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Shade Hotel
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: Manhattan Beach
1221 N Valley Dr
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(866) 742-3377
1221 N Valley Dr
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(866) 742-3377
- Price Range:
-
$$$
66 reviews for Shade Hotel
Great lunch deal during the week... Ready... Set... Lunch
4 Items, 45 minutes, 15 Dollars
Soup or Salad, Entree, Side, Beverage (including beer or wine)
Menu changes every two weeks
My four choices: 1) Zinc Chopped Salad, 2) Chicago Dog, 3) Brocolini and 4) Firestone Double Barrel Amber.
Leisurely lunch, light breeze on the patio... Perfect
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zinc lounge grading scale B Above average
this hotel was decorated and designed by Christopher Lowell. tempur-pedic bed, room have jacuzzi bath. grading scale B Above average
design. really great idea that is poorly executed. D Below average
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I didn't go there for the bar/lounge at night so I can't tell you how the atmosphere is, but I can tell you how amazing the room is!!
SHADE..is definitely the theme of this hotel, dark blues and reds create the atmosphere. The room has an amazing two person jacuzzi, king sized bed, 6 pillows, soft sheets and warm comforter, beautiful shower, Japanese style sliding doors for privacy in the bathroom, closet space, a glass cylinder heater that shoots one flame of fire, and lighting that gets you in the mood.
We ordered room service and bam, the food was at our door in minutes. We had chips and dips, margarita pizza and bananas foster dessert. The margarita pizza was average but the dessert was yummy.
The only reason why I give one star off is because the faucet is a glass cylinder that lets the water slip off like a waterfall. Cool effect, but who knows if the glass is clean?! Yea, I get worried about those things even though I'm sure it is perfectly sanitary.
If you want to surprise your significant other, this is definitely the spot. Or, if you need some alone time, clear your head, this hotel will definitely help relax you!! Amazing!
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I don't know how it happened but I was down in the South Bay AGAIN within a week's time.
So my friend says "I'm going to take you to the COOLEST places in my neighborhood." I reluctantly agreed (I think I have what is called Korean Guilt..very similar to Jewish Guilt. I mean c'mon I've known my friend for aaaaages! How can I say no?) and there I was, trekking down the 405 again on Saturday night.
I couldn't really put a finger on why I just didn't like the South Bay from my experience at The Shore a few days back. Then, as soon as we walked into the Shade Hotel, a GONG went off inside my head and I did a "AH HA!"
Cougars and Douchebags (uniforms sponsored by Ed Hardy) carpeted the place wall to wall.
They were having some private event in the lounge area and maybe that's why it was so crowded. But the reason for the infestation of Cougars and DB's seemed to be swept under the rug along with the botox and breast implants.
I let out a huge sympathetic sigh after realizing that this scene was what was considered normal in these parts. Everything and everyone seemed like an optical illusion. Elbows up, I fought my way through endless Ed Hardy and clouds of Issey Miyake to finally reach the bar. Crossing my fingers as I took a sip of my drink, I quietly thanked the Cocktail Gods for the stiff drink that was accessorizing my hand. I hoped maybe if I drank enough I would understand the strange habits of the natives in Manhattan Beach.
Yeah, I just got drunk...drunk and annoyed.
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My husband and I stayed at Shade for two nights while visiting friends in Manhattan Beach/Santa Monica. The service we received at this hotel was excellent! Whether it was bringing a forgotten toiletry item to the room in minutes, or recommending yoga studios and then following up by bringing a printout of schedules and directions directly to our room (thanks Shaunna) these guys have been great. Rooms are pretty cool (nice fixtures although on the small side) and property is tastefully decorated. We will definitely stay here again!
Spent three nights here on a trip out west. Friendly staff and great location. The room was located away from the lounge and was super quiet...just as I had requested. I will definitely be returning.
Check this out folks, this is truly the first time I have ever written a review. And yep, you guessed it, I am unhappy. I am spending 300+ a night at this top hotel Shade and am so surprised at how lackluster this place is.
