Viceroy Santa Monica

“Perfect birthday weekend”

My daughter and I just returned from a weekend stay at The Viceroy. I can’t say enough about the high class treatment we received and the professionalism of the staff. Our room was upgraded and we received superb service. We ate breakfast downstairs which was so tasty and at night sat outside at ... more

My daughter and I just returned from a weekend stay at The Viceroy. I can’t say enough about the high class treatment we received and the professionalism of the staff. Our room was upgraded and we received superb service. We ate breakfast downstairs which was so tasty and at night sat outside at the cozy eclectic fire pit area. Everything about this well run boutique hotel spotlights comfort and luxury. It’s right across the street from the beach and I would never stay anyplace else in the future. Wonderful weekend!

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“Thank you Chuck - driver”

This review is not for Viceroy but for Chuck, the very good & kind driver sent to pick me up from LAX .As a solo traveller and after a long international flight, I was reassured already a few days before as Chuck made sure to message me with his confirmation. This is especially reassuring for me... more

This review is not for Viceroy but for Chuck, the very good & kind driver sent to pick me up from LAX .As a solo traveller and after a long international flight, I was reassured already a few days before as Chuck made sure to message me with his confirmation. This is especially reassuring for me. He treated me very well and as we had good communication, I also asked him to drive me back to airport. As I required special assistance, he really made my airport check in easier for me too. I will definitely have him drive me in his comfy Cadillac whenever I come to LA.

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“Almost 5 star group experience!”

4++++! We used Viceroy for the wedding block for my daughter’s May 2024 wedding at Bel Air Bay Club, and it was a great choice! You cannot beat the location across from the beach, and the understated cool vibe was perfect for our bicoastal crowd. While the price was a bit high, it was on point wh... more

4++++! We used Viceroy for the wedding block for my daughter’s May 2024 wedding at Bel Air Bay Club, and it was a great choice! You cannot beat the location across from the beach, and the understated cool vibe was perfect for our bicoastal crowd. While the price was a bit high, it was on point when compared to other area hotels. The rooms and backyard area are gorgeous and all of the staff were so kind. The bar area is perfect for groups hanging out- wish it were open later! Special 5 star shout out to event coordinator, Desiree Ferrer, who was with us every step of the way from set up to check in ! Also the entire valet staff who could not have been kinder and more accommodating to all the various wedding needs. Viceroy could easily be a 5 star group experience if they would remedy two small things 1. A dedicated reservation link for the block. The one the hotel provided showed all rates available, not just the block, which resulted in guest booking confusion. 2. Free morning coffee- there was no in room coffee makers, nor free guest coffee. The coffee bar at the restaurant was slow and expensive, and while they did bring a machine to the room when requested, it only worked the first day:( To spite these minor hassles, Viceroy was in all a great experience I would recommend to all families planning a local wedding.

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“Meh.”

We stayed over a week for my special birthday getaway. We chose based on price, location, and the beachy boutique hotel vibe. . As a start, don't be fooled by the rates posted on this place. The resort fee is $40 per day, which is patently ridiculous. For $40/day, you get two mini bottles of wat... more

We stayed over a week for my special birthday getaway. We chose based on price, location, and the beachy boutique hotel vibe. . As a start, don't be fooled by the rates posted on this place. The resort fee is $40 per day, which is patently ridiculous. For $40/day, you get two mini bottles of water in your room when you arrive (you can call down to get more, they assured us), as well as a welcome glass of prosecco (or water). We were not given any info about the fitness centre, the bikes, or the supposed yoga -- just pool and restaurant hours. When paying $40 a night for resort fees, I want to feel I used every last corner of the "resort". . The Up-Front Bad: Of our 8 nights, we contended several days without A/C (and no transparency from the hotel about what was going on -- topped by a refusal to send a fan to our room, then later, telling us all the fans were booked out so we were out of luck). We experienced a continual lack of water glasses in our room (housekeeping would remove our glasses and not replenish them or the water bottles, so we had to call down every afternoon to get water glasses delivered just to be able to drink any water in our room). Add to this that there is not a kettle or coffee maker in your room, so your morning caffeine fix requires going down to buy an over-priced cup of tea or coffee from the lobby every single day. That's $14 a day just for two hot caffeinated beverages, as a start. . Room: We paid top dollar for a lovely "junior suite" facing the ocean on the top floor. Even being on the 8th floor, the road noise from Ocean Ave and Pico Ave is so loud, it can be intolerable to have your sliding door open (especially challenging when the hotel has no A/C working) -- particularly on weekends. You do not have a patio/balcony, as advertised -- just a slider that opens to a railing. It's a nice open feel, but they did oversell it as a balcony. The views to the beach and pier (and sunsets) are splendid from the top floor and presumably the 7th floor as well. The bed was comfortable and there was plenty of space to unpack, as well as a couch and two chairs for lounging. We also found the bathroom nice and spacious, but the showerhead was mysteriously basic for such a huge luxurious shower. Food & Drink: Food was good. Drinks were pretty good. But drinks are pricy at $20/each, so hit happy hour when you can for some good deals. Room service (a few breakfasts) was fairly fast and mostly accurate. Food from room service and in the restaurant was great on all occasions and they have some fun group sharing options that seemed pretty cool. Staff: they were either super kind and responsive, or completely disinterested -- just depending on the moment. When they were good, they were friendly and gracious. When they were bad, they were dour and even cross. Restaurant and lobby bar service was friendly but sporadic -- sometimes exasperatingly slow, other times checking in on us 5 times in 20 minutes. . Pool/Patio: The poolside chairs are numerous and though it is a small area, it is well planned to maximize space. You can pay to rent a cabana either by the pool ($$$) or on the restaurant patio ($$). Negotiating for a better price is worth some time, but you'll be put off in the furthest reaches of the patio. Cabanas offer couches, chairs, TVs and heaters. Rental includes a bottle of prosecco (or bucket of beer) and a charcuterie board. Our board -- while delicious -- was delivered before we had even actually had time to settle in, with us having no input to what we were looking for -- we were told "chef is sending you some food" and out it came. However, the overall cabana experience is quite fun and would be great for groups of 4 or more to split the cost. We found the cabanas were rarely used (despite the front desk telling us they were booked up). The overall restaurant patio is massive and seating suits both small and large groups. There is ample lobby seating and indoor restaurant seating, and the outdoor patio features both restaurant tables and fire tables and lounge seating galore. . Would I recommend staying here? Not so much. The lack of basics (working A/C or a fan, water glasses, coffee/tea capability in room) seems arrogant for the high resort fees charged. On the plus side, the location offers a short one block walk to the beach, just 10 minutes walking to the pier, and access to plenty of Santa Monica within a 20 minute stroll. But so do a lot of hotels. Our future trips to Santa Monica likely won't center around the Viceroy. I felt the resort fee was a gouge, and the lack of room basics underlined how much of a gouge it was. I also resent the lack of empathy for losing night after night of sleep due to the non-working AC -- and the refusal to just send a fan to our room seemed callous. I see now that other guests who had this issue negotiated a savings on resort fees, but we didn't fare so well.

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