Skip to Content

Sandbourne Santa Monica: Family-Friendly Luxury Hotel

The Sandbourne Santa Monica is a newly-renovated and re-imagined hotel that welcomes families for a luxury stay near the beach. While also ideal for a romantic getaway or date night, the hotel is very family-friendly.

MomsLA was hosted for a recent stay at the property in order to experience the renovations. All opinions are those of the author.

the pool at the Sandbourne Santa Monica hotel

Check the price for an upcoming stay at the Sandbourne Santa Monica

About the Sandbourne Santa Monica

The hotel sits one block from the beach in Santa Monica, just a quick walk from the famous Santa Monica Pier, which is one of the best places for families to play, and there’s secure beach access with your room key.

There’s also a terrific swimming pool at the Sandbourne, in case the ocean waves are not your cup of tea. Poolside, you’ll find traditional chaise lounge chairs, as well as overstuffed, super comfy soft seating, and there are a handful of cabanas for rent.

In addition, there’s a lovely, shaded bar area connected to the pool, in case the sun proves to be too much. Poolside café service is also available all day from the on-site restaurant.

Marelle restaurant at the Sandbourne Santa Monica hotel

Dining at the Sandbourne Santa Monica

Marelle, the new restaurant concept at the Sandbourne, is being helmed by local chef and restauranteur Raphael Lunetta, and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, with a indoor-outdoor seating.

There’s a bar area within the restaurant, with spots to sit and enjoy your beverages, and in addition, there’s a lobby bar serving cocktails, too.

Note that there are three private dining areas within the restaurant, which can be booked for private parties and family gatherings.

cabana seating poolside at the Sandbourne Santa Monica hotel

Outdoor seating areas for lounging and relaxing

You can take your beverages out and enjoy them at one of many outdoor seating areas designed to make best use of the beachside location. Whether you want bright sun or some shade, you’ll find something you like.

These areas are all a bit distinct and it’s fun to try out a bunch of them. One spot might be great for getting a bit of work done on your laptop, while another spot may be a quiet place to read.

fitness center at the Sandbourne Santa Monica hotel

Fitness and Spa

The fitness room is very large and filled with machines of all sorts: Pelotons, ellipticals, treadmills, stair climbers, as well as free weights and resistance training gear. To top it off, there’s a yoga studio where they hold classes.

The space is super clean, well-maintained, and well-stocked with towels and water bottles, in addition, there’s a water bottle refilling station.

The Spa area was still being renovated during our stay, but should be re-opening soon.

lobby view at the Sandbourne Santa Monica hotel

Recent Renovations

The hotel has recently been renovated from top to bottom, and completely re-imagined. The new design aesthetic is natural tones and textures, and there are over 300 new live plants in all the public spaces. The vibe is definitely Santa Monica: beachy, organic, sunshine, waves – and it’s all very comfortable.

Designed by Gulla Jónsdóttir, an architect and designer known for her work on local hotels and restaurants, the Sandbourne seems to embody her quoted philosophy: “Art is not separate from life and life is not separate from Architecture.”

King Room at the Sandbourne Santa Monica hotel

The Room

We stayed in a King Room on the 2nd floor, with partial ocean view and it was delightful. Everything in the room was brand new, clean, and the design was beautiful.

The room came equipped with a safe, a hair dryer, a mini-fridge, robes and slippers for use during the stay, and USB and charging outlets throughout.

cocktails at the lobby bar at the Sandbourne Santa Monica hotel

Coffee makers, ironing boards and irons, and multiple other amenities, are available upon request.

Our room had a lovely balcony, with a table and chairs for reading, writing, or just spending time watching the sunrise or sunset. The balcony doors close very tightly, making the room absolutely silent during the night, which could be very useful if traveling with kids!

All-in-all it was a delightful stay at a lovely property, and we’ll plan to go back again soon.

kids swimming in the pool at the Sandbourne Santa Monica hotel

Sarah Auerswald is the co-Founder and Managing Editor of MomsLA.com.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.