Usually the E-card discount isn't available so far in advance. The discount is offered by hotels who have a lot of vacancies that they want to fill. About 30 days before arrival, you can sometimes book the room at the discounted rate.

We just returned from Santa Monica last week and loved it. We stayed at the Cal mar Hotel Suites which we also loved. You can walk to the Promenade or the pier and they have tour companies pick you up at the hotel for tours. The rate was about $165 a night. I'm not exactly sure because my dautghter and her friend slept on the sofa bed in the living room for $10 a night each. There is a very nice heated pool in the courtyard. The only warning I would have about August is that there is no air conditioning. Santa Monica was a lot cooler than downtown LA in April but I'm not sure about August. These suites also have a full kitchen and there is plenty of shopping in Santa Monica.We did have a car and the free parking was a plus for us. Check out the reviews on Fodors hotels.