Where to Stay in Santa Monica

Santa Monica stays split by area: on the sand near the Pier, along Ocean Avenue and downtown, or down Main Street in Ocean Park. Beachfront names cost more and add resort fees and valet. Rates, taxes, and fees change, so confirm the total before you book. Starting nightly rates below, where listed, come from Time Out's Aug. 13, 2026 list.

Beachfront

If you want to walk out onto the sand, it's Shutters, Casa del Mar, or Regent, all just south of the Pier. Fairmont Miramar is a luxury stay at Ocean and Wilshire, across Ocean Avenue — not on the sand, about an eight-minute walk to the beach.

Shutters on the Beach

Sand-front at 1 Pico Boulevard, next to Hotel Casa del Mar, with an ocean-view pool, a spa, and bikes included in the resort fee. Families can request cribs, book connecting rooms, or add a rollaway ($50 a night, one per room, pending availability). Heated pool; no published kids club.

$850–$1,100 a night. Resort fee $60 a night plus 15% tax. Overnight valet $90 a night (tax not specified).

Hotel Casa del Mar

The 1926 sister hotel next door at 1910 Ocean Way, also on the sand, with ocean-view rooms and a fifth-floor pool deck. Connecting rooms, cribs on request, and twin-size rollaways at $50 a night (one per room, pending availability). Heated pool; no published kids club.

$900–$1,200 a night. Resort fee $60 a night plus 15% tax. Overnight parking $90 a night (tax not specified).

Regent Santa Monica Beach

The former Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, now a Regent, at 1700 Ocean Avenue, steps from the Pier. Time Out ranks it best for luxury. The official FAQ describes a Seascape Explorers program, Cybex strollers and joggers for guest use, and a year-round heated pool (children under 14 need an adult). Rollaways are in king rooms only. Crib policy unpublished.

From $1,100 a night. Resort fee $90 a night plus tax. Overnight valet $93.22 plus tax, about $110 total.

Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows

A luxury hotel at 101 Wilshire Boulevard, across Ocean Avenue from Palisades Park, not on the sand. Book a bungalow for more space: some include a sofa bed and a crib or rollaway on request, and some layouts can connect. The resort fee includes pool access for registered guests and discounted Cayton Children's Museum day passes. No published kids club.

$$$$. Resort Experience Fee $50 a night plus taxes. Registered-guest valet $79 a night, with in-and-out, plus 18% city parking tax. Visitor valet is $20 for the first hour and $7 for each additional hour.

Downtown / Ocean Avenue

Stay on or near Ocean Avenue for the Pier and Promenade on foot. Proper is the design-hotel pick; Shore and The Eden sit on Ocean Avenue; Hilton is a few blocks inland, with suites. The Ambrose is a quieter Mid-City option, not on the water.

Santa Monica Proper Hotel

A design hotel in a 1928 building at 700 Wilshire Boulevard (entrance on 7th Street), about a six-minute walk to the Promenade and nine minutes to the Pier. The rooftop pool and bar are the draw; this is not a beachfront hotel. Children may stay free with an adult in the same room; cribs and rollaways are available on request, along with a children's menu.

$520–$700 a night. Destination amenity fee $55 a night plus tax. Valet $90.27 per vehicle, inclusive of tax, with in-and-out.

Shore Hotel

A mid-range hotel at 1515 Ocean Avenue, across the street from the Pier, not on the sand, with a courtyard pool. Cribs are complimentary, subject to availability; rollaways are $35 a night. The amenity fee includes a welcome amenity for children and a complimentary microwave, mini-fridge, and crib on request. Heated pool for registered guests.

$$$. Guest amenity fee $45 a night plus tax. Overnight valet $65 plus 18% tax, with in-and-out.

The Eden

The former Hotel Shangri-La, reopened in June 2025 as The Eden, at 1301 Ocean Avenue, with a year-round heated saltwater pool and a rooftop lounge. Children under 17 stay free with an adult using existing beds. Cribs are free, one per room, first come. Rollaways are not available, and standard rooms may not exceed three guests, including children and infants — book a larger suite if you need more space.

$$$. Destination fee $45 a night plus taxes. Valet $55 a night plus tax, with in-and-out.

Hilton Santa Monica Hotel & Suites

A mid-range hotel at 1707 Fourth Street, a short walk from the Pier, beach, and Promenade, but not on the sand. Suits families who want a suite or connecting rooms, plus an outdoor pool. Cribs are available, and there's a kids menu. No kids club is listed.

$$$. Valet $59, with in-and-out (tax not specified). No resort fee was listed on the official hotel-info page.

A bit inland (Mid-City): The Ambrose Hotel

A quieter boutique hotel at 1255 20th Street, in Mid-City — not on Ocean Avenue or the beach. A complimentary house car and beach-cruiser bikes help close the gap to the sand. No pool is listed. Extra and rollaway beds are available (the hotel has four rollaways). Crib policy unpublished.

$$$. Guest amenity fee $29 a night plus tax. Self-parking $55 per car per night plus 18% parking tax, with in-and-out. No valet.

Main Street / Ocean Park

The lower-key Ocean Park side: closer to Main Street cafés than to the Promenade, and usually a better value than sand-front hotels.

Bayside Hotel

A smaller hotel at 2001 Ocean Avenue, at the Main Street edge of the beach — a short walk to the sand, about 10 minutes to the Pier, and one block from Main Street. Some rooms have two double beds or a kitchenette. No pool is listed. A value pick if you'll spend the day at the beach or on Main Street. Crib or rollaway policy unpublished.

$$. Parking is $39.84 a night, based on availability. Type and tax are not specified.

Sea Shore Motel

A family-owned motel at 2637 Main Street, two blocks from the beach, operating since 1972. Junior and deluxe suites can include a living area or a full kitchen and sleep up to six. Beach towels, chairs, umbrellas, and mats are available at the front desk. There's a sundeck, not a pool. A strong value stay if you need space or a kitchen; Visit Santa Monica also notes connecting rooms and guest laundry. Crib policy unpublished.

$–$$. Confirm parking with the motel when you book. Official pages don't state a parking policy or fee.

Value

Hotel Carmel is the downtown value stay, two blocks from the beach and next to the Promenade. For more space or a kitchen, see Bayside Hotel and Sea Shore Motel above.

Hotel Carmel

A 1924 boutique hotel at 201 Broadway, next to Third Street Promenade and about a block and a half from the Pier. Official pages position it as an affordable downtown stay. Some suites have an in-room refrigerator. No pool is listed. A practical downtown base for days at the beach or the Promenade, with fewer on-site kid amenities than the suite hotels or motels with kitchens. Crib or rollaway policy unpublished.

$$. Amenity fee $20 a night. Overnight valet $35 a night, with in-and-out, plus 18% city parking tax.