The Ambrose HotelvsSonder The Beacon
Both properties are rated very highly by professionals. On balance, Hotel Shangri-La Santa Monica ranks slightly better than The Ambrose. Hotel Shangri-La Santa Monica comes in at #25 in Los Angeles with positive reviews from 13 reviews like Jetsetter, Star Service and Afar Magazine.
The Ambrose Hotel Show All Reviews
1255 20th St, Santa Monica, CA 90404
From $158/night
- Bar/Lounge
- Free Internet
- Room Service
- Free Breakfast
- Shuttle Bus
- Laundry Service
Frommer's
"If being within walking distance of the ocean isn't crucial, but a soothing, peaceful environment is, I've found your hotel." Full review
Oyster
3.0
"This 77-room, midrange boutique hotel is one of the most environmentally focused hotels in Southern California." Full review
Rough Guide
"Excellent choice for inland Santa Monica with Craftsman-styled decor and boutique rooms that have internet access and include continental breakfast."
Fodor's
"An air of tranquillity pervades the four-story Ambrose, which blends right into its mostly residential Santa Monica neighborhood." Full review
Travel + Leisure
"The property features four floors, 77 guest rooms and is a short drive to the beach and Third Street Promenade shopping corridor." Full review
Time Out
"This boutique avoids the stereotypical super-sunny decor prevalent in so many Santa Monica hotels, preferring a cultured mixture of sturdy Craftsman tradition and Asian chic." Full review
Star Service
"Located on the east side of Santa Monica at Arizona Avenue, in a quiet neighborhood just south of Wilshire Boulevard, this notable LEED Silver-certified property puts a stylish sheen on green design." Full review
Gayot
"The Ambrose fuses twentieth-century Craftsman design with an Asian influence, steering away from the too cool and edgy feel of a lot of hip urban properties."
Zagat
4.2
""Luxurious" yet "eco-friendly", this Santa Monica boutique "in a quiet neighborhood" may not be on the beach, but admirers "love" its Asian accents and "oh-so-comfy" ambiance."
Lonely Planet
"This sustainable boutique hotel beautifully blends Craftsman and Asian aesthetics and goes the extra mile when it comes to being green." Full review
Sonder The Beacon Show All Reviews
1301 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90401
From $301/night
- Bar/Lounge
- Hot Tub
- Free Internet
- Room Service
- Laundry Service
- Concierge
DK Eyewitness
"Its oceanfront Santa Monica location is great and the large rooms have ocean views."
Time Out
"Thankfully the streamline moderne exterior has been preserved; inside, the rooms have been upgraded with hardwood floors." Full review
Gayot
"Designed and constructed in the Art Deco style of the late 1930s, this Santa Monica landmark sits proudly on Ocean Avenue on a cliff just above the beach."
BlackBook
"Classic hotel on the beach, shines for its Art Deco vibe, inside and out. Rooms elegantly updated and luxuriously appointed."
Lonely Planet
Top Choice
"Stylish enough to be alluring but not too stuck up or intimidating." Full review
Travel + Leisure
"Once a private penthouse, this indoor/outdoor roof lounge retains a sense of glamour from the seaside hotel's heyday in the Golden Age of Hollywood." Full review
Afar Magazine
"An art deco icon, built in 1939 for the silver screen stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age, the Hotel Shangri-La is a beachfront beauty made for decadence." Full review
Star Service
"Provides business and leisure travelers with a colorful amalgam that blends the booty-centric, after-dark shenanigans of the Viceroy with the more conservative daylight trappings of the Doubletree. " Full review
Jetsetter
"Seaside Art Deco hideaway with a rooftop bar and farm-fresh Cali cuisine in Santa Monica." Full review
Zagat
"By day, it’s a boisterous, sunshine-drenched hangout, while after dark, it’s a secluded hideout for overnight guests and lucky locals basking in ocean breezes and pricey cocktails." Full review