Santa Monica, CaliforniaWilshire Montana
Huntley Hotel Santa Monica Beach
Coastal penthouse rendezvous
Wilshire Montana Santa Monica, California
Opened
1966
Price
$$$
Rated for
Design Social LuxeOutside the door
Coastal penthouse rendezvous
The property reimagines the Santa Monica beach stay, trading typical coastal resort tropes for playful modern design and skyline glamour.
“The arty lobby – with its fan coral motifs, stingray-hide front desk and ‘piranha wall’ – pays full homage to nearby Santa Monica Bay...”
What it’s good at
Notable
Thomas Schoos designed a lobby wall filled with three hundred white ceramic piranhas.
Notable
The eighteenth-floor Penthouse lounge brings ocean panoramas, curtained cabanas, and late-night DJ sets.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Also in Condé Nast Traveler.
The Penthouse restaurant and bar are pretty reliably packed, not just for the food but for the atmosphere as well — the look is upscale retro-lounge.
Right in the middle
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Palisades Park and the beach are two blocks west, and Third Street Promenade is a short stroll away.
The rooms
Suites include open soaking tubs, and wide windows look straight out toward the Malibu coast.
The saunas and hot tub
An outdoor barrel sauna, an infrared cabin, and a heated saltwater whirlpool sit along the stone patio.
Gym and plunge pool
The 24-hour gym has Peloton bikes, and the outdoor wellness patio holds a cold plunge tub.
Restaurant
The Penthouse
An exterior glass elevator climbs 18 floors to curtained dining booths, a shell-patterned bar, and ocean views.
How it began
The 1966 tower starred in the neo-noir classic Point Blank as the penthouse hideout of a syndicate boss.
Good to know
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Huntley Hotel Santa Monica Beach
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Santa Monica
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.