Viceroy Hotel - Santa Monica, California - Urban Retreat with Beachfront Accommodations

"City-smart and by the sea'' is the way the Viceroy Santa Monica likes to describe its particular brand of hostelry. As a Santa Monica beach boutique hotel, it strives to merge classic sophistication and contemporary chic with laid-back seaside living.

The Viceroy's 162 guestrooms and executive suites feature ocean, pool or palm views and come in three configurations: the studio-style Viceroy Rooms and Grande Rooms, and the one-bedroom Empire Suites. There is also a two-bedroom, presidential-style Monarch Suite available on the penthouse level, with a marble entry, a living room with wet bar, a convertible sleeper sofa, and a bathroom with a whirlpool tub and steam shower.

Viceroy Rooms cover 320 square feet and come with a king bed or two doubles, sitting areas and writing desks. Grande Rooms measure 470 square feet, with luxurious king beds, expanded sitting areas, and oversized bathrooms. Empire Suites have 640 of interior space, a full bedroom, separate living room area, and oversized bathrooms with whirlpool tubs and flat-screen televisions.

All units feature 300-thread-count linens and bathrobes, custom beds with down comforters and pillows, and personal care products by Neil George. There are fully stocked mini-bars, entertainment centers with 42'' flat-screen televisions, dual telephones with speaker capability, and in-room safes. A complimentary daily newspaper and free high-speed Internet access come standard.

Among the many luxury facilities available at the Viceroy Hotel are two outdoor pools and a fully-equipped fitness center, open 24 hours a day with cardio and weight training equipment. In-room massage and spa treatments can be arranged, too, through the Viceroy's exclusive spa and beauty services: GreenBliss EcoSpa.

GreenBliss EcoSpa is located right on the premises. It has been voted among the "Top 10 Holistic Spas'' and provides innovative ways to pamper, nourish, revitalize and restore balance, fusing green lifestyle and wellness techniques with spa rituals from a variety of cultures. Only organic, 100% pure and natural, chemical-free products are used.

The Viceroy's signature restaurant is called Whist. Under the direction of Executive Chef Tony DiSalvo, it offers Mediterranean cuisine with a modern twist, making use of ingredients sourced locally and globally. Breakfast and lunch are served weekdays from 7am till 2:30pm, while the weekend brunch schedule is 10:30am to 3pm. The dinner menu is available from 6:30pm until 10pm daily. Meanwhile, the classic-style Cameo Bar just off the lobby presents cocktails from 11am till midnight or later.

For meeting, parties and events, the hotel's Bristol Room offers 1,300 square feet of banquet-ready reception space that can accommodate up to 120 guests. The sunlit Dorset Room can handle groups of up to 60 people for dining, receptions and lectures. Another meeting space is called The Library, where secluded dinners or private film screenings can be arranged for as many as 25 guests. Event-planning services and audio-visual equipment are also available through the Catering & Special Events Department.

The Viceroy Hotel is located at 1819 Ocean Avenue Santa Monica, California 90401. To get there from Los Angeles International Airport, take Sepulveda Boulevard North onto Lincoln Boulevard. Continue for seven miles to Pico Boulevard and turn left (west). The hotel can be found on the right (north) side at the intersection of Ocean and Pico.