Shore Hotel, Los Angeles

Located on the vibrant and picturesque Santa Monica beach front, Shore Hotel is an understated, luxury boutique hotel as well as the perfect location for a romantic beach getaway in Los Angeles.

• Location: On Ocean Avenue, and only 20-minutes from LA International Airport.
• Accommodations: The range of eco-conscious accommodations includes 164 rooms and 20 suites which have been designed to reduce the consumption of natural resources. Highlights include a sustainably sourced decor, top class amenities, and private patios or balconies, and they are are designed to conserve energy all on their own, with temperature controls that adjust automatically when you arrive and leave the room.
• Dining options: Although Shore Hotel has no restaurant directly onsite, it partners with Blue Plate Taco next door which fuses classic Mexican flavours, healthy inspired cuisine, tropical cocktails and great views of the ocean. You can also stroll the 3rd Street Promenade to dine at a multitude of restaurants offering international cuisine and freshly caught seafood.
• What else is there: The hotel has a fitness centre, a 24-hour business centre, a swimming pool with hot tub and underground parking. The concierge can also set you up with every sort of activity on offer including surfing lessons, renting a bike to explore the esplanade, yoga classes, local tours, information about local farmers' markets and a long list of recommended restaurants.
• What’s nearby: Shore Hotel is ideally situated across the street from Santa Monica beach, and within a short walk are Santa Monica Pier and the Santa Monica Farmers' Market. Slightly further afield are the beach cities of Venice Beach and Marina del Rey, with other Los Angeles attractions accessible by car. 
• Why go: It’s an environmentally friendly, super cool, boutique hotel which is close to the beach as well as downtown Santa Monica.

The Space

With a hallmark emphasis on being eco-friendly Shore Hotel is an upscale property and an impressive and harmonious work of architecture and design, bringing a whole new level of Chic to Santa Monica. It opened back in October 2011 with sustainability firmly in mind, and became a certified LEED Gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) property, partnering with Clean the World Foundation, the largest non-profit global recycler of hotels soaps and bottled amenities. The cleverly designed u-shaped hotel maximises the natural California light through the use of glass and reduces energy consumption with solar panels, and the hotel is committed to using recycled building materials from previous hotels. It’s also super stylish.

Where We Stayed

Our Premier Ocean View Room came with views and a lineup of amenities including  luxurious Egyptian linen, teak wood furnishings, and a soothing turquoise combined with vibrant sunburnt orange decor, reflecting the striking hues of a California sunset. The bathrooms was sleek in design with a large shower and glass exterior looking directly into the room, with remote controlled shades for privacy and sumptuous Aveda bath products. You even have the ability to control the lighting in room with your personal hi tech identity card you receive upon check-in. Other amenities include LCD flat-screen TVs, heavenly bath robes, and complimentary wi-fi. Our balcony was a favourite spot at any time of day thanks to stunning views of the Pacific Ocean. With such a phenomenal location as a backdrop, we enjoyed rising each morning to the view of the locals biking or running along the palm tree lined esplanade which conveyed the simplicity inherent in the Californian way of life.

UltimateTravelMagazine.com Loves 

• The balcony with ocean views.
• The environmental initiatives.
• The concierge, who was able to give us a long list of vegan restaurants when asked.

Insider Tips  

• Although Santa Monica is a self-contained beach city, if you are keen to explore the rest of Los Angeles from here, rent a car.
• There’s no on site spa, but if you fancy a massage one can be arranged in your room.

The Details

Shore Hotel is located at 1515 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA, www.shorehotel.com.