After deciding to have a weekend getaway to Santa Monica right after my trip to LA, I immediately started looking up hotels in the area. On TripAdvisor there are 34 hotels listed as being in Santa Monica, but only one can be the victor and claim the title as the #1 hotel in Santa Monica – Shore Hotel is that victor. Shore Hotel looked extremely nice from the many photos online and the reviews were very positive, but I wanted to try it out for myself. So… a wheelchair accessible King Ocean View Premier room was booked and off we went a few weeks later for some fun in the sun in Santa Monica! Shore Hotel ended up being one of my favorite hotels that I’ve ever stayed in and here are 9 reasons why:
1) THE LOCATION
Shore Hotel is located right across from the Santa Monica Pier. It’s also within walking distance of great restaurants and shops, including 3rd Street Promenade, one of Santa Monica’s best shopping districts.
View of Santa Monica Pier from my balcony.
2) THE VIEW
I mean, look at that photo!! Waking up to that beautiful view every morning was honestly perfection.
3) THE ACCESSIBLE ROOM + BATHROOM
I stayed in room 333 and it was spacious enough to easily roll around in. Other accessible features included the roll in shower, the pull under bathroom sink, and I was able to smoothly roll out onto the balcony without getting whiplash. 🙂
4) THE MINIBAR
There was a refrigerator in our room that was stocked full of drinks and a basket that was full of snacks. Everything from water to liquor was in the fridge, and the basket was full of cookies, trail mix, and even some turkey jerky. I tried not to eat or drink much of it because it does cost extra, but it was nice to have it all there in case I wanted a drink during the night (which did happen).
5) THE POOL
Aside from just being awesome in general, there was also an access lift that was right by the pool in case a wheelchair user needs it to get in the water.
The outdoor pool area
6) THE COMPLIMENTARY CHAMPAGNE + APPLES
Upon checking into the Shore Hotel, we were given complimentary glasses of champagne. This was a great start to our stay and really made us feel welcomed. There are also complimentary apples and water in the lobby at all times.
Enjoying my champagne on the balcony
7) THE VALET PARKING
Parking is easy breezy at Shore Hotel! You just pull in, they take your car at the main entrance, and then you can text them from your cell phone whenever you need your car returned. They’re super quick at getting your car and the whole texting thing really makes it easy and very 21st century.
Ready to go explore Santa Monica!
8) THE CUSTOMER SERVICE
One of my favorite things about the Shore Hotel was the remarkable customer service. Upon checking in, we found out that our room wasn’t quite ready yet so they put a rush on it and said that it would be ready soon. The bellman even stowed our luggage and gave us a map of the area, and recommended some nearby places that we should check out during our stay. The team at Shore Hotel constantly went above and beyond to make sure that our experience was fantastic.
The lobby area
9) THE GREEN ASPECT
50% of waste is recycled, wood throughout the hotel is from sustainable forests, there is maximized access to natural daylight to reduce energy consumption, and there are low-flow water fixtures to reduce water consumption; these are just some of the ways that Shore Hotel is environmentally friendly. By staying here, you can greatly reduce your carbon footprint.
As you can see, this hotel truly offers something for everyone and it is easily one of my favorite hotel stays of all time. After all, it isn’t ranked #1 for no reason! So go ahead and book that perfect sunny getaway that you so desperately need after this harsh Winter to the beautiful Shore Hotel.
*Thank you to Shore Hotel for providing us with complimentary accommodations. This has not affected my views of the hotel in any way and all opinions expressed are my own.
*A Note from Curb Free with Cory Lee: This post includes affiliate links. When you click on a link, I may receive a small compensation, which will help this blog grow into a better resource for disabled travelers.
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I love to see a hotel that does it up right in every possible way. The accessibility accommodations aren’t an afterthought, but incorporated as a matter of course, as they should be. Perfectly situated and the service ethic is something that not all establishments in Santa Monica “get” properly. Good work!
Betsy Wuebker | PassingThru recently posted…London: Let It Fly with Virgin Atlantic
Sounds like an awesome hotel! The view is pretty fantastic, and I always appreciate a well-stocked minibar 🙂
Leah recently posted…Friday Snapshots: Finding Peace in the Wilderness
What a lovely location right across from the beach! Impressive to see a hotel that does accessibility quite so well, sadly it’s something many fail badly at.
Toni | 2 Aussie Travellers recently posted…Muriwai Beach in Auckland
Toby the place looks amazing. The view is awesome and you get free Champagne. Nice. Love their idea with texting when you need to get your car.
Gotta love TripAdvisor! That’s how we find hotels too 🙂 It seems like this one had good accessibility for you in the room, great views and was in the perfect location. How much are rooms there?
Cheers!
Dariece recently posted…From Hobby To Career: The Complete Evolution Of Our Blog
Rooms start at about $300 I believe, but can go up to $500+ depending on the type of room that you get. That seems like a lot per night, I know… But it’s okay to splurge every now and then. And this is definitely the place to do it. Such an amazing hotel!!
This hotel looks great! I am thinking about going to California this fall so I will bookmark it.
christine recently posted…Photo Essay: Costa Rica’s beautiful sunsets
Awesome! Hope you have a great trip! And please let me know what you thought about this hotel if you stay there. 🙂
Gotta love a hotel that gives out champagne – as long as it really was champagne and not sparkling wine, which, I guess is pretty good, too. Especially when it comes with a view like that. Gorgeous!
Wandering Carol recently posted…French spa: Vichy, France, and my social disaster
Good to see that the hotel is doing their bit for the environment, and also making it a selling point! If only more places could do that!
Dave Briggs recently posted…Athens, Bicycle Touring, Daves Travel Pages and the Future
what a great find! I live about an hour away from Santa Monica, and after reading this post, I’ll recommend it to visitors to bookmark this! It looked so relaxing and nice!
Stacey Valle recently posted…Lost in thoughts: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
One of my favorite things about that hotel’s location is its access to great food! Last night we went to Blue Plate Taco, which is literally right outside of the pool. I’m glad you enjoyed your stay 🙂
Sebrin recently posted…A Day at the Scandinavian Festival
I love love this blog! I became an instant fan while I stumble upon Nomadic Matt’s blog featuring you. I admire you for having the drive to travel the world!! We share the same drive <3 Hope we could be friends! 🙂
Cory, did the room have one or two beds. Since you seem to travel with your mom, how do you handle the one bed situation? I’m new to your adventures and can’t wait to do mire travel with my son, Quinn, who uses a power wheelchair. Thanks!
Hey Sheila! Many accessible rooms only have one king sized bed to take up less space. If we’re staying in a hotel where this is the case, then we just both sleep in that bed. We’re pretty sound sleepers so there’s no kicking or rolling around too much in the night.