Embassy Hotel Apartments Santa Monica

Something a little different - wonderful location

We stayed at the Embassy for two nights during our recent holiday in California, predominantly based on the pictures on the hotel's website and the comments made on this website. The hotel itself is in a great location a few minutes walk from the beach and third street, and is a beautiful looking building, with a lovely garden. Our room was perfectly comfortable and decorated to a lovely finish. The hotel itself was very quiet, we didn't hear any other guests at all. My only slight reservation is with the lack of onsite staff at certain times of the day - on our last night we returned to our room to find that the cleaning staff had left the door unlocked using their slip locks, and we were unable to lock it ourselves. Fortunately due to a computer problem the manager was still onsite, but if he had not been, we would have been room bound until we checked out the following day!

That aside, it was a wonderful change from the usual formulaic chain hotels.

Something different in a great location

This hotel is in a great location just a short walk from both the beach and the restaurants and shops of third street. The well-maintained garden and the charming lobby make the Embassy Suites a great change from the characterless motels that come into the same price bracket. If you want 24-hour concierge and scores of facilities that you probably won't use then this is not the place for you. If you want a pleasant place to stay in a great location close to the main attractions but away from the noise then I would definitely recommend the Embassy Suites.

Great character in a convenient location

If you are looking for somewhere with character, then this hotel has it in spades. Built in 1928, it retains a number of original features, such as the lift - which is an experience in itself, but preferably not when laden with luggage! The main reception/lounge area has plenty of seating and even has a grand piano. Our accommodation (studio suite) was light and airy, with high ceilings and plenty of windows to offset the dark wood furniture. The main room was spacious with a kingsize bed, sofa, coffee table and TV and plenty of cabinet/drawer space. The ensuite bathroom had period-style fittings with a separate dressing area and walk-in wardrobe. The kitchen/dining area was accessed through an archway from the main bedroom and was fairly well equipped except for one thing - it lacked a kettle, although there was a coffee maker. The room we had faced north, comfortably cool in mid-summer, and with its own small balcony. All the furnishings were completely in character with the style of the hotel and everything was clean.

The hotel is in a nice location at the quieter end of 3rd Street but still within walking distance of 3rd St Promenade and its excellent shopping and eating facilities. I highly recommend a nearby deli, "Marmalade", for breakfast/brunch or whatever. Fantastic choice of food and great atmosphere. Santa Monica beach is only two blocks away from the hotel, with its pier a few blocks southwards.

I thought the cost of the apartment (USD200) was quite reasonable, considering the location and the cost of other hotels in the northern coastal LA area. We probably could have found something cheaper near the airport in a soul-less concrete block but give me character and quiet any time! If we're ever in LA again, the Embassy Hotel Apartments is where we'll stay.

I'd say it's excellent!

My partner and I stayed in this hotel for five nights this summer and we were very impressed by the hotel's foyer, rooms and location within Santa Monica. Our room was attractive, spacious and clean and the hotels gardens provide an ideal setting. If you want "bland" then go stay in a travel lodge etc but if you'd rather a good deal of character and individuality then I'd recommend The Embassy.

Parking is on-street with a permit provided by the hotel. However there is a zone outside the hotel that allows parking while booking in and loading/ unloading luggage. Whilst it wasn't always possible to park outside the hotel we never had to walk more than a block and a half - not a hardship in my opinion!

Loved the Embassy!

We stayed here for 5 nights at the beginning of July 2004. The room was extremely clean with loads of storage space for our clothes and luggage. Ideally located just 2 blocks from 3rd street promanade and also near the beach. Although not a modern hotel with lots of facilities, the period building blended in well with the surroundings. We will definately stay here again when we return to Santa Monica.

This was a Vacation?!!!!

Before I moved to Santa Monica recently, I needed a place to stay while hunting for a home. I stayed at the Embassy Hotel and thought the room was attractive. However, the lobby is way oversized especially when no one ever used it while I was there Thanksgiving weekend. I was disappointed that there was no parking provided with.... or without cost. I had to spend a half hour driving my rental car around the popular neighborhood to finally find a place to park which was not really a valid parking spot. But the worst part was I was really floored when the manager and housekeeper informed me that "unless I watched the pan under the old fashioned radiator, it would overflow and do harm to the floor in my room". In other words, "you may be here as a paying guest but we still expect YOU to do the work WE don't bother to do....to keep this room from flooding". To add insult to injury... when I checked out, I found their rate for internet access was horrendous...85.00 for MY use while I BABYSAT THEIR outdated heating equipment. The manager on duty when I checked out was rude. I would NOT recommend this hotel to anyone else.

Nothing like this trip back to the Golden Age a la "Sunset Boulevard"

I lived in this hotel for several months while working on a screenplay.

I needed a relatively inexpensive, quiet, temporary home while in L.A.

- and dreamt of finding something with charm and character (not easy qualities to find in L.A.) This hotel exceeded all of my expectations.

It truly was like living out some kind romantic fantasy of living in Hollywood circa 1935. Very "Sunset Boulevard" with a good dash of Raymond Chandler thrown in for good measure. This place is comfortable, unique, funky and exceedingly cinematic. No, it isn't modern, and it isn't full of "modern hotel features". But all the rooms are different, and all of them are full of character. Yes, perhaps, some would find this place a little tattered, but that only adds to its personality and its beauty. However, it is very clean, very homey, with a great staff (all of whom seem to have been working there for decades.) The old world lobby with piano, the small back garden, the Spanish tiles, the beamed rooms, large windows . . . you just don't find many places like this anywhere, much less in L.A. During my time there I stayed in several rooms and they were all absolutely fantastic - some mini-suites, all with small kitchens. On top of all the elements this hotel has going for it, its guests and residents are some of its most appealing: Many of the very interesting people who inhabit the place actually live there. In short, the location (two blocks from the beach), feel, charm, uniqueness, and residents make this, I feel, the best place to stay in L.A. (It reminded me very much of the Chelsea Hotel in New York - that same artsy, funky feel but actually a much nicer, cleaner place). However, make sure that you get a room in the old, original hotel building and not in the nondescript, post-war annex across the street. The two places couldn't be more different.

