Palihouse Santa Monica

Palihouse Santa Monica is a complete experience. A house that feels like home. The rooms are delicately decorated, and the country-house atmosphere is felt from the moment you enter, with its garden, reception furniture, books, bar, and fireplace. We had a room with a view of the garden that made us feel, for a moment, as if we lived in that dreamlike place. The location is just a few blocks from the Santa Monica Pier. The area is very quiet, with friendly neighbors, and both the neighborhood and the hotel are extremely pet-friendly. They were very thoughtful with our pet, providing a little bed, food bowls, and treats. We will definitely be coming back very soon.

I stayed at this hotel during a business trip and overall, it was more than satisfying in terms of location and atmosphere. The lobby is especially impressive—feels like something out of a movie. The room itself was okay, though it could’ve been cleaner. Breakfast was average at best; there are definitely better options in nearby hotels. Unfortunately, after checking out, I was unexpectedly charged $200 without any explanation. I’ve tried reaching out to the reception and sent email to their email address, but I haven’t received any response in over two months. This lack of customer service post-stay really soured the experience.

The lobby and gardens here are beautiful, but our experience in a third floor Grand Studio Residence King was so uncomfortable that we checked out after one night of a planned six-night stay. Temperatures dropped to the low 40's (F) in Santa Monica, with up to 40mph cold winds blowing through the room’s old windows and balcony doors, which don’t seal properly. Although there was a thermostat, the heat didn’t work at all, and when I called the front desk, they confirmed that the heater doesn't work. With no heat or insulation, the temperature in the room was close to the outside temp, and with just a thin comforter plus a light blanket that was given to us at our request, we spent the night shivering. We like nighttime temps of around 64F for sleeping, but the room was much colder than that. This is clearly an older property that’s only been given cosmetic updates. Without proper insulation, a cold, windy Southern California night is surprisingly miserable—even when you’re used to truly cold climates. To the hotel’s credit, they did provide a 50% discount after some discussion. Unfortunately, even aside from the heating issue, I wouldn't recommend this property. There were many other issues with the room, bed, bathroom, etc. But at $500/night, it seems reasonable to expect to be warm enough to sleep at night.