EXPERIENCE SANTA MONICA

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Indulge in the luxury lifestyle


With its incomparable beachfront setting, world-class dining and vibrant cultural scene, Santa Monica emanates the distinct feel of laid-back luxury.

Santa Monica is home to some of the most iconic and celebrated hotels on the West Coast, ranging from high-style boutique hideaways to world-famous oceanfront properties - all within walking distance of the ocean! But don’t just take our word for it... Conde Nast Traveller recognised four Santa Monica hotels as part of their Top 30 Hotels, 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards.

Kick start your day early with an endorphin boosting run or cycle along the South Beach cycle trial. Or try one of the many health and wellness activities offered in Santa Monica. You will return from your trip with a new lease of life!

Santa Monica was on the vanguard of the local foods movement long before it became mainstream, and the use of sustainable, organic ingredients is central to the cooking approach of the leading chefs around town. Revitalise your body with a Cali-style brunch or cold pressed juice cleanse, and visit one of Santa Monica’s four weekly farmers markets, which attract the city's residents, visitors and local chefs.

Stroll through the neighbourhoods and find inspiration from the local style. From high end designers at Santa Monica Place to unique boutiques along Montana Avenue – designer brands sit alongside small boutiques, independent shops and pop-ups. While exploring, tap into your creative side, and feast your eyes on more than 100 public murals displayed throughout the 8 neighbourhoods.

After a long day of exploring, take some time to unwind with a treatment at one of Santa Monica’s top spas. As the sun goes down, sit back with cocktail in hand and admire the sensational sunset by Santa Monica Pier, or from above in the scenic Palisades Park.

Create memories with your family


Planning an LA escape for the entire family? Santa Monica boasts a warm welcome to everyone, from all walks of life, with a unique nod to families. From arcade games on the Santa Monica Pier to a day at the beach, start building your bucket list where attractions and entertainment are in abundance.

Sun, sand, sea and city thrills: whoever said ‘you can’t have it all’ hadn’t been to Santa Monica. At the heart of the Santa Monica experience are eight distinctive neighbourhoods, each infused with a wealth of personality and visitor attractions. At just 8.3 square miles, it doesn’t take long to discover the world-class shopping, dining, and entertainment in each of the city’s neighbourhoods.

Set out on a shopping tour on Main Street and check out the street art, or jump on the Metro to Downtown Los Angeles, just a 45-minute ride from Downtown Santa Monica. Explore the independent shops down Pico Boulevard, discover Mid-City’s food scene, or visit landmarks like the Santa Monica Pier.

Head down to the Santa Monica Pier to the famous Pacific Park and the nine-story Pacific Wheel Ferris wheel – the only over-water Ferris wheel in California, and the first solar-powered wheel in the world! Hang out (quite literally) at the Original Muscle Beach - get your photo taken at this iconic spot where locals love to work up a sweat! Gander down the Ocean Front Walk, and explore all the beach has to offer; or, if you want to pick up the pace, hop on one of the many bikes, and cycle down the South Bay Bicycle Trail!

All this activity will work up a healthy appetite so be sure to visit the culinary delights offered throughout the restaurants, cafes and bars in Santa Monica.

Explore our eight neighbourhoods

DOWNTOWN

SANTA MONICA


Downtown Santa Monica is equal parts shopping haven and street-performer stage. Just east of the Pier, the Third Street Promenade consists of three open-air, car-free blocks that are anchored by upscale Santa Monica Place. With everything from fresh farmers-market produce to designer fashions, it’s a shopper’s nirvana. Likewise, foodies rejoice in the numerous restaurants featuring locally sourced ingredients and craft cocktails. Life pulses around each corner with hotel guests, street performers, shoppers, office workers, diners, barflies, and moviegoers. New to the mix: The terminus of the Metro Expo Line, which opened in 2016, ferries riders by light rail between Santa Monica and Downtown Los Angeles.

ARTSY

MAIN STREET


Like the tides of the Pacific just a few blocks away, Main Street is characterized by a slow shift in personalities: By day, it’s a favorite of up-at-dawn locals, who come for breakfast or coffee after a sunrise surf session or to patronize the eclectic collection of businesses with their dogs and children in tow. Visitors can join in, easily filling an afternoon at laid-back patio-lined cafés and indie boutiques. In the evening, trendy restaurants and watering holes glow with a lively mix of options for nightlife lovers.

FOODIE CENTRIC

MID CITY


Bordered by two major thoroughfares, Wilshire and Olympic boulevards, and two Expo line stations, this easily accessible neighbourhood gets plenty of attention for its arts and entertainment offerings, particularly Bergamot’s galleries and The Broad Stage’s shows, as well as top-notch eateries. No wonder it’s home to a growing crop of interesting restaurants and shops

LUXE MONTANA

AVENUE


Montana Avenue, which sits at the city’s northern edge, is home to a stretch of more than 150 restaurants and retailers. Though it’s just a short walk from Downtown Santa Monica, it feels removed from the hustle and bustle of the Promenade and Pier. Late-night options may be limited, but from sunrise to sunset, a steady stream of shoppers browse the surrounding storefronts amid a relaxed crowd of A-list celebrities, out-of-towners, and parents pushing strollers, none of whom seem in a hurry to leave the wealth of juice bars, latte vendors, and outdoor cafés.

INDIE

OCEAN PARK BOULEVARD


Eclectic, diverse, funky, happening—Ocean Park is all of the above, and more. Set at the southeastern edge of the city and linked directly to the beach, Ocean Park Boulevard boasts an authentic local vibe, a crop of talked-about restaurants, and “Where did you get that?!” boutiques and shops. Accentuated by spacious Clover Park, the neighbourhood is also home to the Santa Monica Airport and its dynamic aviation museum, the Museum of Flying. The airport’s observation decks, eco-friendly gardens, and twice-monthly antiques market are also big draws.

VIBRANT

PICO BOULEVARD


Stretches of Pico Boulevard, a main artery connecting Santa Monica to Downtown Los Angeles, have begun to look more like an art exhibition as of late: The local business improvement district, paired with the award-winning nonprofit Beautify Earth, has adorned buildings here with a variety of striking murals. The people bustling through the area are equally diverse, drawn to a mix of small galleries, live music venues, shops and a variety of restaurants offering temptations for almost any palate. Accessible from the three Metro Expo Line stations in town, Pico ends at the beach and links Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica College, and Virginia Avenue Park, where a beloved farmers market takes place each Saturday.

THE ICONIC

SANTA MONICA PIER & OCEAN AVENUE


Along Ocean Avenue, alfresco dining spots, pastel-hued hotels, palm-lined Palisades Park, and the distinctive Tongva Park provide enviable beachfront hangouts. Ocean Front Walk, home of the Original Muscle Beach, still flexes its charm with a collection of rings, parallel bars and balance bars plied by bodybuilders, yogis and other assorted sun-worshippers. Bikes, skateboards and even hoverboards drift down the Marvin Braude Bike Trail in an aimless procession of fun. Perched over the Pacific, the 108-year-old Santa Monica Pier, featuring the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel and the century-old Looff Hippodrome, attracts more than seven million visitors a year, each reveling in a delectable slice of West Coast nostalgia.

SCENIC

WILSHIRE BOULEVARD


Stretching nearly 16 miles from downtown Los Angeles to Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, Wilshire Boulevard is a kaleidoscope of California culture. You’ll find several chef-driven dining hot spots near mom-and-pop bakeries and generations-old Mexican eateries. A smattering of vintage and designer consignment stores make the whole strip a favourite for deal hunters.