Business

A New Hotel Brings Beachfront Glamour To Santa Monica

October 30, 2024

Take in views of the beach and the pier.

Tanveer Badal

A new wave of hotels has been coming ashore in Santa Monica, but Regent Santa Monica Beach may be making the biggest splash. Fronting the Original Muscle Beach and close to the famed Santa Monica Pier, the beachfront property celebrated its official opening last week, unveiling Guerlain’s first spa on the West Coast, restaurants from prominent chef Michael Mina and chef/restaurateur Ayesha Curry, as well as elevated service and accommodations that amp up the luxury.

The debut marks Regent’s only hotel in the Americas. But it’s not the brand’s first bow here — its previous L.A. outpost, the Regent Beverly Wilshire (now a Four Seasons), famously starred as the love nest for Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in Pretty Woman. And according to Tom Rowntree, vice president of Global Luxury & Lifestyle Brands at parent company IHG Hotels & Resorts, more will come.

Originally launched in 1970, the brand has been rebuilding its presence overseas since IHG acquired it in 2018. Regent Phu Quoc arrived on Vietnam’s largest island in 2022. Regent Hong Kong first debuted in 1980 but changed hands several times before reopening as a Regent property in 2023. French Riviera grande dame Carlton Cannes was transformed into a Regent hotel in 2023 after an extensive renovation, and Regent Bali Canggu will debut in the coming months. Rowntree said Regent aims to grow its stable to 40 properties worldwide.

We were among the first to check into the new Americas flagship, and here’s what we experienced:

Accommodations are bright and beachy.

Tanveer Badal

The Rooms

The hotel dramatically reduced its room count from 350 to 167, creating some of Santa Monica’s most spacious accommodations. The U-shaped building wraps around the fourth-floor outdoor pool deck — the largest in Santa Monica — so most units overlook the pool and hot tub, palm trees, the Original Muscle Beach (not to be confused with Venice’s version), the Pacific and the pier’s Ferris wheel.

The view inspires the bright, calming décor of the Wimberly Interiors-designed rooms. A whimsical mural of waves covers an entryway wall. Blue touches grace the white-filled space, from the Fellow electric tea kettle and bedroom armchair to the carpet and the coffee table.

Most rooms offer water views.

Tanveer Badal

You also will get ample vistas — a wall of sliding glass doors ensures you’ll always get a glimpse of the sun glittering on the waves and athletes swinging from the rings and working out on Muscle Beach. Upgrade to one of the standout suites, like the Atrium, a two-bedroom accommodation on the second and third stories whose glass atrium overlooks the beach, and the penthouse, an eighth-floor water-facing suite with separate living and dining rooms and a game room with a pool table.

White marble bathrooms feature deep-soaking tubs and cleverly designed shower spaces (with controls positioned to keep you dry while adjusting the water). The amenities include Perricone MD toiletries, Dyson hair dryers and bidets.

A Regent hallmark: your minibar comes stocked with personalized complimentary and refillable selections, which could include soft drinks, juices and sparkling water (a pitcher of unsweetened iced tea was added for us), yogurt-covered raisins, turmeric-spiced nuts and dried fruit.

Orla’s alfresco dining room puts you closer to the sand.

Tanveer Badal

The Food

In all of his restaurants, chef Mina crafts elevated food that keeps you coming back for more. At Orla, he weaves his Egyptian heritage into a Mediterranean menu that’s already drawing Hollywood’s attention — John Legend and Aaron Paul dined here during our visit.

You’ll see the chef’s Egyptian influences in the copious use of mango — one of the country’s most popular fruits — that he puts on top of his raisin-studded cinnamon swirl French toast for breakfast; the chilled lobster salad at dinner; and the must-order golden spiral mango tart for dessert. He also showcases Egyptian flavors in the fall-apart, bold lamb shank koshary and the urfa-dusted big-eye tuna falafel.

But save room for menu stars like the luscious Dover sole encased in phyllo dough with caviar cream and decadent caviar-topped zucchini fritters. Even seemingly simple dishes receive the Mina touch: macaroni bechamel transforms into a luxurious interpretation of Mediterranean mac and cheese, enriched with black truffles and mushroom duxelles.