I have travelled whether on business or leisure to some of the best places and hotels around the country and international too, and where does Shade rank, well, very low. The rundown: It's as though you just stepped out of high school Prom into your cheesy Limo with the mood lights shifting colors (they call them therapy lights here) and then the entire are atmosphere smells of that sorta stripper perfume.
The meals are good, however, they offer a small buffet breakfast they have to place on the bar to make room, because they managed to make the hotel in a replica of the Karate Kid housing complex- a bunch of apartment like rooms around where a pool should be but isn't, it's a giant vacuous atrium that should be used for events like the one they are having tonight. Anyways, you see there is no room for a decent breakfast area. It's basically the bar. And yes the front patio is cool, yet the chairs and tables are cheap and the open air bar is really filled with overweight, I guess wealthy men and playful women wishing they were at say, Mondrian, Sunset Marquis, or Soho Grand, but nope, this is Shade. A wannabe. Manhattan Beach's magnet for the gaudy and smarmy meat market that is usually reserved for Hermosa. Sadly, I am here. And frankly, I was excited this evening to come home and use the upstairs deck pool and bar on the roof....but, a wedding reception has taken over the entire pool and no one in the hotel is allowed up there to swim or have a drink. I asked! They have it all night! HA! Sadly, it's actually one of the best parts of the hotel, so basically, I'm really here to help pay for that pool and help accommodate the party up there and yep, I can't use it. Great. This place is managed like a preschool fire-drill. The internet here is awful, and especially now that I am stuck in my room it really bites that I can barely upload this review...and get this, the patio downstairs is also booked up by a private group as well as the pool and of course, the bar is now packed and crowded with total plastic people. Oy. I actually have seen worse, but right now, it's pretty bad. Save yourself and your money, try the Belamar, or hell, the Sea Sprite is better than this. If in South Bay, I did like Portofino hotel much better. I guess I have to see if the grass is greener and frankly all the work they put into the rooms which aren't that bad, really can't compensate in the overall poor management and poor design and poor service. Aside from the valet they are actually very nice.....but in one word, avoid.
well, tonight was NOT a bust. I really needed this evening. it came right in the nick of time. i had been feeling really discouraged about my recent dating escapades. not anymore....
i went on a date here tonight with fellow yelper adam m. let me retrace the steps leading to this...... several weeks ago, i wrote a rather scathing review on sports club la, the gym in beverly hills. specifically, on how the dudes who work out there are BUNK. i got a private message from this "adam m" who wanted to know if i had by chance noticed if there were any hot chicks, b/c he was thinking of shelling out the rat 160 bucks a month to case the place for ladies. i wrote him back and told him not to waste his time, the SCLA is filled with bottom feeders.
well, adam m and i got to talking and it wasn't long before he was asking me why don't i go out with him? which i thought was really ballsy, considering adam m is 25 years old. i explained to him, several times, that i could not go out with someone so much younger than myself. i am telling you this part in my defense, b/c i am a little shocked by the fact that i eventually did. what can i say? he was persistent. again, a 25 year old kid, insisting that a woman a decade older than him should give him a chance- you have to admire his confidence.
cut to tonight. i met adam m at shade hotel, in the lobby bar. shade hotel is known to be a cougar hangout, so i thought we should meet there, since i was acting like one, going for drinks with such a young buck.
i had 2 mojitos, which were kick ass. they really know how to make drinks at shade-just enough to get you buzzed, but not so strong you are incapacitated. they actually take the time to muddle the mint, so the drinks take a while, but it's worth it. adam m enjoyed a water. he gave several reasons for not drinking over the course of the night. 1. he has to drive back to westwood. 2. he is a health nut who doesn't like to pollute his body. 3. he gets migraine headaches.
adam m is hot. he looks like mcdreamy. i don't like that he doesn't drink, but i do like that he works out. he has nice arms. i think it's funny that he lives in an apartment complex, with a room mate. hahaha man am i too old for him. lol. adam is in his first year of the MBA program at ucla, and just bagged himself a killer internship.
shade was pretty mellow tonight, but i did see a group of cougars eyeballing my date. shade has a loungey feel, with lots of couches to hang out on, usually filled with cougars, cubs, milfs, and an occasional gilf.
adam m was extremely attentive and obviously knows how to treat a girl. double thumbs up. i would recommend adam m, and shade, to any of my girlfriends.
