The Hotel Casa del Mar is a historic luxury
hotel located on the beach in
Santa Monica, California. It is owned and operated by the Edward Thomas Collection of Hotels (ETC Hotels).
[Valli Herman]
“Casa del Mar elegant – and pricey – in Santa Monica,”
'' Los Angeles Times'', June 8, 2008.
History
The building was constructed by brothers E.A. "Jack" Harter and T.D. "Til" Harter, doing business as the H & H Holding Company, at a cost of $2 million.
[Michael Aushenker]
“Hotel Casa del Mar to Expand Weekly Entertainment to Five Nights,”
''The LookOut News'', March 25, 2011. It opened as Club Casa del Mar, a private beach club, on May 1, 1926.
[Alyssa Bird]
“Michael S. Smith refreshes Hotel Casa del Mar,”
''Architectural Digest
''Architectural Digest'' is an American monthly magazine founded in 1920. Its principal subjects are interior design and landscaping, rather than pure external architecture. The magazine is published by Condé Nast, which also publishes internati ...
'', December 31, 2014. Designed by Los Angeles architect Charles F. Plummer to reflect an
Italian Renaissance Revival aesthetic, the glory days of the hotel spanned 1926-41, as it became one of the most successful beach clubs in Southern California, popular with socialites and Hollywood celebrities. In 1941, the
US Navy took over the building, utilizing it for enlisted soldiers during
World War II. By 1960, the hotel was shuttered. In 1967, Charles E. Dederich reopened the building as the
Synanon Foundation, a drug rehabilitation program. In 1978,
Nathan Pritikin
Nathan Pritikin (August 29, 1915 – February 21, 1985) was an American inventor, engineer, nutritionist and longevity researcher. He promoted the Pritikin diet, a high-carbohydrate low-fat diet combined with regular aerobic exercise.
Biography
...
turned the building into the Pritikin Longevity Center, a nutrition and health care facility that closed in 1997.
[Tara Murphy]
“Mi Casa Del Mar,”
'' Forbes'', November 19, 2004.[Hilary de Vries]
“Hotel Check-In,”
'' New York Times'', December 5, 1999.
The Edward Thomas Hospitality Corporation, owners of the adjacent
Shutters on the Beach Hotel
Shutters on the Beach is a luxury hotel located on the beach in Santa Monica, California. It is owned and operated by the Edward Thomas Collection of Hotels (ETC Hotels), which also owns the adjacent Hotel Casa del Mar. A member of The Leading H ...
, acquired the property in November 1997
and spent over $50 million restoring and converting it into a luxury hotel.
Architecture firms
HLW International and Thomson Design Associates worked to preserve the interior and exterior of the seven-story building, reviving the hotel's original 1920s European style.
[Elyse Glickman]
“Just add water,”
'' The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles'', May 14, 2014. It reopened as Hotel Casa del Mar in October 1999.
[“From Grandeur, To Grandeur,”](_blank)
''LAX Magazine'', March 14, 2015.
In February 2008, designer Darrell Schmitt completed a multimillion-dollar remodel of all 129 guest rooms and suites, adding new furniture, artwork, flat-screen televisions, windows, wallpaper, mirrors and drapes.
''
Los Angeles'' magazine said the renovation had restored the hotel "to its Gatsbyesque glory."
In 2014, designer
Michael S. Smith redesigned the hotel's lobby, introducing striped cabana-style sitting areas in the lobby and coast-themed artwork, among other additions.
[Laura Schreffler]
“Hotel Casa Del Mar,”
'' Haute Living'', July 25, 2014.[Rebecca Misner]
“Town to Country: Road Trip From Los Angeles to Palm Springs,”
'' Conde Nast Traveler'', August 26, 2015. During the two-month redesign, a large, temporary street art installation was installed in the lobby. The piece of art, titled ''Absinthe and The Elephants'', was created by local
street artist Jules Muck, serving as camouflage for the lobby's central bar area during renovations.
The hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places.
It was also inducted into Historic Hotels of America, an official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in 2018, and, in 2022 is still a member.
Design and amenities
The hotel has 129 rooms, a curving double staircase, a high coffered ceiling, mosaic tile floors and glowing copper sconces atop mahogany pillars in the lobby. It also has a spa that offers massages, and a fitness center.
The Colonnade Ballroom, with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the ocean, seats up to 270 guests.
The lobby and pool look out onto the Pacific Ocean.
In June 2015, the hotel introduced a new stress management program for guests and other groups, Automatic Integrative Relaxation Response, designed by stress management expert John Sahakian. The program includes yoga, mindfulness and breathing exercises.
[Mary MacVean]
“Close your eyes and breathe: Hotels are doing ‘mindfulness training’,”
''Los Angeles Times'', June 22, 2015.
Dining
One of the hotel's restaurants, Catch Restaurant and Wine Bar, features a seafood menu and ocean views.
In 2014, Michael S. Smith redesigned the hotel's new restaurant, Terrazza Lounge, which has a menu and style inspired by the Italian coast, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the ocean.
See also
*Santa Monica Army Air Forces Redistribution Center
References
External links
Official websiteETC Hotels website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Casa Del Mar Hotel
Hotel buildings completed in 1926
Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in California
Buildings and structures in Santa Monica, California
Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Los Angeles County, California
Hotels established in 1998
History of Santa Monica, California
Italian Renaissance Revival architecture in the United States
Renaissance Revival architecture in California
Tourist attractions in Santa Monica, California
Hotels in Los Angeles County, California
1926 establishments in California
Historic Hotels of America