Any recommendations for reasonably price hotels in Santa Monica?
Anyone ever stay at the Pacific Shore Hotel?

My family and I stayed at the Pacific Shore Hotel last summer. The lobby is
attractive and it is fairly well located but the rooms were somewhat worn. Finding a reasonably-priced hotel in Santa Monica is not easy. We travel there once every couple of years and would love to know more about other options too. The Hotel Oceana is fabulous but very expensive. Good Luck.

Leows Santa Monica is a wonderful hotel. depending on the season there may be lower rates available. if you can use discount hotel companies you might be able to get lower rates. see Consumer Reports travel newsletter for these discount firms.

I used to live in Santa Monica for many years, and then last yr when visiting stayed at the Pacific Shores because it was the most convenient location and midprice. I basically agree with first post; it's ok but nothing exciting, but perfectly decent. I don't remember it being too shabby (well, I guess it was a little), but mainly very dark--I wasn't there much in daytime but had a big double window/door thing that looked west to ocean (which you can't much see due to that real expensive hotel blocking the view, Shutters I think) so there was light, but the decorating scheme was kind of dark and heavy, as I recall, sort of oldfashioned, and in Calif. you sort of expect something light and airy. It does have a decent restaurant on the first floor, which can be convenient. Most of the better hotels are much more expensive (Loews, Miramar Sheraton, Doubletree, etc.) There are a couple Holiday Inns but they have worse locations than the Pacific Shores (both of them do); they're both old so may not be any better, anyway. There are also various Best Western, Comfort& Days Inn and other motel type places you will find listed, several on Ocean Ave, but they are not as nice as PAcific Shores. There are a couple other midprice choices, however, that are alternatives to Pac. Shores: the Shangri-La on Ocean Ave., the Radisson-Huntley on 2nd ave (www.radisson.com/santamonicaca/ and the Georgian Hotel (www.georgianhotel.com) on Ocean Ave, also, I think. The Georgian is very nice, maybe a little higher grade than others, but you can get rooms between $140-175, I think, which is about same as Pac Shores, if you don't insist on ocean view. Shangri-la may be a little worn in places, but it's historic, has character, is art deco style and has a prime location on Ocean Ave. The Huntley House is across 2nd ave from Miramar and was always popular with airline personnel, I think--it's main claim to fame was this great bar on top floor with a to-die-for ocean view, dynamite at sunset. Pretty good margaritas. They also have a Mexican restaurant up there; the view is outstanding but the only time I ate a regular meal there, it was pretty bad, unfortunately (you wouldn't think you could ruin Mexican food that much in LA, but they managed). However, they do have a great free hors d'oeuvres thing during happy hour with decent stuff (not sure if that's every night or just Fridays). Anyway, if you want bar/restaurant in-house they are a good choice. Shangri-La doesn't have inhouse restaurant but you don't need it with everything around there. So, my next visit, I'm choosing Shangri-la or Georgian over Pacific Shores. You can do some booking and/or checking of these hotels on www.hotelinfoplus.com and www.californiares.com

I like Inn at Playa del Rey. 18 minutes from Third Street Promenade
in Santa Monica. 10 minutes from the
airport. View over Marina del Rey.
They have a sister inn in Santa Monica,
Channel Inn I believe. I am staying
there again next week.

Have booked a suite at Hotel California on the beach at Santa Monica, looks pretty good on their web site. Have heard Hotel Carmel is pretty good was recommended in our newspaper (Australian).