BY LAURIE BARATTI | TRAVELPULSE | APRIL 13, 2021 | Read on TravelPulse

WHY IT RATES: The new Hilton Santa Monica Hotel & Suites offers some of the famous beach city's most spacious accommodations, with aesthetic elements that draw from its coastal natural surroundings, as well as the area's legacy as a source of inspiration for artists, writers and filmmakers. — Laurie Baratti, TravelPulse Associate Writer

Hilton Hotels & Resorts, together with Westmont Hospitality Group today announced the opening of Hilton Santa Monica Hotel & Suites, ushering in a fresh new aesthetic and chic destination to the California bucket list city known for its perfect balance of seaside charm and coastal sophistication. Situated just a few blocks from the shores of the Pacific, Santa Monica’s newest lifestyle hotel stands out, offering more suites—and some of the most spacious accommodations—than any other hotel in the area. The coastal property boasts 286 guest rooms, 211 of them suites, all with unique layouts to accommodate an array of guests’ needs and this new era of travel.

“We are thrilled to join the vibrant community of Santa Monica, providing both guests and locals a place to relax, reconnect, and share a meal together in one of the most iconic beach cities,” said Shahid Kayani, general manager of Hilton Santa Monica Hotel & Suites.

Designed by Los Angeles-based Avenue Interior Design, the hotel draws aesthetics from the Southern California coast and the newly developed breeding ground for tech innovation, Silicon Beach, while seamlessly interweaving elements of the destination’s rich legacy as a source of inspiration for artists, musicians, innovators and filmmakers.

To bring the project to life, Avenue Interior Design teamed up with Pineapple Procurement, a furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) company that specializes in some of Los Angeles’ most high-profile hospitality projects, to source furnishings that embodied the laid back but refined style of Santa Monica.

Guests are welcomed to the hotel through the check-in desk with a hand-painted mural by local Los Angeles-based artist collective, Hattas. Serving as the social hub for the hotel, the lobby invites its guests to linger longer with its tech lounge co-working space and brings the outside in with a biophilia wall flooded with natural light from ceiling skylights. Sand-colored nine-foot-high totems designed by Arizona-based sculptor Chris Nelke, cascade suspended from the eighth-floor atrium skylight and provide a unique focal point that can be seen from every angle of the atrium. Coastal-inspired touches continue into the guestrooms, which feature a fresh, serene color palette, modular furniture allowing for a flexible layout, bright and spacious bathrooms, and curated artwork from Kevin Barry Fine Art. Additional amenities include an outdoor pool with cabanas, 24-hour fitness center and over 10,000 square feet of flexible event space.

Spearheading the culinary program is Los Angeles native, Edy Lucas, known for his work at Manhattan Beach’s The Strand House and Fishing with Dynamite. Monica’s, Hilton Santa Monica Hotel & Suites’ chef-driven full-service restaurant and bar, celebrates fresh ingredients, local farmers markets and the surrounding community. The menu will change seasonally to showcase Southern California’s freshest produce and its opening menu features American classics while flirting with international flavors. Menu highlights include The Outlaw Burger with a Wagyu patty and house-made tangy sauce, the Firebird sandwich with cajun chicken breast, and a Bahn Mi sandwich. Those looking for quick yet elevated grab-and-go fare and casual drinks will find gourmet sandwiches and salads made with local and seasonal ingredients, at The Marketplace, along with beach essentials and wellbeing products curated by The Detox Market.

As part of Hilton Honors, the award-winning loyalty program for the Hilton portfolio, members staying at Hilton Santa Monica Hotel & Suites will have access to Hilton Honors benefits. Members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels will enjoy instant benefits, several ways of earning and redeeming Points and popular digital tools designed to provide guests with more choice and control over their entire travel experience, accessible through the industry-leading Hilton Honors mobile app.