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.

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.

Related: The Best Hotel Pools in Los Angeles
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.

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 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.

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.”

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.

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.

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