Both my husband and I love this hotel. We have stayed here many times, as we regularly visit the US. This is the place to rest and relax before the long flight back to Australia. If you're looking for a place with a doorman, room service and the amenities of a 5 star hotel, this is not the place for you. If you want huge rooms, a beautiful 1920's foyer, an incredibly helpful manager – the wonderful Brigitta - who speak 5 languages, and is a fountain of knowledge about the area - and windows in your room that you can actually open - then this is the place for you. All the main shopping areas and the beach are a mere 2 blocks away - perfect. Sure it’s a bit tired, but that just adds to the appeal. We have always felt safe here and street noise in minimal. Like us, it appears that guests come back again and again, and I can understand why.

This hotel was formerly an apartment, built in the late 20's. The building has retained most if not all of its original architecture, fixtures, decor, etc. and it's well-maintained. The manager (Birgitta) greeted me immediately and upgraded me from a studio suite to a one-bedroom suite for a mere $10 extra! (It was New Year's Eve, so they probably had a few empty rooms that night.) She also allowed a late check-out the next day. My room had a living room with huge windows, a couch, armchair, desk, private porch/balcony, private bedroom with a king bed, private bathroom with a pedestal sink and large tub/shower, huge closets, and full kitchen! The room was incredibly spacious and peaceful and overlooked a well-manicured courtyard. My only complaint: NO PARKING! No loading zone, no driveway, no valet service, no parking lot. Keep in mind that this is downtown Santa Monica: a block from the beach, a few blocks from Third Street Promenade, and surrounded by apartment buildings. If you can't immediately find a street spot in front of the building, then you're basically forced to park illegally in a red fire zone -- or double-park in the middle of the street -- while you struggle to quickly unload your passengers and their luggage. The manager will give you a street parking permit for your car, but that doesn't guarantee you a parking spot -- you're on your own for that. You can circle around the block for the better part of 15 minutes looking for somewhere to park -- good luck! For this reason and this reason only, I do NOT recommend this place for elderly/disabled travelers or families with babies or small children.

This hotel is in a great old apartment building with a lot of character. Still uses the old elevators that you open manually and it has kept all the charm of the buildings of that era. The area is great, short walk to the pier and the promenade and feels safe. The room was clean and spacious for the two of us and overlooked the entry garden/courtyard which was maintained perfectly. The staff were helpful in giving advise on travelling around the area. The only issue we had was one night we could here the people in the room adjacent speaking (muffled not clearly), which was a little annoying but not offputting. If you want to stay in Santa Monica, and i recommend you do, this is a great spot.

I can only echo what previous reviews have said, great location, on street parking, faded but elegant decor. We stayed in an apartment which was spacious and comfortable. We bought supplies from the nearby World market and had a leisurely breakfast in our room. Brigitta was very friendly and helpful.