Fodor's Expert Review Hotel Shangri-La
301 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, California 90401, United States See on Map
Housed in a historically preserved, Art Deco masterpiece, the Shangri-La is a throwback to the Golden Age of cinema while embracing its neighborhood roots with nautical themes. The entire hotel is built like a giant cruise ship and the common spaces, pool area and rooftop bar help give families the feeling of being at sea – which is easy since the property sits across the street from the Pacific Ocean.
room
There are 70 rooms in this boutique hotel with 30 suites (22 have full kitchens which inspire long-term stays). Opt for ocean side accommodations as the views do not disappoint. Nespresso machines are fully comped in all the suites and there’s complimentary Wi-Fi throughout.
bathroom
White marble bathrooms are complete with custom fixtures, sunken tubs, rain showerheads and L’Occitane products.
lobby
The lobby is fairly small with a black felt couch and a few chairs. There’s a concierge station and a dining room and bar off to the right.
Ask the concierge to get your name on the list for local bars and clubs that may be hard to get into. They can also get you tickets to shows, Universal Studios and other events.
pool
Walking to the back of the hotel reveals the 10,000 square-foot pool deck. The cruise-ship feel is in full force here with games like ping-pong and corn-hole, cabanas circling the pool and fire-pits to lounge around with a glass of wine at night. You get the whole pool experience here, folks.
gym
The fitness center is open 24-hours and has a full complement of free weights and cardio machines.
dining
The dining room in the front of the hotel serves an eclectic menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers grand views of the Santa Monica waves. Guests can also order room service 24-hours a day.
drinking
One of the best parts of the hotel is the rooftop bar and lounge, Onyx. Designed with Studio 54 in mind, the black and gold painted ballroom floor takes guests back to the 70s on the inside. Outside, drinkers are treated to the best rooftop bar view in all of Santa Monica. Fridays and Saturdays are pretty exciting with DJ-spun tunes, and there's a sunset happy hour daily from 4-6 pm.
YOU SHOULD KNOW After 8pm, the bar enforces a dress code--no flip-flops, baseball caps or shorts.
LOCATION
Getting Around
If you want to catch a train, it’s only a 13-minute walk to the Downtown Santa Monica Station. From there, you can get almost anywhere in the city, including Hollywood and Universal Studios. The hotel is also in a great walking area generally--there are tons of bars, restaurants and attractions right outside the door. If you want to get to Malibu, you should probably just rent a car.
Restaurants
Sugarfish (1-minute) walk has some of the most consistently great sushi in town. Fig (5-minute walk) is inside the Fairmont Hotel and has salivatingly good Mediterranean cuisine. Since the Shangri-La is a block away from the Third Street Promenade, there are options for every cuisine and price point imaginable.
WHY WE LIKE IT
If you like Hollywood iconography, you might recognize the hotel from the movie White Men Can’t Jump, or if you like the opposite of that, you might recognize it from reality show The Bachelor. Stylistically, the property evokes a golden age with its Art Deco design that’s preserved by the city of Santa Monica. For families who want a complete LA holiday, you get incredible views, access to the beach, a walking area with stellar bars, restaurants and a stunning pool deck that can keep you inside the hotel without a concern. Also, the rooftop bar is really, really good.
QUICK FACTS
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