Huntley Santa Monica Beach

Beautifully appointed hotel with friendly staff and a hidden jewel of a penthouse restaurant. Definitely worth considering if you are going to be in the area.

I loved the location, room and view from the top. The omlette was delicious and big! I love that! Will come back. Thank you!

Firstly, let me give the positive points. Really nice, friendly and helpful staff who try to do what is often not possible. The hotel is well located though not on Santa Monica Beach. Rooms are typical American hotel standard, which makes me wonder if anyone has ever visited Europe to look at the quality of similarly rated hotels. We had a difficult discussion trying to get a room with a bath and a view, but eventually compromised on a south facing room. There was no fridge in the room, other than the crammed minbar which would register any movement of items, so unable to be used for storage. We asked for a fridge and a kettle as per information, (we were warned that we could have a kettle, but any tea bags were chargeable!). These failed to arrive, and we found they had gone to the wrong room! A fridge was found, but the kettle had to wait till the next day. The fridge looked like it had been lifted from a rubbish dump, with crudely retained hinges, and the door was difficult to open for the carpet. Fortunately we had our own tea bags! Sadly, for the nightly rate, this place does not cut muster. Perhaps the clientele who largely looked like those you see around Dubai hotels think otherwise, but this is simply an overt money making venture.

I’ve stayed at the The Huntley Hotel twice now, and both experiences were truly unforgettable. Yes, the hotel itself is beautiful—bright, stylish, and perfectly located—but what really makes this place special is the people. Both times, I had the most genuine, heart-filled conversations with the women at the front desk. The kind of interactions that don’t feel transactional at all—just real human connection. Without me ever asking, I was upgraded to a lovely suite on both stays. This last visit, Greta went above and beyond. After our conversation, she asked if my friend and I liked wine (I said yes to a good red), and when we got to the room, she had already turned the sofa into a cozy bed and sent up a bottle of red wine, two glasses, desserts, and large bottles of water. It was such a thoughtful and personal touch. On my last day, I was able to thank her in person, and she shared that we had made her day after someone had been unkind to her. That moment really stayed with me—it says everything about the kind of people who work here. The Huntley isn’t just a gorgeous hotel—it’s full of genuinely kind, thoughtful humans. I’ll absolutely be back.

Great hotel, huge room (walk-in closet!), though bathroom was small. Very clean. Front desk staff was very friendly & helpful, and free bike rental was nice. Parking expensive but there are lots not too far away for more reasonable rates.