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Loved Shade Hotel. Didn't cruise the lounge/bar scene. I just came here to enjoy the beach and town.
Impressed by the two-person jacuzzi with Japanese style sliding doors for privacy. In room espresso machine. Martini shaker. AND real glassware and cups. sooo green!
Inside the shower, the stone pebble floor is like a foot massage when they warm up under the water.
Tempurpedic bed, mood lighting, and superb quality sheets are a bonus.
Prices off season were reasonable. Certainly during the summer they will be higher.
Not just Shade . . . bur Shade-ey. Yep, it's true folks. Manhattan has its "W" or its Standard, or its place that forty-somethings can go pretending to be thirty-somethings and we can ALL just call the whole thing off. Or on. Like I think that one gentleman at the bar would have liked . . . which brings me to my point. Manhattan's pick-up spot/slash/millionaire-matchmaker club without the 40K dues. Great Mohito Martini. Not a bad wine list. Not quite my crowd. You feel me?
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Really modern hotel with Manhattan Beach just a few blocks away. It's right next to Downtown Manhattan Beach so you can walk around the little boutiques in the area - very cute! The hotel itself is somewhat on the smaller side, but super clean and hip. It's located in an obscure location, but the bride found it in a wedding magazine that deemed this hotel one of the top 10 places to have a wedding.
The courtyard was perfect for an outdoor wedding with a lovely waterfall backdrop behind where the bride & groom would say their vows. The sucky thing is, in order to book this venue you also have to book 10 of their rooms (the rooms around the courtyard). Be sure to check out their restrooms and use the Dyson hand blowdryer! I felt like I went forward 20 years in time. The rooms were on the small side, but very nice. Super soft beds with tempurpedic mattresses, how can you not get a good night's sleep?
The staff were efficient and helpful. They setup the tables and broke things down pretty quickly. At the end of the night I also asked the concierge if he could look up directions for me and he was more than happy to oblige. Overall a pleasant experience and the wedding turned out to be one of the best I've been to - but that credit I must give to the bride and groom.
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Booked a room here because I was looking for a nice romantic type of place to be with my hubby after picking him up at LAX (after a 6 month separation for work, so I suppose he would have been happy with a Motel 6, but you get the idea).
I couldn't have picked a more perfect place. Shade is a small, modern hotel with about 40 or so rooms on 2 floors surrounding a beautiful courtyard. It's in Manhattan Beach, downtown and about 2 blocks from the ocean. Lots of restaurants and shops and the beachwalk in easy walking distance.
The hotel staff were all friendly and very attentive. The rooms themselves are plush and luxurious, with Tempurpedic beds, high thread count bedding, an expresso maker and blender as well as a mini bar, every amenity you could want in the bathrooms, which have robes, a separate shower and a fabulous pipeless Jacuzzi tub (big enough for two). The 2nd floor rooms have a cool little cyclone fireplace in the corner, and all of the room lighting plus the fireplace can be controlled by touchpads on either side of the bed or at the entryway.
You should definitely put Shade on your list if you're looking for a special occasion hotel, or just need to get away from it all and relax in luxurious, comfortable surroundings. You'll definitely feel spoiled and pampered here!
I WANT TO STAY HERE!!!!!~!!!~!!~!
I'm not sure what exactly I can say about this hotel, since I haven't slept here, eaten here, or anything of that sort, but I DID visit with my friends and walked by many open rooms.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOOOOOOOVE the ambient lighting in the rooms that allows you to change the color of the lights. TOTALLY cool and sets the mood for whatever you may be doing in the room.....mine would be RED! Woo!!! HAHAHAHA. HOT!
