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Viceroy Santa Monica

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<p>The most fun of the four California hotels designed by Kor Hotel Group collaborator Kelly Wearstler, the 162-room Viceroy seems like an extension of the nearby amusement park on <a href="/thingtodo/theme_park/santa-monica-pier">Santa Monica Pier</a>. Though the exterior—a white boxy slab—doesn't invite a second glance, the interiors here marry retro-chic with pure whimsy. In both the rooms and the common areas, the striking monochrome (black, white, and gray) color scheme is spiked with accents of parrot green and sunshine yellow (chairs in the lobby; throw pillows and upholstered benches in the rooms; curtains in the Library lounge). There's also a whole lotta reflection going on, with silver-foil wallpaper, mirrored glass, and high-shine white Formica in almost every space. The slick Cameo Bar and Whist, the restaurant helmed by Warren Schwartz, are hubs for the young and gorgeous (who love to catch sight of themselves in all those mirrors). </p> <p><strong>Tip:</strong> The hotel has a partnership with the nearby Equinox gym, so take advantage of its unlimited, complimentary services.</p> <p><strong>Room to Book:</strong> Ask for a seventh or eighth floor city-view room: on warm weather nights, the Cameo Bar party spills out onto the pool terrace during the wee hours. </p>

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From Food & Wine , SEP 2003

This time the theme is British colonial through the looking glass, a Hollywood animation of a stately drawing room. Luckily, Viceroy doesn't sacrifice good service to good looks—the staff is sharp and the amenities comprehensive....MORE>>

– Kate Sekules Hotel Classics for the New Millennium

From Travel + Leisure , JUN 2003

You're in Los Angeles now, and the Viceroy never lets you forget it. The property is the most ambitious creation yet of the Kor Hotel Group and interior designer Kelly Wearstler, who caught everybody's attention with her Moo Shu Baroque style at Maison 140 in Beverly Hills....MORE>>

– Stephen Drucker Gold Rush

Last updated September 2003