The Ambrose

The place is peaceful and quiet, and the front desk and other staff were all nice. They also have a courtesy car for nearby trips, which came in handy. The rooms are comfortable and a good size, with several room types to pick from. There’s a small menu, though charges can only go to your room. Happy hour runs 5-7pm, and they don’t serve alcohol outside that window. Not much is close enough to walk to, so Uber makes sense for food and things to do. Parking is underground with tight spaces. One morning I found ants on my desk. They cleaned it up promptly, but I still don’t know where they came from, and it was both unsettling and disappointing.

The balcony was very long, which I liked, and the hotel itself was spotless. They provided a bathrobe, with another one in the closet. I was staying here before an early surgery the next morning. Parking is beneath the building, I think it was $45. There’s a glass water carafe in the room, but filling it costs money at a nearby station. My boyfriend couldn’t find the station, and said it would be $6 anyway, so we left it alone. The price was listed in a pamphlet on the table, but that notice was far from the carafe. I wish the cost had been shown beside the bottle or on it.

The neighborhood is pleasant and convenient, but I’ll stay somewhere else next time I’m in Santa Monica. I paid in advance for two weekend nights, then arrived Saturday 45 minutes before the 3 PM check-in time. Even though rooms were available, I was told to wait. The desk staff came across as condescending and unfriendly, including when I called later about extra charges. My prepaid bill had the room cost plus a $92 Tax Recovery Fee and a $177 Services Fee. They scanned my card for incidentals and parking, which I expected, but after I got home there were more taxes and an amenities fee. When I called, the staff member said I should have read everything more carefully. I’m fine paying an amenity fee, but there was no bar or restaurant, only a complimentary happy hour, and the fitness room was very small. I travel often for business and leisure, and won’t return.

We didn’t get the room we expected, and the ride to dinner fell through. Our second-floor room was close to the traffic below, despite being described as an upgrade to a KING PREMIUM, and the bed wasn’t king size as reception had told us. At 6.15pm, Taylor said the house car would be back in ten minutes for the short trip to Sogno Toscano on Montana Ave. Then we were told the chef had given it to somebody else. We called a Lyft at 6.25pm and luckily made our 6.30pm reservation. Earlier, Eileen had greeted us warmly when we checked in around 4.30pm after driving from La Jolla since before 11am. We’d come to Los Angeles for Saturday business and often stay here overnight. It was nice to freshen up before dinner, but that car mix-up was a letdown. We left a little after 11.am Sunday. Apparently there’s a new hotel GM, so hopefully things will be up to standard on our next visit.