Plus the fact that the tubs are integrated into the bathroom, so you can open it up and bathe in the same room with your bed. I dunno, that just seems SUPER sexy! RAWR!!~!
Cougar men and cougar women is all I have to say. Gross. I am so embarassed I even went here. I try not to tell anyone because it really dampens my worldy, cultural spirit. This place is downright disgusting. The men are like 50 and over hitting on 21 year olds. I don't even know why these young girls go there. Are they looking for sugar daddies.? I guess with the economy being down you might need one.
Being in my 30's, I was scared I would be considered a cougar, however, after going to Shade, I realized what the definition of a cougar and what one may look like. I even saw these Cougar ladies with young guys, am I missing something here? What's going down in MB? I don't know but I am staying away!
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Fantasmic hotel. Very modern, very zen, very green. I kept hearing Enya songs in my head.
All the green hues of this hotel makes me wonder if one could plan a wedding with a different colored theme. Still, it emanates such a serene feel that you just naturally feel at ease. The layout is only slightly strange for a wedding because you have people sitting at tables everywhere: in the courtyard, on the terrace, and even upstairs while the cocktail lounge is smack dab in the middle. If the people upstairs want to join in on activities (toast, dance, slideshow, etc.), they have to walk downstairs. Even then, I liked the atypicality of it all.
Appetizer was a crab cake with a moat of curry which I originally thought was butternut squash! Contrary to some opinions, my main meal--fish--was very tender and moist. I didn't think it was bland at the time but it might've been slightly since I remember trying to mix it in with as much sauce as possible. The wedding ceremony started at 1pm but they prolonged our meal to 6pm so that we wouldn't eat at the awkward in-between hours. I ate it all in 5 minutes.
I loved that this hotel was walking distance from a lot of fusion restaurants and overly priced salons/spas ($55 for a pedi, are you kidding??). And even better, it was also walking distance from the beach! The cheapest nail salon we could find was Dominic's but they shooed us away saying they were closing even though their door was clearly open!
You can valet, park in meters or drive down the street a little and park across the post office. It says the limit is 2 hours but they're lenient on this.
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I have not stayed at the hotel, but from what I can tell from the lobby, bar and restaurant and restroom, the decor and the design is 5 star.
I've had brunch there on a Sunday, and that was 4 stars. Food was solid and it's nice to sit on the patio in the sun with friends over mimosas and Bloody Mary's.
We had drinks there after dinner last night and that is 1 star. Not so good.
I guess I average out to about 2.5 stars.
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One of the better hotels I have ever stayed at in a long time. Just for the fact that they have a cougar bar in the lobby. Ha! Just kidding...not really it's because it's fabulous and super comtemporary. It's very different because it has unique lighting and the room came with a stone floor shower plus a spa tuband mood lighting.
The products they have in the room are great and the bed is very comfortable. I also enjoyed the free breakfast with parfait and lox and bagels. The decor is very modern and that's what I like when staying at a hotel.
Not sure about the nightlife here but it's right next to the strip of shops and restaurants. I would definitely go back and stay there next time in South Bay.
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Excellent room, big, comfy bed, jacuzzi tub. Very quiet. Staff, valet were all friendly. Fully stocked mini bar and fridge with martini glasses/shaker, nice pilsner and hi-ball glasses as well.
Surprised to find an old "Insignia" Tube TV instead of a flat screen though. That needs to be upgraded.
Very snappy, boutiquey type of hotel if you are into that kind of vibe.
"Oh. My. God." were the first words that came out of my mouth when I stepped into their least expensive room, the Deluxe Spa Room. I got a break from the price because it is ground floor, the closest to the Zinc Lounge (I guess it could get rowdy at night). "There's a spa in my room! AAAAAH!" Hehe, I was in ecstatic delight.
My room was not covered in gold, but it was swathed in modern appointments that will make your mouth water. The bedding, from the pillow and the mattress, are Tempurpedic. The shower, OH the shower. It was a sexy shower; it felt like being underneath a waterfall.
