Luxury Travel Mag / Explore Our Editor’s Favourite June News Exclusive / Regent Santa Monica Beach Brings Old-School Glamour Back To The Pacific / By Sue Wallace

Steps from the sand, Regent Santa Monica Beach pairs oceanfront suites, a Guerlain spa and Michael Mina dining with a refined take on Los Angeles beach life

Why stay here

Shimmering in the sunshine with the turquoise-hued Pacific Ocean as a dramatic backdrop, the 167-room Regent Santa Monica Beach is just steps away from the famous sandy stretch that has long been a magnet for sun lovers, exercise junkies and celebrities disconnecting from Los Angeles’ dizzying pace.

Step inside this chic new hotel – it opened its doors in October 2024 – and that holiday beach vibe you simply can’t bottle immediately sets in.

Although it’s de rigueur to catch the rays via lizard-lounging poolside, or by engaging an affable beach butler to set up a cosy camp at the oceanfront, there’s lots more to do in this upscale Californian haunt.

With more than 280 days of sunshine annually, this city is all about the outdoors – whether it’s surfing, cycling, walking, jogging or people-watching on the beach as ripple-muscled men flaunt their intense routines.

Just a short hop away, the 1909-built Santa Monica Pier has starred in countless films – Forrest Gump ended his run here – and today it’s celebrated as the symbolic end of Route 66, complete with an ‘End of the Trail’ sign and nostalgic souvenirs. For the best bird’s-eye view of Santa Monica, clamber aboard the world’s first solar-powered Ferris wheel or take a wild roller-coaster ride.

Regent Santa Monica Beach Lobby

Design

Ocean breezes soothe the soul and sunlight shines bright in this elegant hotel that marks the US return of Regent Hotels & Resorts, now under InterContinental Hotels Group ownership.

Located on the former site of the 35-year-old Loews Santa Monica Hotel, it has made a US$150 million – about AU$229 million – splash in the luxury hotel market, with Chantell Walsh of Strategic Hotels and Resorts having worked her magic along with AvroKo’s San Francisco studio.

Wimberly Interiors designed the stylish guestrooms, suites and spa with soothing ocean hues and serenity feels. A sophisticated marine theme stars with ‘look-at-me’ features, which include Orla restaurant’s spectacular mosaic floor boasting 300,000 tiny hand-shaped tiles created by Italian master mosaicists adept at Byzantine craftsmanship.

Pacifica Oceanfront One Bedroom Suite

In the suite

Soft seaside hues invite me to relax and take it easy in my 67-square-metre suite – the Oceanfront King with Balcony and Firepit. It features separate living and sleeping zones, a designated dining and work station and even a dressing room. A dreamy oversized bathroom has a Hollywood glamour feel with a deep tub, double basin and a walk-in rain shower with fragrant Perricone MD products.

The stylish haven showcases attention to detail everywhere you look – there’s even a complimentary Refreshment Gallery, curated ahead of my arrival with my preferred snacks and treats. It’s all about the bed, too: one so comfortable and cosy it’s a challenge to peel myself out of. The spacious balcony terrace is my favourite spot for beachside viewing, and if it turns a little chilly in the evening, there’s the revelation of a gas firepit.

24k Golden Baklava Sundae at Orla Restaurant

Dining

Celebrity chef and James Beard Award-winner Michael Mina showcases his Egyptian roots in the Mediterranean-inspired menu at Orla. The tastes and textures of Cairo cuisine sit side by side with bounty from California’s south coast.

Oysters, shellfish and caviar, arugula pesto rigatoni and a grand finale of 24-karat golden baklava leave an impression, while the award for the most memorable beverage goes to Orla’s tableside gintonico.

It involves an absorbing performance, served from a vintage bar cart topped with flasks and chemistry equipment. Premium gin is dripped through a glass bulb filled with botanicals from the nearby Santa Monica Farmers Market, and tonic is added with a flourish.

The Sweet July Cafe, opened by San Francisco-based Ayesha Curry, offers a fresh produce hit from California’s farmers markets and her Jamaican heritage.

Think Santa Monica chop chop salad with iceberg lettuce, radicchio, salumi, mozzarella and pepperoncini topped with a zingy Italian dressing. The Sweet July bread puddings, including coconut and raspberry, have earned a following, for good reason.

Orla restaurant’s spectacular mosaic floor [boasts] 300,000 tiny hand-shaped tiles created by Italian master mosaicists adept at Byzantine craftsmanship.

Sweet July Café, Regent Santa Monica Beach Hotel

Spa and wellness

Enter a glamorous perfumed bubble at the flagship Guerlain Wellness Spa, the first and only Guerlain spa on the US West Coast. Decked out in soft pink and peach tones with a gym, sauna, steam and champagne lounge downstairs, it’s spectacular.

Treatments and products are inspired by nature – including rare orchids, with outstanding longevity properties, and healing bee emulsions. Skin Surfing, an exclusive radio frequency facial treatment, was specially designed for the hotel, while the four-hand massage and bespoke facial leaves me feeling like a million dollars.

Guerlain Spa at Regent Santa Monica Beach Hotel | Credit: Tanveer Badal, Regent Santa Monica

If you want to upgrade

The show-stopping signature Santa Monica Presidential Suite is a whopping 300 square metres of designed luxuriating space, including separate living, dining and game rooms.

Its ocean views seem to go on forever, and with an expansive balcony and firepit, there is plenty of room to soak up the sundrenched splendour below.

Regent Santa Monica Beach Azure Pool