- Beautiful location above the ocean
- Comfortable, clean with excellent decor
- Relaxing setting around the pool with fireplace and restaurant
- Very close to shopping on Montana Avenue
- 10 minutes' walk from Third Street and the Santa Monica Pier
- Sound leaks from adjoining rooms
- 849 Ocean Avenue
Santa Monica, CA
800-777-0758, 310-393-0486
Website - 70 rooms including suites and deluxe rooms, some with ocean or courtyard views and balconies. Some have small kitchens.
- Valet Parking for a fee
- Free high speed Internet (wired and wireless)
- Well-equipped fitness center
- On-premises restaurant and room service
- 100% non-smoking
Our complaints about the Oceana are few. Out shower (which is different than those in other room types) came directly out of the ceiling. Cranky controls prevented switching to the hand-held alternative, making it impossible to keep hair dry. A more serious flaw is sound leaking between rooms.
The Oceana often fills with families over summer holiday weekends and spring break. It's nice for a quiet, relaxing getaway the rest of the year and especially laid-back mid-week.
Most of the complaints we've seen online about the Oceana stem from misunderstandings about location and room types. These facts may help. The Oceana is not a beachfront hotel. Instead, it's on a quiet, almost residential street (it was once an apartment building itself). Across the street, a walkway runs along the palisades overlooking the beach below.
The Oceana's rooms encircle the pool and most overlook it. Some have ocean views and balconies. Other rooms are more like a deluxe room elsewhere, with limited views. A few rooms have small kitchens and sofa beds. Some have only a shower. If you have questions about features, the best thing to do is to remove your fingers from the keyboard, pick up the phone and call.
As is common in the travel industry, the writer received complimentary accommodation for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more info, see our ethics policy.
