The Pierside Santa Monica

The complimentary bike rental was a lovely extra. A morning ride around Santa Monica was an amazing highlight of the stay. The room had a beautiful view, the location was excellent, and the front desk team were especially friendly, welcoming, and helpful. The one letdown was the bar: the Old Fashioned was poorly made and didn’t taste good, which felt unprofessional. Still, it’s a great hotel and I’d happily stay again.

The rooms were spotless, the staff were so friendly, and the spot is perfect if you love the beach. The restaurant’s food was delicious and reasonably priced. I had an amazing stay, highly recommend it, and plan to come back next year.

For my three-night staycation, the Pierside Hotel was a great base for wandering around Santa Monica. Shops, restaurants, and the beach are just steps away, yet the little park around the corner made walks with my pup easy in the morning and evening. The hotel is incredibly dog friendly. My room was spotless and had Sachajuan products, which I’ve fallen in love with. The pool was a highlight too: roomy enough to swim without bumping into anyone, comfortable furniture, a private feel, and great sun for tanning. Staff were friendly, welcoming, and always ready to help. I liked the restaurant patio for happy hour and people-watching, and could eat the crispy Brussels sprouts all day. There are menu options for dogs, and the lobby coolers have a drink selection that felt like a unique touch compared with other boutique hotels. I’d absolutely stay again and recommend it, especially for anyone bringing a dog and looking for a clean, stylish place.

I paid a premium rate for one night and barely got four hours of sleep. After a four-hour drive, I found the room filled with an extremely loud, constant noise. I turned off the air conditioning, unplugged the minibar, and checked every possible source before figuring out it came from the air-conditioning duct. I woke at 5:00 a.m., exhausted. It’s hard to understand charging $45 for an “amenity fee” when the stay was mostly listening to mechanical noise. When I asked the front desk what the fee covered, nobody gave me a reasonable explanation. Charging it after such an uncomfortable night felt outrageous and unjustified. I’m consistently astonished that hotels in exceptional locations can have such poorly equipped rooms and disregard basic sleep. A hotel that trades on location while neglecting comfort, acoustics, and room quality isn’t offering hospitality, it’s taking advantage of travelers. This was deeply disappointing and nowhere near a standard that justifies the price. Do not stay here.