Get Outta Town: Santa Monica
By Jason Sanford | October 27, 2011 4:49 PM
Photos courtesy of Casa del Mar.
Santa Monica is one lucky lady—what with the most ideal year-round weather, innumerable outdoor activities with boards and bikes and throngs of board short and bikini-clad people playing in the sand and along the famed pier. Not to mention the always-growing, acclaimed dining and shopping opportunities and fun nightlife, and Santa Monica is the perfect place to get away from it all for the weekend, without having to surrender to the gas pump to get too far out of town.
Just south of the pier is a foremost oceanfront beauty, the Casa del Mar, a hotel that boasts a superb beach at its back door and refined beauty throughout. Beginning its life as a majestic beach club built in the ‘20s, the property eventually underwent a complete transformation and became a hotel in 1999, and eventually joined the proud ranks of The Leading Hotels of the World.
What makes Casa del Mar so special is its ideal combination of classy beachfront luxury and cool-in-the-sun Westside fun. The interior of the hotel, from the handsome lobby and lounge to Catch, a spectacular venue for both brunch and dinner, is welcoming and beautiful. The rooms are well-appointed with one of the comfiest beds known to man, a flat-screen in both the living room and the bathroom and a sunken hydrotherapy jet tub that can relax even the most worn and stressed-out travelers. The rooms also offer great views of the swimming pool, The Strand and the sun as it sinks majestically into the Pacific.
Brunch is a great mix-and-match experience at Catch, as one can pair up any brunch appetizer with a main course and a corresponding (or completely random) dessert option from the extensive, fresh menu. Whether it’s berries and yogurt, beets and burrata or steak and eggs followed by something sweet, there are lots of tempting choices for the relaxed midday diner. Also available at the hotel are a wide variety of signature gluten-free cocktails, ensuring that options are aplenty for happy hour—or any other hour that calls for relaxation.
Of course the best way to relax is by visiting the Sea Wellness Spa for one of their revitalizing hourlong massage treatments, quite possibly the hour best spent anywhere on your weekend getaway. It is here that the worries of the week, the rush hour traffic and the BlackBerry all fade quietly into the background—inviting a more peaceful you to take over. Also available are facials, full body treatments and other wellness options, making sure that guests look and feel their best when they hit the sand with their oversized towels and beach cruisers—which are also available for the day from the hotel, and are a fun way to take in the sights.
Santa Monica’s joie de vivre is undeniable from the moment you cross into city limits, and there is no better place to soak in some of that inimitable spirit than at the elegant Casa del Mar.
(1910 Ocean Blvd.; 310-581-5533; hotelcasadelmar.com)
