dated and disgusting. The tiles are stained and the paint worn off. I feel like I need to clean myself after taking a shower... 6) In the lobby they have posted the hotel rates for nearby hotels. Okay I get it, you guys are cheap. But does that excuse you from keeping up to date and clean? A cardboard box is cheap too... Get your act together! I'm not a person who spends the entire day at the beach. I have a toddler who needs to nap during the day. And that gives me a lot of time to sit and contemplate in this dilapidated hotel room. We travel a lot for pleasure. At least once a month, on average. I'm not a high class gal. I normally request the room just be a Holiday Inn Express standard. This does not stand up to even that low bar. The only worse hotel I have stayed in was a motor inn dump in Spokane, WA where I didn't even want to touch the bed. 7) We requested a room change the second day. They told us they were sold out but we could defiantly get a new room the following day. The following day they said they were unable to move us and that the guy we had previously talked to failed to mentioned we needed to request a room change by noon. The lack of follow through, as well as the aforementioned issues, leaves me no choice but to rate this hotel one star. They get one for being low cost within walking distance to a bunch of homeless people. Er I mean really expensive shopping. And sand with broken glass and flying poop machines. I have heard people call them seagulls. I guess this place is okay if you want a bed to crash on and plan on bathing in the ocean.

Worst hotel I never stayed at. The hotel charged our card for a reservation on the wrong date. When we arrived in SaMo they did not have reservation for us. It was a blessing in disguise as the hotel was not as expected and off the JW we go.

So my mom and I got a Jr. Suite for our birthdays. We were a little nervous about the pet friendly (mom has allergies). You couldn't tell that an animal had been anywhere near the rooms!! rooms very clean, adorable and staff are so great. Love this place!! Short walk to the beach, the pier and anything else you need. This will be our go to place! Thank you Tony and Alberto for being so sweet and a great ambassador for the hotel.

Plain and simple, kitschy, fun, boutique-ish affordable and great staff! A gem sitting in a plethora of $400-$700 per night hotels. Close to EVERYTHING! Pier, restaurants, beach, strand, ALL. If you're staying in Santa Monica stay here. Just the savings in per night stay will buy your plane tickets!!

Ok, First. We had friends from Iowa visiting and we traveled to Cali from Las Vegas to go to the beach. We had 3 rooms. This hotel had very little parking, BUT our 3 car group all got parking spaces which was nice and I was willing to pay the $36 a night parking fee to have my car near me. But I'm sure it was because we came on a Sunday through Tuesday. Any who, cute hotel, close to beach and pier. The rooms were decent. Clean. Bed was comfortable and had 4 pillows on each bed. The shower was tiny, and needed the grout cleaned. But I have no real complaints about the rooms, except that our other groups said the walls were thin and they could hear other rooms conversation. My room was facing the street and could hear the cars all night, but I wasn't bothered by that. There's only one reason I'm giving lower stars... the guy that checked us in was a jerk!!!! and he talked to us like we were dumb tourists. (I was born and raised in LA). He cut me off while I was talking and I had to tell him to let me finish. One of the rooms was reserved but our friend from Iowa, who had lost her wallet in the airport and we had to switch the room into someone else name. He cut me off and was rude. Then, my daughter told him her room smelt like smoke (she wanted to point it out, not because she cared but because she didn't want to get charged the $250, which is posted everywhere) and he basically disagreed and said he had a difference of opinion. He was snappy and made rude comments or snide remarks the whole time. Get your some of your office staff some customer service training and you might have got a 5 star review. **The guy at check out was super nice though!! Idk anyone's names no one had name tags.