Shade Hotel is located next to a shopping center and just a block from the main drag, and two more blocks to the beach/pier. There is a Le Pain Quotidien downstairs which serves great Euro-style cafe meals.
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What a lovely venue to host virtually any event at.
I was here for a wedding, and the modern decor an open flow of this hotel made it seem like the venue was actually larger than it was. Everything is incredibly modern from the restroom stalls to the hand dryer. The staff is incredibly friendly and the service was really quick.
The food was better than average for a wedding, but I feel that because it was mass produced, the tasted suffered only slightly. However, I do feel like the meat skewers were overly tenderized because the meat just fell apart in your mouth after one bite. I believe the fish we ordered was halibut (not 100% sure on this), but this was dry as well. The great thing to note is that the portions were great.
I would suggest looking at a map to find this location rather than using google maps. We got lost.
Parking downstairs is 25 cents for every 15 minutes.
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Restroom - CLEAN and futuristic. I loved everything from the decor to the sliding doors to the Dyson hand dryer. Usually my germaphobic tendencies would deter me from using a hand dryer, but this one tickled my curiosity and I couldn't resist. Adding to my restroom list!
So the nitty gritty. Like Angela C, I also attended our friend's wedding at the Shade Hotel and the hotel was absolutely stunning. From the outside (we parked on the street by a row of meters), the hotel looked kind of ghetto because there was nothing to indicate it as a fancy schmancy hotel. Once we walked around the corner, we saw how beautifully decorated the hotel was. What's even better was that it was situated right next to a bunch of shopping and restaurants. Quite the happening place when the sun goes down! Location and hotel facilities: 4 stars.
Now typically I don't like eating "American style" wedding banquet food because the fish or beef are always dry. Shade did an amazing job making each dish moist and flavorful. The crab cake over curry sauce was delicious and my fish was beautifully cooked (rice wasn't that great, but everything else was good). Overall food experience was a 3.5.
I'd give this place an average rating of 4 stars.
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Shade Bar = Cougar Den
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I just spent one night in Shade with my boyfriend and had an incredible time. They are not joking when their site mentions that they are into customer service. From the valet to the check in to the bartenders and room service, everyone asks how you're doing and if they can help in any way.
The location is perfect... just blocks from the beach. The pool is a little on the small side and I had been looking forward to laying out in the sun, but the weather was cloudy and didn't allow for that.
The room was absolutely gorgeous with that fancy Temperpedic bed and jacuzzi bath tub with funky little lights that change color. We had a disco in our bathtub! The towels and blankets are all luxurious as well. When we came back in the afternoon, the bed was turned down and our ice bucket was filled. We didn't have to ask for anything!
Our only complaint was that the room was rather warm. We blasted the air conditioning as best we could, but it was still hot in there. I don't know what was happening with that, but it made it sort of hard to sleep.
I only had drinks at the bar and ordered pizza from room service, but I have no complaints. The drinks are on the pricey side, but I didn't mind since I was on "vacation" for a couple of days.
Overall, I think it's worth the splurge to spend a night here due to the level of service and location. Check out the Sunday rejuvenation special if you live close by and are on a budget... it worked well for me!
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I really like this hotel. I've stayed here twice. I would give it five stars, but I wish the prices were a little more approachable. The location can't be beat. It's basically a 5-7 minute walk to the ocean. There are two excellent restaurants in the same complex (Petros and Sashi). The hotel is super hip, very stylish but the staff are very friendly and helpful--no attitude here. The rooms are spacious, well designed and sort of sexy. I love the lights that change colors in the bathroom, and the beds are very comfortable. That and an in-room martini shaker goes a long way towards winning me over. ;)
Such a cute boutique hotel by the beach. I like how they paid attention to all the details with the decorations and extras in the room.
I stayed at one of the deluxe spa rooms, and was impressed with the overall layout. If you're looking for a little weekend get away, and don't mind splurging a little, this is definitely a great option.
