Skip to main content
Articles

The Proper Thing to Do

By January 29, 2020January 20th, 2021No Comments

Santa Monica Proper

Proper Hotels

Loose Luxury in the heart of Santa Monica

As an LA native myself the fun thing about coming home from sunny Santa Barbara to vibrant Los Angeles is always finding a new restaurant, bar, nightclub, wellness center, pilates studio or hotel. On my last trip, the latest attraction was a hotel that seemed to encompass all of the above. A wellness retreat vibe in the heart of bustling Santa Monica. Santa Monica Proper offers a serene escape mid-city, to relax and rejuvenate for every personality.

Food & Drink

One of the most inviting areas throughout the hotel grounds is the rooftop restaurant and adjacent bar Calabra. A Mediterranean style restaurant by Chef Kaleo Adams overlooks the many mini skylines of the city of angels.

Naturally, we had to have a little of everything. To start, a classic hummus and baba ghanoush with the most decadent grilled laffa bread. Accompanied by a wonderful variety of drinks (If you happen to be a mezcal enthusiast, between Calabra and Onda downstairs you’re more than covered). With added fun twists on classic old fashioneds and martinis the cocktail list will allow you to play around. We then jumped in full force with the sesame skirt steak, perfectly cooked branzino, gnocchi, kofta chicken kebabs and risotto. We left the table with happy stomachs and definitely a little motivation for a morning workout.

Wellness

This leads me into one of the biggest draws of the hotel, wellness and health. The hotel has an amazing gym with every machine you could possibly need to use, including Peloton bikes and treadmills. The location is perfect for a walk down to the beach, a bike ride along the infamous bike path either north to the Palisades or south to Venice Beach and beyond. You can stroll along the bluffs through Palisades Park which is only a few blocks from the hotel or even run down to the Santa Monica stairs, a well-known spot to amp up your cardio routine.

Santa Monica Proper has collaborated with Martha and Roger Soffer the owners of Surya Spa to have the world-renowned Ayurvedic healing center in-house. Ayurveda is one of the oldest forms of eastern medicine and is revered all around the world. Surya has been written about and recommended in Goop, Refinery29, The Chalkboard Magazine, and by many Hollywood elites. Martha and her team offer custom panchakarma treatments, consultations, yoga, light balancing, meditation and many more wellness services.

Your Stay

For those coming from the south, you would be surprised to stumble upon this building on a city block. Kelly Wearstler’s interior creations add to the mix between modern design, almost taking after Dancing House in Prague, combined with a landmark historical building on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and & 7th Street. The building features a rooftop pool, a unique addition to the Santa Monica hotel scene. There are three restaurants to choose from in-house; Onda, Palma and Calabra as well as a large plethora of fantastic places to eat within walking distance. The hotel offers 24,000 square feet of meeting and event space so it is perfect for business meetings or a retreat.

The building itself is LEED certified and employs sustainability practices throughout. With Parachute robes and Fili D’oro sheets in each room, clean comfort it everything. I would recommend a balcony room or suite to take advantage of the ocean breezes and views spanning for miles. The rooms have curated amenities, Vifa bluetooth speakers, Aesop bathroom essentials and my personal favorite the hand-picked minibar. This minibar puts the classic soda, chips, and candy to shame. With Hu chocolate, matcha, local wines (Summerland Winery, a Santa Barbara favorite was featured!), sustainable jerky, Go Macro bars, kombucha, cold brew, wellness shots, Woodford Reserve Bourbon and many more options you really couldn’t create a better selection. The design of the rooms is perfect for the maximization of space and flow.

We indulged in a morning coffee on the balcony before heading downstairs for pastries and fresh-pressed juice at Palma to send us on our way.

The stay was everything you could want out of a hotel. Blending health and wellness, indulgent cuisine, conscious environmental outlooks, and the excitement of Los Angeles, Santa Monica Proper has it all.