Aparthotel Palihouse Santa Monica, Los Angeles

1001 3rd Street, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, CA 90403, USA (show on map)

Expert reviews

CNN review:

“It’s easy to feel like a local at the Palihouse, a elegant boutique hotel tucked away in a leafy, residential corner of Santa Monica. Its roomy, apartment-style residences make for a glamorous home away from home.”

Lonely Planet review:

“LA’s grooviest hotel brand (not named Ace) occupies the 38 rooms, studios and one-bedroom apartments of the 1927 Spanish Colonial Embassy Hotel, with antique-meets-hipster-chic style.”

Telegraph review:

“This elegantly quirky hotel, which has the title of a Santa Monica Historic Landmark, combines history with one of the best addresses in town.”

Guest rating

This an aggregated customer review rating of Aparthotel Palihouse Santa Monica, Los Angeles. We have taken customer review ratings from hotel booking sites, search engines, the official hotel website and other travel platforms. This is the average of all those ratings. We only list places that have a customer review rating of at least 4.0 out of 5.0

4.4 out of 5.0

Ranked 11th in Los Angeles

174£154$215¥22790C$167A$167HK$1683S$283SFr202¥1365kr1773kr1298kr1674

What guests liked

All you need to know

Formerly known as The Embassy Hotel Apartments, the Palihouse Santa Monica is a boutique beach lodge ideally situated in Santa Monica. Located in a quiet residential neighborhood, the hotel is only a few minutes’ walk away from key attractions such as the Third Street Promenade, Farmer’s Market and the Santa Monica Pier.

This hotel has been in continuous operation since 1927 and this rich past is apparent in the Moorish-influenced Mediterranean Revival Architecture. The hotel existed when Santa Monica was the last Los Angeles rail stop! Even though it has a few years on it, the property has been methodically maintained. This careful upkeep has given it a renowned status as its elegant exterior ornamentation, lush courtyards and gracious lobby continue to attract visitors from all over the globe.

The hotel is stylish but low key and offers plenty of space for relaxing with a cup of tea and enjoying a meal. The classically decorated rooms feature a 40-inch flat-screen cable TV, work desk, a seating area, guest bathrobes and ironing facilities. Guests can even book a spacious studio or suite with a fully equipped kitchen. Any guest looking to expand his horizons and stay and at a non-traditional hotel, will love vacationing here.

Hotel Details
— 38 rooms
— Opened in 1927
— Modern Mediterranean style

Hotel Features
— Free WiFi
— Beach nearby
— Restaurant
— Garden
— Room service
— Private and street parking
— Business Facilities
— 24-hour front desk
— Concierge service
— Luggage storage
— Child care services available
— Pets allowed on request
— Bicycle rental

Additional Info
— Check in begins at 3:00 PM
— Check out ends at 11:00 AM

Address
1001 3rd St, Santa Monica, CA 90403, USA.

 

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Location

Recent guest reviews

4.0

Hannah

2 January 2023

Good place to stay in Santa Monica

Beautiful & cosy property, good location, easy parking (valet) and nice snacks/food. We received an upgrade and room was nice and big. Bathrooms are small but clean and convenient. We rented some bikes from the hotel as well. Very fair value for money for LA/Santa Monica.

Service is fairly mediocre (i.e., lot of interactions with clueless people to be honest). Price for snacks/food is a bit too much for what it is.

4.5

Laura

28 November 2022

Fabulous

Good food, great amenities, cute rooms. The staff was extremely helpful and accommodating.

4.0

Kevin

26 November 2022

a well run hotel close to both the shopping and beach area

the eccentric decor and proximity to amenities

4.5

Yuriy

23 November 2022

Cool! definitely recommend, especially for the long stay- should be very comfortable like at home. believe me 👍

very big apartment with the well equipped kitchen, clothes rooms etc. nice breakfast. very interesting vintage design and building itself.

air conditioning has no hitting mode. there were some radiators but they didn’t work. i guess usually nothing of above needed in California, but those were really cold days when we were there and was not really comfortable.

4.5

Mary

20 October 2022

lovely

location and boutique

barista not available regularly

3.5

Fiona

19 October 2022

Great location - quirky hotel - limited facilities

Great location

Very limited food/bar facilities. Not great if you are travelling alone and want to eat at the hotel in the evening

4.5

Georgina

11 October 2022

Cool, historic building with beautiful quirky interiors and garden. Great location and super staff!