Walking distance to the beach, they even offer free bicycles for hotel guests. The pool area is tiny but cozy, and again, the beach is right there anyway.
Their bar do get really crowded and LOUD on a Friday evening, so avoid booking the rooms right above it. (They even offer discounts on those rooms with warnings about the noise, lolz)
Oh, don't forget to try the free coffee machine, very delicious, but do remember only the 1st cup's free. =D
A bit pricey, but well worth it in my experience!
Amazing hotel. Beautiful decor, stunning rooms, hip to a fault. Free beach cruiser rentals were a nice touch. The bar was an absolute zoo on a Friday night -- not our scene at all. The Lavazza espresso machine in the room was too good -- it has practically ruined other coffee for me.
A bit pricey for us, but a great place to splurge.
I've never seen so many men in striped shirts and tight jeans in my life.
I left to go to Beaches. And I don't even like Beaches.
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I have never stayed here before and I have only been here for work functions. I love the atmosphere it is W Hotel like style. One time we had appetizers that were ordered as needed and the appetizers were very good and a couple other times there was a buffet out on the patio and a grill in the pool area. The pool is very small but your blocks from the beach so why hang out at the pool.
Great location for travelers with many options for dinner or cocktails nearby.
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I LOVE THIS HOTEL. A friend of mine got married here and it was a GORGEOUS venue. The hotel is really modern and well decorated. It's really small, but it's a great hotel if you're looking for a more intimate and less commercialized setting. For a wedding, this place is wonderful. The staff were so accommodating and extremely friendly. They really did what they could to make the bride and groom at ease and comfortable. The food is delish! I was lucky enough to get to go to the bride and groom's food tasting while they were still doing their wedding planning and OMG the food was sooo good. Everything was so well plated (after all..presentation is half of cooking..according to my dad =P) and everything tasted really good. I've found that it's extremely hard to find a hotel that's really nice that serves really yummy food. Most really nice hotel weddings that I've been to, no matter how expensive or fancy the place seems, has only served somewhat decent food. I've never been impressed. The Shade...really serves high quality, unique and delicious food.
The rooms...are GORGEOUS. They're small if you're planning on fitting an entire bridal party in a room, but in comparison to other hotel rooms, it's either larger or about the same size. The bed is so comfortable. They provide you with a variety of pillows and the mattress on the bed is Temperpedic (SO COMFY)! The rooms all have a huge bathtub/jacuzzi and a separate toilet/shower area.
The bride and the groom got to stay in the bridal suite and it is absolutely AMAZING. Another bridesmaid and I got to go and check out the room and it is to die for. What a great place to spend the night! I would LOVE to spend a weekend away at this hotel, but it's a little too pricey for me. If it's a special occasion though, and you're willing to splurge, this is definitely a great hotel to consider!
The only reason I'm giving this place 4 stars is because it's too expensive :(
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I was blown away by this place!
The bed and pillows were tempur-pedic memory foam offering a great sleep. The comforter was down and also very nice. The room had a useful rolling table for breakfast in bed.
The room had an large spa tub though the light underwater was working sporadically.
One unique feature was the chromatherapy lights. Basically they are lights that line the ceiling of the tub which you can set the color or set it so the colors change and different speeds. For a cool effect close all of the semi-translucent privacy screens and crank up the chromatherapy lights. It was like having a giant glowing cube that changes colors right in the room.
The room was nicely decorated and furnished. The room had a bar with blender, TV, DVD player and free WIFI internet! Plus you could control every light in the room from several strategically placed push button control panels and I liked how the lights faded in and out, a nice touch.
All of the staff were very friendly and made the stay very enjoyable.
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Wow.
Comfortable and super friendly which was a surprise for a boutique hotel.
The service is outstanding. As soon as the staff knows your name they use it.
The lobby/bar area is great during the day. Relaxed and enjoyable.