For drinks, opt for the Mediterranean Gintonico, and a bartender will roll a cart that looks akin to a mobile chemistry lab. He’ll mix up a Greek gin infused with Santa Monica Farmers Market botanicals and spices, topped with Fever-Tree Mediterranean tonic. Be sure to sit in the open-air portion of Orla — the ceilinged space looks out upon Muscle Beach.

Stop in for coffee, treats and wine at Sweet July.

Tanveer Badal

Pop into chef Curry’s Sweet July café for a cup of the female-produced house medium roast coffee to go. Curry also stocks the sage-splashed venue with other items worth a look. She uses the café, an outpost of her Oakland flagship, to promote Black- and women-owned businesses (including grab-and-go items Black Girl Magic wine bottles, Ramona canned spritzers and Casamara Club sodas) and pay homage to her Jamaican roots.

Curry’s Jamaican heritage inspires a menu that feels both indulgent and approachable. Morning visitors should try the guava and cream cheese-stuffed croissants, while lunch offers crave-worthy options like a subtly spiced jerk chicken sandwich topped with mango and cabbage slaw or flaky Jamaican beef patties. The sweet potato bread pudding, a beloved staple from the Oakland location, provides a warm, comforting finish any time of day.

The Spa

The 10,000-square-foot, 12-treatment-room Guerlain Wellness Spa looks like a museum for the French brand’s fragrances. Shelves display perfumes like the popular Les Légendaires Samsara and Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic as well as Muget and Cherry Blossom. The latter two are part of the Exceptional Creations collection, which features ornate bottles designed by notable artists — Muget has bells painted with 22-karat gold and Cherry Blossom comes with a sakura ring embedded with mother-of-pearl and crystals.

A spa day starts with a signature scent: a hot towel laced with the fresh Eau de Coton. Before the service, circulate among the sauna, steam room and plunge pool, or opt to unwind in the relaxation room on one of the white boucle curved loungers. We chose the Tailor-Made Treatment, a facial customized to our skin’s needs. Our expert therapist incorporated such a skilled facial massage that we almost forgot we were there to revive our skin. But she did that as well — our plane-parched skin was hydrated and dewy afterward, and it even stayed that way later that night after we took off our makeup.

After the facial, we retreated to Le Clos, a spacious post-treatment coed lounge where you can extend your spa stay by sitting on an ivory sofa or chair, noshing on apple cookies and cakes, and sipping water.

Unwind in the airy lobby.

Tanveer Badal

The Other Spaces

The four-story atrium lobby, a masterwork by AvroKO’s San Francisco studio, sets an immediate tone of airy sophistication. Bathed in sunlight, the white-and-sand lobby invites you to linger on serpentine sofas. Sail-like brass screens set it off from circular Orla Bar, but the oversized screens are see-through to maintain the space’s open flow.

On the eighth floor, the hotel offers two distinctive spaces. The Lounge presents a welcome solution for early arrivals or late departures — a common challenge in California, where flight times rarely align with check-in schedules. The space provides showers and restrooms. Nearby, The Atelier serves as an elegant preparation space for special occasions, whether it’s an awards show fitting or wedding preparations, complete with styling stations and full-length mirrors.

The Activities

Of course, you come to Regent Santa Monica Beach for one reason: the beach. While the water is a short walk from the luxury hotel, Regent makes a day on the sand easy with its beach butlers — the only hotel in Santa Monica to do so as part of your stay. These attendants transform a simple beach day into a curated experience, handling everything from umbrella and lounger setup to towel service. Take advantage of the great location by partaking in the hotel’s beach yoga. Regent partners with local company Beach Yoga SoCal to offer sunrise classes mere feet from the shoreline. You will feel closer to nature nailing your tree pose while watching the waves, especially if you’re lucky enough to spot dolphins. We witnessed several pods of them bobbing up and down Santa Monica Beach during our class. If you prefer practicing yoga on your own, rooms have mats and cases.

Another way to experience the beach is by taking out the complimentary Bluejay electric bicycles and leisurely pedaling along the waterfront path.

Regent also owns a patio and a strip of grass called the Pacific Garden that sits between the hotel and Muscle Beach. It’s a lovely destination for sundowners, and the hotel sometimes hosts guided meditation classes there with The Den Meditation. But even if you don’t take the class, gazing out at crashing waves offers moments of gentle mindfulness.