san

Hi folks!
Will be spending a weekend in Santa Monica soon. There are plenty of great hotels there...but which should I choose (the Fairmont Miramar, Shutters, LeMerigot)? Also, good, stylish, but not pretentious places to eat?
thank you...

Edye

Hi San. We enjoyed our stay at Loews in August, with a great location and great price and great view. Would stay at Shutters in a second if I felt like paying their price. Enjoyed lunch at their beach level restaurant. The views from Le Merigot are terribly blocked by a relatively new apt style building that is directly in front (beach side). Bummer. Some may consider some of these places to be pretentious, but we found good service and nice people and we loved the food at Il Fornaio, Ivy at the Shore, Broadway Deli and the upscale Japanese restaurant on Ocean (can't recall name). Also loved Chaya Venice about 12 blocks south in Venice. Have fun, we'll be returning soon.

michele

San,
Chez Mimi in Santa Monica has a loyal following and has been in business a long time. Basic, good, bistro fare. If you want to Splurge (with a capital S) try Valentino's, always highly rated. In nearby Venice, try Joe's, good food moderately priced. There are a few new places on Abbot Kinney Road that have received good reviews. I think Lilly's is the name of one.

Have fun.

san

thanks for the good advice so far. Any other hotel opinions?
san

Tim

I Cugini is a wonderful place to eat on Ocean Ave. in Santa Monica. Lobster, by the Santa Monica pier is also very good and my third (but not third place) recommendation is Michael's in Santa Monica. All outstanding!

san

just found the Mobil ratings website and was interested to see that Shutters is given only a 3 star award. I've seen it given 5 * by posters here. LeMerigot and Casa del Mar were 4 stars... Interesting, when Shutters is much more expensive than LeMerigot...

Dave

Definitely stay at the Loews' resort hotel. We were there for a vacation last year, did well on the price (<150 per night), had a great room, which was actually quiet. Shutters is nice for dinner or lunch, but too expensive to stay in, and has much less impressive exercise facilities than Loews' does. Santa Monica is a very fun place, and we found it to be a great base to explore Los Angeles from. THere are tons of restaurants and stores within walking distance of the pier. No need to go to Venice to dine, unless you want to.

Shannon

I haven't stayed in any of the hotels, because I live here, but my family from the east coast love staying at Loews (or is it Loewes?), and very convenient walking everywhere. The Miramar was renovated a few years ago and it's a nice property also convenient for walking around Santa Monica, but more along the Marriott/Double Tree kind of properties. In the area, we enjoy Lilly's in Venice for nice French food, Joe's is great (next door to Lilly's). Also consider El Cholo at Wilshire & 11th and even the King's Head for fish & chips -- it's one of our oldest ex-pat hang outs. Great food, but more for the double martini, suit set is the Pacific Dining Car. Stylish restaurants in the area include Jiraffe, Melisse and Chinois on Main. I can't describe any as pretentious, although some of the patrons can be. The staff in each are not arrogant, which is always a plus in my book, and most of these places politely get the annoying cell phone in a restaurant users to can it.

avoid

I missed the fact that Shutters got a 3 star.
HOORAY!!!!
It's about time.

I've been whining about Shutters (SOB for short) here for 2 years.
It is sooooo overpriced and so not luxury. It survives because of its location, which is great.

But anyone who has stayed at this hotel will tell you it is nothing more than a 3 star caliber hotel.

Read the old posts and you won't find many people who rave about this place...at least not people who have actually stayed there.
I've stayed in 3 different classes of rooms there.
I'll never waste my money there again.

san

ttt...