As soon as you approach the Le Meridien Delfina Santa Monica, you know it is something special. The hotel, located four blocks from the beach in Santa Monica exudes class and luxury, but the little added bonuses let you know that they actually care about you as a guest.
The Perks
I drove to the Le Meridien, fully expecting to pay a boatload for valet parking, as is the custom at Los Angeles-area hotels. Imagine my surprise when they told me that valet was complimentary. I did a double take. It was like a “say what now?” moment. That never happens ANYWHERE in Los Angeles, so they were already off to a good start with me.
Next, I was informed that the hotel offers complimentary bicycle rentals for guest usage and a complimentary car service. Yep, you read that right. The Le Meridien in Santa Monica will drop you off anywhere within a two mile radius (read: pretty much everywhere in Santa Monica) whenever the car is available. Lovely.
When you check in, the hotel offers you a complimentary glass of sparkling wine. WiFi is complimentary, and if you are a Starwood Preferred Guest member, you get 10% off of food at the hotel restaurant or room service. So to be clear: free valet, free bike rentals, sparkling wine at check-in, and a discount on room service. They had me at “hello.”
The Location
The Le Meridien has a great location in Santa Monica. It is only four blocks from the beach and only about a mile from the Santa Monica Pier. But because it isn’t on Ocean Blvd., you don’t have the huge congestion and gridlock that you would have right at the pier. And given the car service, you don’t have to worry about parking when heading down to the pier (and you can Uber back to the hotel or catch a cab with ease).
The Hotel Grounds and Amenities
When you arrive at the Le Meridien Delfina, you first come across this cute little patio that is very California- and Santa Monica- style. The wicker chairs, the fireplace and the vintage beach cruiser really let you know that you are in SoCal.
The lobby is absolutely exquisite. It has comfy chairs and upscale appointments. There is a full bar and restaurant just off the lobby, and the ambiance gives a posh feel.
But the real MVP is the pool area. It is colorful with fire pits and posh chairs. There are cabanas available for rent, and some balconies overlook the pool area. In fact, I am writing this review from the pool area right now. While the area is compact (having more of a boutique hotel feel) it makes a great use of space and is very well appointed. It is super relaxing and has plenty of areas to kick back, relax, enjoy a good meal, and some SoCal sun.
The Rooms
I was highly impressed with my room at the Le Meridien Delfina Santa Monica. The rooms are airy and spacious with bright colors. Yellow and turquoise liven up the well-appointed room.
The room is quite big. There was a sitting area, a desk, and still quite a bit of space in the room. There was also a separate area for the coffee and tea station, featuring an illy coffee making station and Tazo teas.
The bed was absolutely fantastic. It was so comfortable that I spent the majority of the evening lounging in the room. It is the perfect combination of softness and spaciousness, and was a perfect place to crash for the evening.
But the best part of the room was the view from the balcony (see above). My room was facing the mountains and I could see the ferris wheel on the Santa Monica Pier, the beach, the mountains, and, of course, the beach and the ocean. I spent a good amount of time just taking in the view and taking pictures. It was a great LA view and moment, as you could see so much of the city from the hotel. It was absolutely spectacular.
I enjoyed my stay at the Le Meridien Delfina Santa Monica more than I could have expected. The location is spot on and the hotel perks are top notch. The room was spacious and well appointed, and the pool area was super relaxing. The only drawback is the fact that the hotel doesn’t have a “club” floor for Starwood Preferred Guest members, where typically free breakfast and happy hours are offered. While it is not a cheap hotel, I highly recommend staying at the Le Meridien Delfina Santa Monica if you are visiting Los Angeles (and plan to be on the west side) or even for a staycation getaway. It is luxury that is not to be missed.
The hotel offered a media discount for this stay. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Wow, this looks like a dream LA hotel. So classy and yet very comfortable looking. The location also sounds dreamy – much better to stay at the West Side than anywhere near Hollywood, if you ask me.
I love how you broke up the text in this photos with photos. Made it very readable!
I think the complementary bike and car service is the greatest perk I’ve ever seen in a hotel. I wish more did this. My favorite way to explore a new place is on two wheels, so having this at a hotel is wonderful!
Thanks for sharing — if I ever make my way to Santa Monica (hopefully one of these days!) I’ll have to consider this place.
The only thing I didn’t see mentioned was price… how much would a stay here set one back?
Amanda, it truly is a great hotel. And everywhere in LA charges for valet so for this hotel to offer free valet, car service, and bike rental is top notch. As to pricing, is varies by season but it is a luxury property so it comes with a pretty decent price tag… though not as high as many I have seen in major cities! 🙂
Wow, it sure does offer a lot of amenities. I would stay there if the situation arose. I just want to sit out on the patio and have a fire with a glass of wine. How great does that sound?
I hear so many nice things about Santa Monica. Although I haven’t visited outside of Asia, except for S. Africa and Seychelles, this place sounds divine. The view looks amazing.
Hopefully some day I can go there.
What a great post! So concise and thoughtful. I love your pictures too 🙂 Now this is definitely on my list!
Sounds like a great hotel, actually scrap that it sounds amazing – free bike rental, free valet and wifi 🙂 Beautiful pics too…
I love the decor- very cool!
This looks like a WINNER. I’m doing a week in LA in June, I may have to lodge over in Santa Monica!
That looks like a great room and in such a prime location. I know how congested Santa Monica can get. Your hotel was smack dab in the middle of all the great restaurants in the area. I hope you had some good eats while you were there.
That was the beauty of this place. It was just up the hill a few blocks so out of the main congestion of Santa Monica but you could still get around with bikes or with the car service. Perfect combination of the two. Not to mention the hill gave a great view!
Now this is a hotel, OMG. When I was in L.A. I paid $30 a night for parking and I was there for like 5 days. UGH! Le Meridien Delfina, Santa Monica is totally winning off that alone.
I’ve not been to a hotel with so many free amenities. Making a note because this is clearly the only place I need to stay.
Mimi, yes now this is luxe! I thoroughly enjoyed my time! It was fantastic!
Love! Love! Love! What a beautiful view and the hotel looks amazing.
Siobhan
http://www.befreeproject.com
OMG, the perks alone have convinced me that this hotel is worth staying at. It’s very nice and the view is incredible.
Ooh, this looks like it was nice! Love that big mirror too. I like a nice coffee and tea station too.
It looks like quite the place to stay! I love how you touched on every aspect!
This looks like a gorgeous hotel! I love the location and the hotel grounds.
LiveLifeWell,
Allison
I’ve never been anywhere with that many complimentary amenities! They definitely know how to take care of their guests! Great review!
Great recap! The rooms look fantastic and are very close to the beach!
Awesome review! We have a Le Meridien in Atlanta and its amazing I have been trying to get a review so crossing fingers!