Breakfast wasn't included but available to order, which we did twice and really enjoyed, especially sitting in the lovely garden at the back. Loved the historic building, quirky interiors, and beautifully landscaped gardens.

Shame there was no alcohol license at the hotel, and no tea/coffee making facilities in the room. In light of this I feel that the bottled water should have been free and perhaps some of the in-room snacks (it wasn't clear that they would be charged for). Should have sheer curtains in the rooms as well as the normal ones as our room faced the front garden and was not private if the curtains were opened. Lovely view of the garden though!

4.5

Lyle

6 October 2022

Great building

The building is fantastic, loads of character. This does mean that there are some quirks such as the plumbing not being perfect and there are creaks from the flooring but if you like character this place is great. Lovely lounge area and gardens both front and back. All the staff were great, exceptionally friendly. Although the bed was small for a hotel, it must have been comfortable as neither I, or my wife woke up until much later than we usually would have.

Our room was missing the coffee machine which was a surprise to the staff when we told them and charging a coffee to the room incurred a $1 charge which would have been fine if that's what I wanted to do but I wanted to pay cash and they don't take cash.

3.5

Robert

1 October 2022

Good old times

The staff is excellent

Do you know a restaurant that was successful a long time ago and still operates like it was in the past: a place with 6 customers (average age 70), the waiter still does the flambeed pancakes at the table, The menu was not changed in 30 years. Well, that is this hotel. The exterior is beautiful, the staff is excellent but the rooms and the lobby are well outdated. The toilet was falling apart, the drain of the shower was blocked, the paint was peeling off the wall, The kitchenette was ready for a museum. Dark brown carpets with big flowers. I could go on. Don't get me wrong. We enjoyed our stay (mainly because of the staff) but that place needs an urgent upgrade

4.0

Maria

29 September 2022

beautiful hotel with classic old style but poor parking situation

very unique with a European feeling. enjoyed the ambiance and the large beautiful rooms, complete with kitchen and walk in closet plus separate vanity. wonderful welcoming space with so much character.

no parking on site! we got a parking ticket for $68! the valet is only there until 10:30 pm otherwise you have to find parking and all permit parking which is why we received a parking ticket.

3.5

Tim

8 September 2022

Pleasant

Bad Wifi

4.0

Roberta

4 September 2022

Very good

old atule house

elevetaro no good breakfast too slow

3.5

Merran

24 August 2022

pretty special after 3 years apart as a family due to Covid

loved the decor in the lobby and public spaces. hadn't read the facilities carefully enough so didn't realize no bar but we were able to use the garden for our champagne Covid reunion celebration.

the receptionist seemed to be a bit unsure about some things eg where our rooms were!! perhaps he was filling in

4.0

Marion

6 August 2022

quiet & quirky with great location

location is fantastic, 2 blocks away from the beach and downtown Santa Monica. Yet the hotel is quiet, no street noose at all. Design is quirky, old-fashioned, beautiful.

we had a huge room, yet the bathroom was tiny

4.5

Britta

28 July 2022

I enjoyed my stay. I would stay again!

The location was awesome. Within walking distance to many good restaurants and the beach. And the room was so cute! Comfy bed and lots of snacks in the room!

The breakfast was good, but pricy! AlsoX the shower was kinda strange, it sure that I loved the shower curtain situation.

3.5

Victor

15 July 2022

Pleasant

Very nice location, but service levels and comfort of beds could be better.

Location, atmosphere, nice outdoor spaces. Good breakfast, if available.

4.5

Peter

10 July 2022

the perfect place to stay in Santa Monica

the property has fabulous character and is in a great location

nothing

4.5

Jessica

11 June 2022

Fabulous

We bought our own breakfast. Lovely design hotel Most beautiful on the whole trip. Only breakfast and lunch. No dinner or alcohol at hotel. Quiet.

3.5

Victoria

5 June 2022

Pleasant

The staff were amazing and super friendly!!

Bed was uncomfortable, valet parking was a rip off the car stayed on the street where we dropped it off for the majority of our stay.

4.0

Valentina

29 May 2022

Amazing short stay, made us feel like we lived there.

Very cute hotel, nice amenities and comfortable rooms. We loved the hotel’s bikes that you can use free of charge (nice perk!). Luis at the front desk was THE BEST! He was so knowledgeable of things to do and look around. He even suggested a few spots and bike paths during our stay. Luis was fantastic with anything we needed and genuinely nice and savvy of things to do in your trip.

