Economic Recovery & Cultural Vitality: Two dreamy Santa Monica hotel projects moving forward
July 16, 2024 9:51 AM
by David Martin
Two highly anticipated Santa Monica hotel projects are moving forward, continuing a trend of increased investment in Santa Monica’s hospitality industry.
The Miramar Hotel
Redevelopment of the historic Miramar hotel will take the next steps forward with the city of Santa Moncia Architectural Review Board and Landmarks Commission reviewing the design this summer and fall.
At the end of May, world-renowned design team Pelli Clarke Partners submitted the Design Review Application for the renovation of the Miramar hotel complex, which will build on the historic identity of the property to revitalize this key site at the northern end of the downtown. The redevelopment celebrates and embraces the hotel’s history while bringing forward a new contemporary design that reorients the site toward Ocean Avenue.
The revamped space will include 301 hotel rooms, 60 condominiums, banquet facilities, retail space and a spa and will also incorporate new areas for public access and enjoyment, including 14,000 square feet of Public Garden Terraces, with programmed events, public art, and new food and beverage offerings.
It will also provide significant community benefits, including 42 units of vital new affordable housing, new union construction and hotel jobs and significant new annual revenues for the city’s general fund.
The city’s Architectural Review Board, or ARB, reviewed the project at its July 15 meeting and made a unanimous positive recommendation to support the final project design. The Board appreciated the way the design has progressed since the City Council approved the development agreement in 2020 and commended the design team for its commitment to integrating historic preservation principles with high-caliber architecture and an outstanding landscape plan for the 4.5-acre site.
Board members also expressed their excitement for the Miramar project and its associated benefits for the city of Santa Monica and thanked the applicant and design team for their responsiveness to the ARB’s comments and for their continued outreach over the years.
Next, the Landmarks Commission will hold a public hearing for the application, anticipated for the fall, with special attention paid to ensuring protection of the Landmark Moreton Bay Fig Tree and the Landmark Palisades Building.
The project Development Agreement was approved by the City Council in September 2020 and by the California Coastal Commission in March 2022.
Ocean Avenue Hotel Project
The Ocean Avenue Hotel Project is the name given to Worthe Real Estate Group’s mixed-use hotel, residential and cultural uses campus designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry.
The Ocean Avenue Project Development Agreement was approved by the city in July 2022 and by the California Coastal Commission in December 2023. The project was negotiated based on community-identified priorities that were gathered through an extensive community engagement and city review process.
The result will be a LEED Platinum-certified development that provides unique and significant community and fiscal benefits for Santa Monica, including a 120-room hotel, 100 residential rental units, 25 percent of which will be deed-restricted affordable units, a 34,000 square foot cultural uses campus and a publicly-accessible observation deck.
In January, the city’s Landmarks Commission conducted and approved the design of the museum campus, including the treatment of two city-designated historic Landmark buildings. The Architectural Review Board’s public hearing to review the remainder of the project site is set to be scheduled later this year.
Revitalized hospitality trend
Other noteworthy hotel revitalizations have recently taken place, including the newly rebranded Sandbourne Hotel now open on Ocean Avenue, offering epic terraces and a revamped restaurant.
And the Regent Santa Monica, named one of “Forbes Travel Guide’s 30 Most Anticipated Hotel Openings of 2024” is accepting its first bookings for September.
The significant investments in Santa Monica’s hospitality sector demonstrate a strong confidence in Santa Monica’s ability to attract and sustain tourism and a renewed interest in the downtown leading up to major international events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and LA28 Olympics.
Authored By
David Martin
Director