Downtown Santa Monica, California
Opened
2019
Price
$$$$
Rated for
Design Wellness SocialOutside the door
The house
ProperOrganic modernist clubhouse
Potted palms, pitted plaster, and eclectic vintage seating fill sunlit public spaces arranged like a sprawling coastal living room.
“The Santa Monica Proper Hotel blends a 1928 Spanish Colonial Revival building with a modern counterpart, linked by a striking suspended bridge.”
What it’s good at
Remarkable
Curved headboards, earthy plasterwork, and vintage furnishings link a 1928 landmark to a modern glass wing.
Remarkable
Surya Spa delivers Ayurvedic Panchakarma cleansing alongside an Ammortal longevity chamber and cold plunges.
Notable
Open-air sunset cocktails and DJ sets draw crowds to the seventh-floor Calabra rooftop pool deck.
What they say
One Michelin Key
Michelin
Forbes Recommended
Forbes Travel Guide
2026
Also in The 50 Discovery and AFAR.
it’s got the romance of the Twenties but the forms and materials of a modern luxury boutique hotel.
Right in the middle
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Anchored on Wilshire Boulevard, the hotel sits six blocks from Santa Monica beach, coastal bluffs, and the open-air pedestrian promenade.
The rooms
Neutral tones and floor-to-ceiling glass frame custom curved headboards, Italian linens, and bathrooms lined with walk-in travertine showers.
The spa and pool
Bring a swimsuit.
Martha Soffer's Surya Spa practices Ayurvedic herbal bodywork, and loungers line the heated seventh-floor rooftop saltwater pool.
Sauna and cold plunge
An outdoor cedar barrel sauna and stainless steel cold plunge tub sit among potted palms on the terrace.
Dogs stay too.
Bar
Palma
The ground-floor lounge serves Italian dishes and afternoon tea beneath potted palms and a mural by Ben Medansky.
Chic design meets home-style comfort at Santa Monica Proper, a stylish boutique hotel meticulously brought to life by L.A.-based designer Kelly Wearstler.
Restaurant
Calabra
The seventh-floor rooftop restaurant serves seed-oil-free Mediterranean dishes, with natural wines and regular vinyl DJ sets.
At the table
Long wooden tables on the sunlit garden terrace seat guests for open-air meals under canvas umbrellas.
How it began
Arthur E. Harvey's 1928 Spanish Colonial Revival landmark is joined to a curvilinear contemporary wing by a suspended pedestrian skybridge.
“Kelly Wearstler heads up interiors and has produced an absolute stunner, drawing inspiration from her own Malibu home as well as the hotel’s circa-1928 Spanish Colonial Revival building.”
Good to know
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Santa Monica Proper Hotel
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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.