Santa Monica Shangri-la Hotel
Enjoy large rooms, friendly hotel staff and nearby entertainment.
Shangri-la in Santa Monica: The luxury is in the view and location. The Shangri-la Hotel makes good use of one of Southern California's best assets; the Pacific Ocean.
The Shangri-la Hotel in Santa Monica, California, is notable for its great views and location. The Shangri-la Hotel is an older structure, built in the Art Deco style. It has hands-down the largest rooms I've ever seen in a hotel; our two-bedroom suite was considerably larger than the two-bedroom apartment we'd left in NYC. However, the furniture is old (the armchairs were that burnt-orange color I associate with avocado fridges and shag carpets) and a little musty. The carpet also showed its age through stains and frayed parts. Because this is also a moderately priced hotel, a reader may wonder what The Shangri-la Hotel is doing in a Luxury section. Well, dear reader, it is simple. It is across the street from the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, and many rooms have drop-dead 180-degree views. Imagine opening up your blinds in the morning to the dazzling beauty of the clear blue sky, swaying palm trees and endless glittering water. That, right there, makes up for the view inside the rooms in a heartbeat!
When my family moved to California, we knew we needed a hotel as a brief stepping-stone while our new home was in escrow. Before we moved, we made a reservation at the Shangri-la Hotel simply because it is right on the ocean, and three blocks from the Santa Monica Pier. The Santa Monica Pier has a roller coaster, ferris wheel, and other rides, as well as carnival-style games. In other words, the perfect diversion for transplanted children! What really sealed the deal, in terms of reserving a two-bedroom suite sight unseen, was the free parking. Anyone who's been to Southern California knows what an anomaly THAT is.
The staff at The Shangri-la were uniformly friendly and appropriately playful with my kids, which I believe helped them recover quickly from their shyness and fear of being in a new place. There is a free continental breakfast, as well as daily afternoon tea with cookies. Two blocks east of the hotel is the popular 3rd Street Promenade, with many stores and restaurants, three large movie theaters and, at last count, three Starbucks and two Coffee Bean and Tea Leafs as well. No one need worry about going undercaffeinated in this, most westerly part of Santa Monica!
One last anecdote: While my spouse was at work, I was playing hide and seek with my girls, and at one point completely couldn't find my eldest. I called out that I gave up, but she didn't respond. Moments before panic kicked in, she finally emerged from underneath one of the aforementioned armchairs. The fabric on the seat cushion draped to the floor, covering a child-sized space under the chair. The ear-to-ear grin on her mischievous face made clear the fact that this was the highlight of her stay. So, for any family travelers, my daughter would like to alert your kids: "The Shangri-la Hotel has the best hiding places!" High praise indeed, from a 6-year-old.
Addendum: The Shangri-la Hotel is currently closed for renovations, and scheduled to reopen in Summer 2007. Click here for more information.
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Copyright Jennifer Miner and Suite 101. All rights reserved.
Photo courtesy of the National Historic Route 66 Federation.
