Santa Monica has only two hotels confirmed directly on the sand, with no road in between: Shutters on the Beach and Hotel Casa del Mar. Several other well-known names on Ocean Avenue, including Oceana Santa Monica, sit a five-minute walk from the beach across a public street, not on it.
The best beachfront resorts in Santa Monica, CA
Both sit on the same short stretch of sand at the southern end of Santa Monica State Beach, near Santa Monica Pier.
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| Hotel | Rating | From/night | Area | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shutters on the Beach | Superb | $650 | Santa Monica, CA (directly on the sand, Pico Blvd) | Best overall · the higher-rated of the two, oceanfront dining | Check price →Review ↓ |
| Hotel Casa del Mar | Superb | $590 | Santa Monica, CA (directly on the sand, Ocean Park) | Best for spa suites · a hydrotherapy tub in every room | Check price →Review ↓ |
Shutters on the Beach
Shutters on the Beach opens straight onto Santa Monica State Beach, its Cape Cod-style wood-shingled building set right at the edge of the sand with no road, boardwalk crossing, or beach club membership required to reach it. It's a rarity for this stretch of coastline, where most hotel names sit at least one street back.
Floor-to-ceiling windows and beachfront balconies lean into the setting, and two oceanfront restaurants plus a spa keep most of a stay within a short walk of the water. It suits travelers who want the beach itself to be the main event, with the Third Street Promenade and Santa Monica Pier both an easy stroll north.
Hotel Casa del Mar
Hotel Casa del Mar sits a few minutes' walk south of Shutters at the quieter Ocean Park end of the beach, in a 1926 building that shares the same direct, no-road beachfront position. Every room includes a hydrotherapy spa tub, and the lobby's tall windows frame the ocean directly across the sand.
It's the more residential-feeling of the two – slightly further from the pier's activity, with its own oceanfront restaurant and pool deck. A fair pick for travelers who want the same genuine beachfront setting as Shutters with a quieter, less trafficked stretch of sand out front.
When to go
Santa Monica stays mild year-round, but July through September brings the warmest, sunniest weather and the clearest water, along with the highest rates and busiest beach. Late September and October trade a few degrees of warmth for noticeably smaller crowds and better value. Late spring often brings "May gray" and "June gloom" – a marine layer that can keep mornings overcast into early afternoon – so early summer isn't the most reliable window for beach days despite the calendar. Both hotels book up well ahead for weekends and holidays given how few true beachfront rooms exist in Santa Monica.
For other genuinely on-the-sand stays nearby, see beachfront resorts in San Diego or Laguna Beach.
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Images: Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
