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The Edward Thomas Hospitality Corporation has brought a legend back to life (the company also owns the adjacent Shutters on the Beach hotel). Formerly a beach club, Casa Del Mar was built in 1926 and was known as the Grand Dame of Santa Monica. By the 1990s, the national landmark was a municipal eyesore. But current management pumped $60 million into the building. The property was gutted; the brick exterior was left in place. The renovation coincided with a sprucing up of the beachfront area as well. The $5.5 million beach beautification project was handled by San Diego–based landscape architecture firm Wallace Roberts & Todd.
It’s hard to know where to begin in describing the 129-room Casa Del Mar’s charms. The rooms (with silverplated clocks and picture frames, linen-upholstered divan and overstuffed down comforter) are just as impressive as the main restaurant, the bar, the pool deck, the spa and even the lobby.
Let’s talk about the lobby. Enter the front door and ascend a double staircase to a public space that’s both historical and contemporary. It’s hard to tell if you’ve stepped back into the Roaring Twenties or sauntered into the Central Perk coffeehouse. Oversized sofas and chairs are clustered comfortably in front of a stone fireplace.
Past the grand lobby is the Oceanfront restaurant. Here, you can settle into a deep wicker chair, order the crab, avocado and cucumber tartare in gazpacho coulis and gaze out the window while the sun sets on the rolling Pacific.
My favorite amenity, though, is the Mediterranean garden deck. It, too, overlooks the beach. There is a large Jacuzzi and a stepped plunge pool. Both are of the Edge design, where the water is filled to the very top and when it spills over is immediately collected back into the pool. The ambience is relaxing—not stifling like many smallish, hoity-toity upscale hotel pools can be. The poolside wait staff couldn’t be more cordial and efficient.
In sum, a warning: Check into this hotel at your own risk. You’ll never want to leave.
IF YOU GO: A non–ocean view room starts at $335; ocean-view rooms range up to $495. Suites run from $775 to $3,500. For more information, call 310-581-5533. —Ron Donoho
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