The food was delicious. I had the goat cheese salad with ahi tuna for lunch and then the goat cheese omelet for breakfast (hey, I was in a goat cheese mood, ok?!). The lemonade (sans booze) was great. The Shade Lemonade (with booze) for a pre-dinner drink made me literally suck the last drops out with the straw so it made that embarrassing noise when you know someone is killing a drink.
The rooms were just cool. Think of it as your own personal studio. Bath/bed/bar/tv are one room. The bath is closed off in the evening with sliding doors and the chromatherapy lights are awesome. So is the hurricane fire lamp. The minibar is fully stocked with actual bottle not nips and the bar top has an assortment of glasses and blender. Did anyone mention there is a cappuccino machine in the room?
And the bed. It gets its own paragraph. It is a Tempurpedic. I don't know if it is a real one or not, but holy christ, that was a good night's sleep. The bed also has a rolling table that doubles a desk and table. Um, working in bed with an actual place to put my laptop - fantastic.
Clearly, I loved the Shade. I can't speak to the scene only the hotel, but it definitely gets my vote.
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Shade is cool, it's usually the meeting place for my friends and I as it's really easy to find, and there's ample parking in the giant complex right next door. It's definitely the most upscale place in Manhattan. Guys beware: COUGARVILLE. My guy friend separated from the pack to go in search for a restroom and holy shit man, it was like watching a lone wildebeast stumble aimlessly through the Serengetti, totally oblivious to the herd of lionesses in the brush.
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This bar is very attractive, but it's truly a bit vapid and lacking in soul. I went with good friends, thank god! Otherwise I would have been bored stiff by the aging frat boys, who were drunk enough to think they were funny. I spent a good amount of time fake laughing! :-(
The rooftop area is cool, I think what left me cold were the stuck up posers. No offense.
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This was my first experience at a boutique hotel. I found Shade by way of the Tempur-pedic website. For this reason, I believe the tempurpedic beds and pillows are authentic and not imitations as claimed by another yelper. To further emphasize this, they had tempurpedic vouchers in the drawers for me to obtain a free tempurpedic pillow from tempurpedic, which I did. Thanks.
The modern look and feel attracted me to this hotel originally. I was not disappointed. I like the location because you can walk to the beach and many of the other eateries and join the locals during the week. You feel like a local and not a tourist.
Pros: Robe, Sheets, Chaise Lounger, Size of Room, Decor, Sliding Shioji screens, tub in the middle of the room, tub fits two, pebble shower floors, espresso machine and bar in room, chromatherapy, location, Clean, friendly staff, quality toiletries and nice smelling too
Cons: My espresso machine didn't quite work, not every room has a flat screen tv
There was not much for me not to be happy with whilest I was staying there. I had a great night there with company that could be quite particular (cleanliness and quality). They liked it so much. They wanted to stay. Actually, they came back the next morning.
Good way to try out the tempurpedic beds and pillows. I had a great night there amongst many reasons. I did forget my phone charger there. They were helpful in finding and shipping it to me.
The complimentary breakfast I had was very good and fresh as well. It was my first experience having Voss water. I became an instant fan.
The smaller hotel experience is so much more personable and higher quality than some of the bigger chains.
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This Saturday was my fiance's birthday, and I wanted to surprise him with a wild romantic night far away from the yowling cat, dirty laundry, and lumpy mattress at home. After many hours of dedicated yelping, I decide to spirit him off to a sea-side tryst at Shade. This hotel, I thought to my little self, seemed to have all the right elements: large jacuzzi tub, check. Chromatherapy lighting, check. Fireplace in room, check. Tempurpedic beds...ahhh...I sighed in rapture just thinking about it...
Two weeks early, I call and make a reservation, asking them to please make sure we get a room with a fireplace--all floors below the 3rd are sadly fireplaceless-- and they are oh so very sweet and accommodating. "Of course you can have a fireplace," they reassure me, "we'll make a note that you requested one!" Perfect.
Friday night comes. I whisk fiance out of the house, and we set off for Manhattan Beach in the driving rain. Upon arrival, we refuse the pricey valet and leave our car snugly sequestered in the metered parking garage next door (free from 8pm-9am). Once inside, we are greeted cordially and escorted to a room on the first floor, very close to the bar, WITHOUT a fireplace. Drat.