A wonderful experience!

We discovered the Embassy while walking through the wonderful streets in the surrounding neighborhood in Santa Monica. We had just spent a fitful night at a certain Art Deco hotel facing the ocean and knew we had to find another spot because of the dreadful noise from the traffic. How lucky we were when we entered this property on Third street.

It was like being transported back to the early days of Los Angeles and into a private world that only a few get to experience. Between the stunning and warming architecture and gardens, and the equally warm welcome from Birgitta, we were soon to enjoy the best part of our stay in Santa Monica.

There were three in our party and we needed a big place, and it just so happened that the two-bedroom apartment had just been vacated. For less than we were paying for a suite and a room at the other hotel, we were treated to a huge apartment with two floors, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full kitchen and a very large sitting room with a dining table overlooking the terrace. The master bedroom, with its large windows, also overlooked that idyllic setting.

I cannot express my feelings adequately about the Embassy. We never wanted to leave the place, and when we did, to explore all that is so close to it, we always returned with such anticipation for the peace and tranqillity found there.

Thank you once again, Birgitta and the Embassy staff, for an unforgetable stay.

A Time Away

I stayed at the Embassy with several friends who each rented their own

rooms so a good cross section of room needs and choices were available

to us to compare notes and get an understanding of what all this hotel

has to offer. Upon arriving at the Embassy Hotel Apts. I was greeted

with the fragrance of honeysuckle and the beauty of the Garden

Courtyard. Open Wrought Iron gates encased by tropical foliage;banana

plants and bird of paradise,fruit trees and more, beckoned me into the

beautiful gardens and following the flagstone pathway to- the entry to

the hotel itself. I was charmed to the point of being temporarily

immovable. The photos on their website do not do this place justice! It

has been my experience that the opposite is usually true, and I was so

pleased that the Embassy actually surpassed it's own advertising. The

Lobby with it's beamed ceilings and painted frescoes, oversized

furnishing and tiled mosaics, windows with tinted glass filtering the

marvelous sunlight and casting a glow about the room, is warm and

inviting and magical. The attention to detail in design and decor is

incredible.

A gorgeous grand piano holds a dramatic vase of exotic blooms in the center of the room. Overstuffed , oversized furnishings are inviting and luxurious and morraccan rugs cover the vast expanse in this room. The doorways are arched and painted in subtle, aged warm tones in designs echoing the rugs . The handrails are wrought iron and nothing is plain or just serviceable. The check in desk is arched , and textured carved wood. Very rich and a pivotal focal point in the room. All things in this place are here for the lovely visual contribution they make as well as their practical contribution.

Through the back wall which is all paned glass,or through the dramatic

french doors you can enjoy another private courtyard and the water

fountains with statuary and hummingbirds and the patio that is painted

to resemble a worn, warm toned 'carpet'. Seating is designed to bring

visitors together..but there are solo seats as well for the

introspective sort. All of this old world attention to detail caused me

to feel as if I was priveledged and had stepped into my own luxury

estate. A well known celebrity was there at check in attempting in

advance to secure rooms for himself and his family but the hotel was

full. Knowing the options available to the 'rich and famous' I further

appreciated the quality I recognised here.

There is a peacefulness here, no bustle no crowds. No traffic noises.

Set off the road by the private gardens, the sound of the birds and

wind in the trees is all you hear. Unfortunately that is not the case

within the guest rooms.

I was in three and it was the same for all of them...the radiators emit ghastly loud clanks and whirs...and whenever another guest on the floor or above flushes a toilet, it causes a metal on metal clanking so loud it sounds as if someone is breaking in next door!

This was actually disturbing during sleep, and we were awoken each of

the nights during the week that we stayed here. Still with the

exception of the Bachelor room the other rooms were well appointed and

comfortable with nice views and furnishings and very good service by

the maids. There is no bellhop and the old fashioned elevator although

quaint is a monster to try to load while holding both of its very heavy

self closing doors open! There are no other negatives to report. The

location is wonderfully close,(walking distance!)to coffee shops

restaraunts, world class shopping and the beach as well as residential

neighborhoods that are fun to walk through and pick up on the local

flavor. I would come back again and again noisy plumbing not

withstanding. The value far outweighs that aspect and the overall

experience was a delight that I won't soon forget.

Like Staying at Grandma's House

We decided to stay at the Embassy Hotel in Santa Monica based on the beautiful photographs on their website. When we arrived, the building and the lobby were just as picturesque we expected. However, as we walked to our room, we quickly realized there hasn't been much renovation since the hotel was built in the 1920's. We stayed in a bachelor room, which was small, but adequate. If you are looking for a historical hotel with character, that is in walking distance of the 3rd Street Promenade and the beach, I recommend the Embassy. If you are used to staying at hotels with spacious bathrooms, fluffy towels, air conditioning, and a concierge, go someplace else! Our stay at the Embassy literally felt like a stay at Grandma's house - it was quaint, but didn't have all the comforts of home, and even smelled a little musty!