Review / The Georgian hotel is Santa Monica, Los Angeles’ latest gem: Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin once stayed at the historic beach property – and it recently reopened, restored to its art deco glory
Every time I travel to Los Angeles, I make sure to spend a day – ideally a Sunday – in Santa Monica, the beach enclave located right by the Pacific Ocean.
My day starts with a bike ride from Santa Monica Pier all the way to Pacific Palisades and then back to Venice Beach, where I like to stop at hipster favourite Abbot Kinney to check out independent boutiques and a few usual suspects – think Madewell, Everlane, Warby Parker – and to grab a bite at the Venice branch of Erewhon, LA’s quintessential food emporium.
I then like to visit Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica’s touristy shopping thoroughfare, and end with a sunset walk by the waterfront. In spite of my love for the area, however, I normally stay in buzzy West Hollywood or posh Beverly Hills on my frequent visits to the City of Angels.
While Santa Monica has plenty of beautiful hotels – chief among them the legendary Shutters on the Beach and Casa del Mar – I’ve never had the chance to stay there.
As soon as I found out that a new hotel had opened on Santa Monica’s Ocean Avenue, a busy street lined with restaurants and bars, however, I decided to stay there for a weekend that ended up feeling like a mini staycation during a longer sojourn in the city.
The Georgian is a historic property that first opened in 1933, but had seen much better days until BLVD Hospitality, in partnership with Esi Ventures, came to the rescue to bring it back to its full art deco glory. With a beautiful turquoise exterior that stands out amid the cookie-cutter buildings on the avenue, the hotel is a true architectural gem.
Overlooking the sea and the landmark Santa Monica Pier with its famous Ferris wheel, the 84-room hotel is the perfect base from which to explore Santa Monica and its surrounding neighbourhoods. It even attracted legends such as Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Charlie Chaplin back in the day.
But if keeping a low profile is not your thing and you prefer to be in the thick of it all, the outdoor dining area of the simply named The Restaurant at The Georgian provides some fun people watching, especially at night when the avenue is at its most lively.
The hotel fully embraces its connection to Hollywood and the Golden State’s history. Books from iconic California-based writers such as Joan Didion and Eve Babitz line the shelves in the rooms and common areas, while a gallery located on the ground floor displays rotating exhibitions.
Designed by interior firm Fettle, the hotel has just enough whimsical and vintage touches without feeling too retro or chintzy. The colourful interiors of the rooms and suites feature nice elements such as vinyl record players, Polaroid cameras, period photography and quirky paintings.
The hotel’s history is celebrated with the First Lady Suite, a nod to the building’s nickname. It got the moniker because when it first opened, it was the tallest building in Santa Monica. Fun fact: its founder was female hotelier Rosamond Borde, a pioneering Santa Monica resident.
The property, which only reopened in April, will eventually feature a pool deck, the finishing touch to a lovely and cosy spot that is just what Santa Monica needed: an independent hotel catering to locals and out of towners looking for character, soul and tonnes of personality.
Expect to pay upwards of US$700 per room per night.
- Reopened in April, the 90-year-old The Georgian has finally been restored to its former art deco glory – and it’s a true architectural gem in Santa Monica with its striking turquoise exterior
- The hotel hosted Old Hollywood icons like Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin and Clark Gable – these days its basement speakeasy is an exclusive celebrity hotspot and a pool deck will open soon too