Huntley Santa Monica Beach

Just can’t say enough about how great this hotel is. From the check in to check out. Every single staff member was friendly and helpful. Room was gorgeous and we were lucky enough to get the Malibu view but all views are really special. The Penthouse restaurant and bar had impeccable service as well and the food was as amazing as the view, if not more so. It was really beyond our expectations. We will be back. One note, I was initially surprised by the $68 per night valet parking charge. But, was very quickly won over because they invest that fee in service. The valet station was always well staffed and after calling from the room we never had to wait a single moment for our car once downstairs and we went in and out multiple times over our stay. Truly a case where you get what you pay for. Absolutely worth it.

Disappointingly poor service at check in, there was only one person on and several guests wanting attention. Not a good start. Our room was spacious and generally comfortable but it was way too clever with all the light controls on a ‘keyboard’, it took us quite a while to work out what each symbol did. The air con was also very loud, not good in a modern hotel. The pillows were lumpy with the feather ‘quills’ sticking out. It was good that the reception had towels available for the beach but it took us a while to actually find someone. The car parking charge is also really steep, but then you are in Santa Monica. Not a bad stay but could be better.

I would have rated five-stars if there was a nicer patio/hot tub area that was located inside the hotel, rather than walking through the hotel's parking garage/lot. Additionally, you have to go to the hotel's restaurant for live entertainment. However, would also have been nice if live entertainment was available in the hotel lobby.

On the recommendation of a friend who is a native Californian, we booked two nights here for our family of four. Upon arrival, we were greeted and checked in by Daniel B., who made the check in process smooth, pleasant, and friendly by swiftly and kindly inquiring with housekeeping the status of our room to ensure we could check in upon arrival without any delay. His attentive interest and subtle enthusiasm in our experience was genuine, which is becoming increasingly rare in hospitality. Our family has been lucky to stay in hotels of similar quality before and the luxury touches were appreciated, but Daniel B. is who made this experience unforgettable. We will be recounting to friends and family his hospitality and kind attentiveness for quite some time. He reminded us of the joy that can come from meeting new people and traveling to new places, which is an important aspect of traveling that we are encouraging our children to explore. Thank you Daniel B. and thank you Huntley!

My experience at the Huntley was superb. I had never been there before, nor did I know anyone who had, and the nightly rate was reasonable for a big city, so I had no expectations. I was traveling alone and just for one night. I ate at the Penthouse restaurant twice (lunch and dinner), and both were superb. I look forward to returning soon.