The Penthouse Suites at Hotel Casa del Mar

Why it is on the list

Hotel Casa del Mar opened in 1926 as Club Casa del Mar, a private beach club by the architect Charles F. Plummer, and is on the National Register of Historic Places; it reopened as a hotel in 1999 after a restoration of more than USD 50 million.¹² It stands on the sand of Santa Monica Beach, one of two hotels that do.² The top floor holds nothing but the three Penthouse Suites.³ Each is on two levels, about 1,500 sq ft, in rooms that were racquetball courts in the 1920s, so the ceilings are high.³ The lower level is for company, with a living room and a dining area; upstairs the main bathroom has a hydrothermal massage tub and an east-facing window.³ They are the only two-storey suites among the hotel's 10.⁴

The suite sleeps extra guests on two queen sofa beds rather than in more bedrooms; for a family that needs separate bedrooms, the hotel has one- to four-bedroom Ocean Front suites.³⁴ For a suite at the waterline next door, take the Beach House Suite at Shutters on the Beach; for the hills, the Penthouse Suite at Sunset Tower Hotel.

How to get it

Write to reservations@hotelcasadelmar.com or call +1 844 880 1077 and ask for a Penthouse Suite.⁴ A suite booking takes a deposit of one night's room and tax when it is made; cancel at least 7 days before arrival or the deposit is kept, and for arrivals from July 1 to September 4 cancel at least 3 days ahead.⁵ Check-in is at 4pm and check-out at noon; say ahead if you arrive early.⁵ A resort fee of USD 60 a night plus 15% tax is added, which covers an afternoon house car within three miles, bicycles and the Beach Concierge.⁵ USD 250 a day is held on the card for incidentals, and overnight valet parking is USD 90.⁵ Dogs up to 25 lb, two at most, stay for USD 125.⁵ The concierge books cars at concierge@hotelcasadelmar.com; the hotel is 8 miles from Los Angeles International Airport.⁵

Discretion

No other rooms share the top floor with the three penthouses.³ The pool and its seating are for registered guests only.⁵ A government photo ID is asked for at check-in.⁵