Santa Monica Proper Hotel

Our last stay at the Proper was mid-August. This was our second stay and it will be our last. The hotel is focused on events at the expense of the guests. Common areas are constantly blocked off and a lot of noise as a result. Even some make-shift areas were made on guest floors with no respect for the guests privacy or access availability. We had a King Balcony room. The chairs were incredibly uncomfortable and the view was terrible, as was the traffic noise. The vibe is definitely 20's and 30's with the see and be seen crowd. The pool is very small and I don't get why some say this is a family hotel. The valet parking is crazy expensive! The greater issue is Santa Monica's fault as the empty store fronts and large homeless population is very unappealing. Not certain why they bother with being part of the Bonvoy program as I am a lifetime Titanium member and received no upgrade or acknowledgement. The room was ok and overall cleanliness was good, but the sink drain had a really strong moldy odor that was very off putting. Unless some things change with Santa Monica overall I'll be surprised if this hotel survives the neighborhood and city deterioration.

I recently stayed at your hotel and had a massage during my visit. While the treatment itself was okay, I did not feel it reflected the level of quality or value expected at a luxury property. What concerns me more is that I later learned that one of the therapist who provided my service was neither formally trained nor licensed. As a hotel that positions itself as a luxury destination, I find this particularly alarming. Beyond the impact on the guest experience, this raises serious concerns regarding professionalism, standards, and potential legal implications. Guests trust that services offered at your property meet the highest level of qualification and compliance. If I had been seeking a more informal experience, I could have chosen a day spa at a significantly lower price point. However, my expectation in choosing your hotel was to receive a service in line with luxury standards.

I have just spent a week at this hotel with my kids aged between 17 and 22, we had 2 rooms. I am writing this review because I wish I had read something similar before booking! First the positives: cv The hotel location is good in terms of beach/shops/entertainment proximity although we were advised by locals to stay away from the 7-11 opposite, especially after dark, there are a lot of disturbed homeless individuals who hand around there which is terribly sad. Apart from that great location and lots of lovely restaurants/cafe nearby. Food at hotel is good although pricey. Rooms clean and pleasant although ours overlooked a car park and were very noisy. We were told it's a city hotel and should expect that! Some negatives: Hotel target market is probably mid 20's- late 30's. There is constant music playing everywhere 24/7 which is tiresome. Daily events at the hotel booked by third party companies which take up space for guests and a few staff confirmed that these events take priority over paying guests. Tiny pool for the size of hotel, you have to wait hours to get a sunbed and we gave up in the end! Guest experience staff give conflicting information about what is available to guests and not enough staff on front desk, you can queue a good while to get help. My credit card was twice charged without my consent although these pending charges were quickly removed it's a hassle I didn't need to waste time on. All in all go if you are interested in a fun, Insta/influencer vibe. If you are looking for great service and a true 5 star experience then avoid. We were there a week, never once were we acknowledged by staff or recognised, they were all too busy dealing with non-residents!

I absolutely love this hotel. I stay there every time I visit my kids. The rooms are very well appointed, the vibe of the restaurants, lobby, gym etc. is very cool and I really like the location. The staff is very nice and helpful! While I love seeing my kids, I secretly also love staying at the Proper 😊

We stayed at Proper for 5 nights in August so we were able to experience the hotel on the weekend and on weekdays. The double queen overlooks a Boys and Girls Club and an abandoned apartment building. There was no alley noise but it is an interesting view. We booked through Virtuoso and received no upgrade or even an acknowledgement for not being able to upgrade us. The room was so hot and stuffy. We had them send maintenance to check the AC which said it was 64 degrees (the lowest it would go) but it never reached anything close to 64 degrees in the 5 days we were there. We ended up having to use a fan to try to cool the room down. The food at the restaurants and pool is excellent as are the drinks. Note that drinks are close to $30 each. The pool situation is frustrating, particularly on the weekends. We waited 2 hours for 2 pool chairs on a Sunday and an hour on Saturday. The pool area is tiny and crowded with lovely succulents and planters. They have expanded the restaurant into an area that could be used for pool chairs when it is weekend busy. There were very few guests dining in that area during main pool hours. Many people at the pool were not guests. Kids were occupying chairs that could have been used for adults. So many kids splashing in the pool on the weekend. We ended up using a succulent planter to hold our pool bag and shoes so we could still enjoy the pool during our 2 hour wait for a pool chair. The staff is amazing and friendly other than the servers at the pool where service suffers especially when it is busy. You have to seek out the pool servers or they ignore you especially on weekends. Great location and very walkable to the beach and shopping.