Valet parking is pricey ($60) and since it’s a residential area (which was quiet & nice), there’s not many street parking spots available. There was a public parking a few blocks away but we decided to just do the valet.

4.0

Sandra

14 May 2022

Very good

I did not have breakfast there

I was hoping for a livelier lobby where we could have enjoyed a more traditional breakfast setting, or dinner setting the night of arrival.

4.5

Michael

7 May 2022

Distinctive retro feel hotel with well-appointed and super spacious rooms / apartments

Distinctive property right in the middle of everything. Rooms are massively spacious - 1 bedroom apartment is spacious and well-appointed. If you're looking for a retro feel and a home away from home this is the place for you.

Everything was great. The only thing I can complain about, and this really is a minor gripe, is the $13 price tag for 1 litre of "artesian" water left in the room. I get it, it's a business, but that price tag was more on the obnoxious end of the spectrum.

3.5

Alexandra

25 April 2022

Quirky, historic place in a fantastic location.

The property is gorgeous and beautifully appointed. And it's on a quiet street so kind of a retreat down in Santa Monica. I thought my bed was comfortable, the room was clean, and the bathroom had Diptyque products which was lovely. I also really liked the toile wallpaper and the gorgeous lobby.

The staff is really nice but a little stiff and unsure in terms of answering easy questions like "do I need to do anything special to check out?" And it's an historic building (really cool!) with an historic elevator, which is a little difficult to manage. Just a quirk of an old building to be prepared for. One thing to note is that there is a night manager and they do lock the property doors late at night, so if you're in Santa Monica for a party atmosphere, you have to buzz in when you get home after like 1 or so.

4.5

Andrew

25 April 2022

Slightly dated, but elegant and relaxing stay in Santa Monica

After a long flight from the UK, the location and relaxed setting of the Palihouse SM was the perfect to start a two week holiday. It's slightly off the main SM strip, but if you're happy to walk (gasp!) it's a leisurely walk to the beach/Wilshire Boulevard. The best bit was the free bike hire - which enables you to cycle up and down the beach and all around. Top tip - go to Sidecar for donuts!

The classic king room is basic and the decor is a bit dated, but it's comfy. There weren't any in-room coffee facilities but there were refreshments in the lobby, which was a nice touch. The shower/bath was relatively small but sufficient.

4.5

Stephanie

20 April 2022

Very nice stay and we felt very welcome. Will be back..

Staff ist very friendly and helpful. Great location, nice neighborhood.

Hotel facilities

Food & Drink

  • - Restaurant
  • - Breakfast in the room
  • - Special diet menus (on request)
  • - Kid meals (additional charge)
  • - Wine/champagne (additional charge)
  • - Fruits (additional charge)
  • - Coffee house on site

Reception services

  • - 24-hour front desk
  • - Luggage storage
  • - Concierge service
  • - Private check-in/check-out

Outdoors

  • - Garden
  • - Terrace
  • - Sun terrace
  • - Outdoor furniture

General

  • - Non-smoking rooms
  • - Family rooms
  • - Lift
  • - Safety deposit box
  • - Soundproof rooms
  • - Heating
  • - Allergy-free room
  • - Non-smoking throughout
  • - Air conditioning
  • - Grocery deliveries (additional charge)
  • - Pet bowls

Entertainment and family services

  • - Babysitting/child services (additional charge)

Cleaning services

  • - Laundry (additional charge)
  • - Dry cleaning (additional charge)
  • - Ironing service (additional charge)
  • - Trouser press (additional charge)
  • - Daily housekeeping

Activities

  • - Massage (additional charge)
  • - Back massage
  • - Neck massage
  • - Foot massage
  • - Couples massage
  • - Head massage
  • - Hand massage
  • - Full body massage

Business facilities

  • - Fax/photocopying (additional charge)

Miscellaneous

  • - Key access
  • - Key card access
  • - Security alarm
  • - Smoke alarms
  • - CCTV in common areas
  • - Fire extinguishers
  • - Breakfast takeaway containers
  • - Delivered food is securely covered
  • - Access to health care professionals
  • - Thermometers for guests provided by property
  • - Face masks for guests available
Check availability 174£154$215¥22790C$167A$167HK$1683S$283SFr202¥1365kr1773kr1298kr1674