I call the front desk, asking to be moved. "We'll call you back," they say with a loud sigh. They never call back. I call again. "There are no rooms with fireplaces left, because people who REQUESTED them get top priority," the desk girl sneers . Hmm. I lose my Irish temper, and she offers us free drinks at the bar.
Meanwhile, fiance turns on the spa tub/chromatherapy lighting & the room becomes a japanese love hotel--kinda disconcerting, kinda hot. Then we notice that the tub water contains an unidentified murky black floating substance. Gross. Fiance , who is good with his hands, takes apart the jets, cleans the whole tub out, & puts it back together again. I still don't want to get in. We get our free drinks at the bar (the bartender is great,) grab dinner down the street (see my Octopus review,) come back, explore the shower (nice stone floor, a bit small, good water pressure) pop a bottle of champagne, and snuggle into bed.
We both decide that Tempurpedic beds are too stiff. Neither of us can sleep, because of the loud, drunken yelps (no pun intended) coming from the hotel bar next door.
We get up at 8:45am to put change in our parking meter. At the front desk, we discover the "free" drinks on our bill. I demand that they be removed. The desk girl removes them, but does not apologize. We drive home to the cat, decide never go back to Shade, and I bake fiance a blackberry pie to make us both feel better.
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There are ups and downs to this hotel that so desperately wants to be the Delano.
PRO: The male bartender is smoking hot.
CON: Drinks were not made very well and overpriced.
PRO: Intereting mix of crowd to people watch.
CON: I saw a lot of cougars and desperate housewife wannabes.
PRO: The Rooftop bar.
CON: Often closed for private parties.
What made the night was that a friend had a room at the hotel. He had about twenty of us in there and I had a grand old time watching the older folks boogie down on the outdoor dancefloor that the room balcony overlooked. The room was ultra modern, with lighted mini-waterfalls and of course the ultra cheesy yet necessary bathtub in the center of the room. Having the room to escape to was a nice getaway from the cougar lounge...but it added a strange element to the night. Apparently this was the cheapest room in the hotel, setting him back $400.
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One of the toughest parts of being in LA on the beach vs. SF is nightlife, it's really a different animal. This place is somewhat sophisticated (for LA) with a above sub par wine list and crowd that is older than 25 and not a student. I am sure however there many leased Ferarris and Porsche rolling up that have a studio apartment home or mom and pop as a home!!
I had a great time here with my girlfriend for her birthday. Nice location, layout with outdoor seating. No ball games, budweiser, or belligerence spotted so far. Worth a try.
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The Shade Hotel is so poppin' every freaking weekend, it's ridiculous. This new 'boutique' style hotel is very trendy. I am proud to say that I was able to throw a party there earlier this year, and now it is so hard to get a reservation to book the place! Apparently it is normal for it to be a full house. The rooms are really nice, and you can rent Segways in the lobby! The location is perfect too, in the hip, happening part of Manhattan Beach, and about a 5 minute walk to the beach. Their food is also pretty darn good, it's more like tapas style at the loungy bar area.
Yee be warned, its pretty pricey. I suggest to NOT valet, it comes out to like $15, which is definitely not worth it when you can park in the garage around the corner for free, and you just take the escalator to the plaza where the hotel is located.
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I stayed at Shade last weekend and had nothing but fun, fun , and more fun!....and a good night's sleep. The place uses Tempurpedic beds(super comfy) and each room has a great hot tub. Be careful, I fell asleep in it after a few cocktails. (not good)
The lounge sevice was great and John the bartender was super attentive and cute. Overall a cool and fun experience.
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This review is for the skydeck only, not the hotel itself. My thoughts are kind of mixed on this place. It is a really attractive space with a lot of seating, kinda sceney for MB but a nice switch from the norm. But the crowd leaves a bit to be desired... just seemed kind of insipid. Good location though and parking is easy.
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