Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, Santa Monica
Some hotels are all about the location, some pride themselves on providing exceptional service, while others seek to create a luxurious environment. The Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, Santa Monica is one of those few properties that combines it all. What we love about this hotel is that it’s elegant but not stuffy; oh, and the views over the Pacific Highway to Santa Monica Beach and the Pacific Ocean are pretty spectacular too. You’ll be just a 10 minute walk or so to the soft sands of the beach, and a little further to the famous Santa Monica Pier. We recommend taking one of the complimentary bikes and making your way along beautiful SoCal beaches. Another unique feature of the Fairmont is the seasonal Beach Club – a private area of Santa Monica Beach reached by open-top Jeep, exclusively for the use of hotel guests which is available each Friday, Saturday and Sunday during June, July and August.
As you would probably expect from a hotel of the Fairmont’s standard, providing upscale dining and drinking venues is one of the main focuses here. The FIG Restaurant is one of the region’s most sought after dining spots for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as weekend brunch – almost a national institution. You’ll love the wide range of dishes which are created using the freshest seasonal produce. During your stay enjoying a sunset cocktail at The Bungalow is a must, for one evening at least. It’s cool and casual with mismatched furniture, wood decking and a beach hut style design, and the cocktails and light bites are mouthwatering.
Set throughout the hotel are 302 rooms and suites either in the historic Palisades Wing, the more modern Ocean Tower or unique bungalows which are located within the Miramar’s gardens. The Deluxe Rooms are in the Ocean Tower and overlook the grounds. If you are thinking of treating yourself we can’t think of a better place to upgrade to a room with a sea view; choose either a Deluxe Oceanview Room or Premier Oceanview Rooms for beach and Pacific vistas. The spacious Palisades Suite, which has garden and city views, are an ideal choice if you are travelling as a family as the separate living room has a double sofa bed.