Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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balcony, this is the hotel for y ou. But it's also business-trav eler friendly and not too far
from LAX. In typical Ritz-Carlton fashion, the hotel is swathed in soothingly sophisti-
cated decor—French doors leading to priv ate balconies, 32-inch plasma-scr een televi-
sions, and comfor table goose-do wn feather beds. The two top floors consist of the
Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge, with a dedicated concierge, on-the-house cocktails, and
complimentary gourmet spreads all day (including breakfast). Thanks to its marina loca-
tion, the hotel offers yacht and sailing char ters, and reserves several slips for boat-bound
customers. Venice Beach is about a 15-minute walk, but it's easier to rent a bicycle from
the hotel. And to keep up with the competition, the hotel has r ecently added a full-ser-
vice boutique spa as w ell.
Tip:
Request one of the “27 series ” rooms, which ar e junior
suites that are larger and have the best views. The hotel's restaurant,
Jer-nē
(pronounced
“journey”), serves superb New World cuisine in a stylishly modern setting.
4375 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey, CA 90292.
&
800/241-3333
or 310/823-1700. Fax 310/823-2403.
www.ritzcarlton.com. 304 units. $369-$609 double; from $669 suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Valet parking $10 day,
$29 overnight. Pets accepted.
Amenities:
2 r estaurants; bar and lounge; bab ysitting; bikes; c oncierge;
concierge-level rooms; fitness center; Jacuzzi; heated outdoor pool; room service; spa; 2 tennis courts (lit
for night play); basketball court.
In room:
A/C, TV, CD player, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi ($9.95 per day).
Shutters on the Beach
This Cape Cod-style luxury hotel is directly on the
beach, a block from Santa Monica Pier. Only the Shutters' sister property—Casa del Mar
(see above) can compete, but S hutters is slightly better because of balconies on ev ery
guest room and the more personal boutique hotel-like ambience. The views and sounds
of the ocean ar e the most outstanding qualities of the spacious, luxuriously outfitted
rooms, some of which hav e fir eplaces and/or whirlpool tubs; all hav e floor-to-ceiling
windows that open. The small swimming pool and the sunny lobb y lounge overlooking
the sand ar e two gr eat perches for spotting the celebrities who sw ear by Shutters as an
alternative hangout to smoggy H ollywood.
One P ico,
the hotel 's pr emier r estaurant,
serves modern American cuisine in a seaside setting. The hotel's
ONE
spa offers guests
facials, massages, body scr ubs and body tr eatments, manicures, pedicures, and waxing.
Tip:
The beach-cottage r ooms o verlooking the sand ar e mor e desirable and no mor e
expensive than those in the to wers.
1 P ico Blv d., Santa M onica, CA 90405.
&
800/334-9000
or 310/458-0030. F ax 310/458-4589. w ww.
shuttersonthebeach.com. 198 units . $490-$785 double; fr om $1,175 suit e. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet
parking $26.
Amenities:
Restaurant; caf e; lobb y lounge; bab ysitting; c oncierge; health club & spa;
Jacuzzi; outdoor heated pool; room service; sauna; extensive beach-equipment rentals.
In room:
TV/DVD,
hair dryer, minibar, MP3 docking station, Wi-Fi ($12 per day).
Viceroy
Still near the top of L.A.'s coveted “in” list is this über-chic hotel on the
sea side of Santa Monica. It's the startling color scheme that first grabs y our attention as
you enter the lobby—parrot green, driftwood gray, and wave-crest white. Then there are
the dishes: hundr eds of custom-made china plates arranged in symmetrical patterns
throughout the hotel and guest r ooms. The array of white patent-leather chaises in the
lobby seems more for form than function; most guests pr efer more conventional seating
in the Cameo bar or private poolside cabanas. The edgy-English theme is applied to each
guest room as w ell, along with an array of high-tech to ys like flatscr een TVs and CD/
DVD play ers. The r estaurant,
Whist,
ser ves superb contemporar y cuisine. You'll also
enjoy the location, only a shor t walk to the beach and in the thick of the shopping,
entertainment, and r estaurant scene.
Tip:
S plurge for an oceanvie w r oom; y our only
other view choice is the hotel par king lot.
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