Hotel Casa del Mar, an eight-story brick mansion located just steps from the shore, looks like a beach house fit for a billionaire. With a history that dates back to 1926, this uber-exclusive Santa Monica property, designed by architect Charles F. Plummer, remains one of the very few hotels in Los Angeles County with direct beach access.
The impressive lobby delivers an Italian Renaissance Revival-meets-SoCal coastal vibe. The first thing you’ll notice is the stately double staircase, coffered ceilings, and intricate mosaic tiled floors. Stroll around the corner and you’ll see indoor palm trees and cozy cabana-style lounges, draped with nautical striped privacy curtains and decorated with plush seats and fresh flowers.
The rooms at this Forbes Four-Star resort mirror the lobby’s yacht club feel. A chic walnut four-poster bed centers each of the 129 guest rooms and suites, many of which boast epic views from Malibu to Palos Verdes. Built-in cabinets in the bedroom display dried coral and conch shells, while the bathroom’s hydrothermal massage tubs come with a cheeky touch: your own rubber duck.
The resort’s two restaurants specialize in—what else?—perfectly prepared seafood. Floor-to-ceiling windows in both Terrazza Lounge and Catch provide a breezy sense of place as waves lap through the glass. The lovely Terrazza, designed by Michael S. Smith, serves lighter bites with an Italian influence like Dungeness Crab Crostini. Catch is the marquee dinner spot where guests slurp down Kumamoto oysters before tucking into a plate of Seared Chilean Sea Bass or petit filet.
Guests can work up an appetite, or simply catch some rays, at the Pacific-facing pool overlooking Silicon Beach. Step onto the sand with a yoga class or personal training session, done al fresco, before rewarding your efforts at the Sea Wellness Spa. The eco-friendly establishment offers one-of-a-kind treatments like the Vibrational Crystal Facial and three different kinds of CBD massages. Pure bliss.