Hilton Hotels & Resorts together with Westmont Hospitality Group have opened Hilton Santa Monica Hotel & Suites, ushering in a fresh new aesthetic and chic destination to the California bucket list city known for its balance of seaside charm and coastal sophistication. Situated just a few blocks from the shores of the Pacific, Santa Monica’s newest lifestyle hotel stands out, offering suites and spacious accommodations. The coastal property has 286 guestrooms, 211 of them suites, all with unique layouts to accommodate an array of guests’ needs and this new era of travel.
Designed by Los Angeles-based Avenue Interior Design, the hotel draws aesthetics from the Southern California coast and the newly developed breeding ground for tech innovation, Silicon Beach, while seamlessly interweaving elements of the destination’s rich legacy as a source of inspiration for artists, musicians, innovators and filmmakers. To bring the project to life, Avenue Interior Design teamed up with Pineapple Procurement, a furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) company that specializes in some of Los Angeles’ most high-profile hospitality projects, to source furnishings that embodied the laid back but refined style of Santa Monica.
“Westmont has a very diverse portfolio of properties and we worked closely with them to establish the appropriate narrative for this particular scope but they gave us a lot of creative freedom,” said Andrea DeRosa, principal/cofounder, Avenue Interior Design. “The importance of this project for Hilton and the hospitality industry within Southern California was always top of mind. Homage was paid to the greater Los Angeles area with a distinctly LA approach to the landscape providing a variety of succulent species throughout resulting in a beautiful, structured array of textures and colors. Subtle coastal influences continue to make their way into the property’s guestrooms utilizing a serene color palette, inviting layout and bright, spacious bathrooms. The renovated hotel, restaurant and surrounding public areas bring a fresh new aesthetic to this world-famous beach city. The result is a chic destination for the local community, businesses and leisure travelers alike.”
Serving as the social hub for the hotel, the lobby invites its guests to linger longer with its tech lounge co-working space and brings the outside in with a biophilia wall flooded with natural light from ceiling skylights. Sand-colored 9-ft. high totems designed by Arizona-based sculptor Chris Nelke, cascade suspended from the eighth-floor atrium skylight and provide a unique focal point that can be seen from every angle of the atrium. Coastal-inspired touches continue into the guestrooms with curated artwork from Kevin Barry Fine Art. Additional amenities include an outdoor pool with cabanas, 24-hour fitness center and more than 10,000 sq. ft. of flexible event space.
“It was important to the developer and brand that the art program be specifically curated to create a subtle sense of place,” DeRosa said. “The textured, earthy quality of the finish [of the totems] speaks to the mountainous landscape that surrounds the area. We worked closely with a team of highly skilled muralists at Hattas Public Murals to create a custom mural behind the registration desk of an idealistic Santa Monica Canyon scene in a vintage botanical illustration style. Hattas also created a tonal, abstract mural in the dome of the reception that conjures up visions of waves as they slowly roll back into the ocean. An impactful, vertical green wall embraces and celebrates the unique open atrium area by the addition of a focal art installation that takes advantage of the abundance of natural light this area embodies.”
Designing during a pandemic brought along some challenges, but according to Jackie Wright, principal, Pineapple Procurement, it’s presented some opportunities as well like collaboration and a shift to higher-level service.
“The pandemic came with no shortage of obstacles or challenges,” Wright recalled. “I remember our team using What’s App, Facetime, email and whatever means we could to communicate with the factory overseas at midnight and before dawn to get our goods to ship according to the project schedule. We were absolutely dogged. Once we received the shipment confirmations, we celebrated like never before because we were able to stay on schedule, but the best part was that our efforts did not go unnoticed. This project team was so collaborative and gracious—it really made all the difference.”
As for its F&B programming, Los Angeles native, Edy Lucas is spearheading the hotel’s culinary efforts, known for his work at Manhattan Beach’s The Strand House and Fishing with Dynamite. Monica’s, Hilton Santa Monica Hotel & Suites’ chef-driven full-service restaurant and bar, celebrates fresh ingredients, local farmers markets and the surrounding community. The menu will change seasonally to showcase Southern California’s freshest produce and its opening menu features American classics while flirting with international flavors. Those looking for quick yet elevated grab-and-go fare and casual drinks will find gourmet sandwiches and salads made with local and seasonal ingredients, at The Marketplace, along with beach essentials and well-being products curated by The Detox Market.
“The pandemic has really put a greater value on service,” Wright said. “As an industry, before the pandemic, business was booming and we were all so busy, but we were losing a bit of TLC service in favor of the lowest-priced bid without considering total cost of ownership. In other words, there was more of a focus on absolute value instead of considering the relative value of the white-glove service that you get from boutique companies. Now, attentiveness and a higher-level of service are being recognized and valued more…I also expect to see a shift in payment terms and sourcing. We have done a lot of work on behalf of our current client base to negotiate thoughtful and fair terms that protect them from unexpected costs while keeping vendor partners motivated. Although these changes have resulted in an increase to our workload, it’s the right thing to do and we know our clients see the value because they refer us. As far as sourcing goes, we’ve been working with some great resources in North and Central America, Canada and other regions (besides Asia) with very competitive pricing. Sourcing in Asia is still a viable option if procurement is onboarded early enough to help strategize and develop the schedule.”
