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Categories: Hotels, Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
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I've stayed here a couple of times and I really enjoy it. The staff is very friendly and accomodating. The rooms are very nice and if you are lucky enough to get a room with a beach view- wow! The beds are like puff clouds that gives you the best nights sleep ever. My only gripe I have with this place is that uhmmm ehm ehm, the walls are VERY thin. I hate that I ruined someone's parade 2 nights in a row by complaining but dayem I really had to get up super early in the morning and had long days ahead of me at work I needed my sleep.
The Penthouse is awesome! The views are amazing, the ambience is cool and the food is great especially the salmon.
The area is great too. Very close to the 3rd Street Promenade and all the shops and restaurants. I love this area.
This place should be called "The Dumpley". Stayed there last weekend, and it was marginally better than a Days Inn. They spent all the dough revamping the lobby and The Penthouse leaving everything else the way it was when it was a Best Western (or whatever budget chain it used to be before becoming The Huntley, I mean, The Dumpley).
The room barely fit a queen bed, and the furniture was trashed. The AC vent cover in the ceiling was held up there with a twist tie. Yes, really. There was no coffee maker in the room, and when my husband went downstairs to see about coffee, they charged him $2.50 for a little cup.
The Penthouse, while it's a cool scene and beautiful at night, was a trainwreck in the morning (ie, I could see it with natural lighting) when we went up there for breakfast. Disgusting, marred table tops, and trashed pleather seating in the booths. Ew.
The only 'good' part about The Dumpley is its location - I love the Promenade with a passion.
Remind me to stay at a Days Inn next time I'm in Santa Monica. It will be less than half the price, and at least I will get a free continental breakfast and coffee. The Dumpley may have a large flat screen TV and fluffy robes in the room, but that's about ALL it has over the Days Inn.
One word:
Claustrophobic.
Low ceilings and dark furnitures in the lobby didn't help either.
The roof-top bar/restaurant/cafe is ok. Great views no doubt but to me the decorations remind me of a Chinese funeral.
That's right. Chinese funeral.
White furnitures, white sheets/curtains, white table cloths, stainless steel table ware etc. Come to think of it, it's more like a hospital.
It's supposed to be chic or something....
People thought this was:
Great view from the rooftop, tall and tasty cocktails and wonderful food. Arrive in time to catch the sunset and get a good table by the windows. The weekend bar crowd is a little iffy in my opinion, I prefer this spot on the weekdays.
The hotel is great, service is wonderful and the rooms are clean, spacious and luxurious.
The valet is over-priced, try to scout out a street spot if you can!
People thought this was:
Good though a bit dusty; could use a good cleaning and a room refresh. Food at rooftop restaurant is very good.
the huntley was a very pleasant hotel to stay at.
very relaxing place to retreat and theres a nice candle scent in the building,
the design of the hotel is very modern and luxurious.
great location to be at, walking distant to the beach, restaurants or shopping area
my room was very clean, comfortable and cozy with a nice view..
can be pricey, but was well worth it.
would definitely come back and retreat here again..
The roof top bar was just EH for me. The view wasn't all that impressive, and to be honest I believe we've all seen better. The bartenders were slow and rude, but the drinks turned out to be pretty cheap. They had a DJ there and the music played was cool, too bad there's no dance floor. The place was too small for that big of a crowd.
THIS IS ABOUT THE BAR AT THE TOP ONLY.
Happy Hour at the top was great- awesome views of the coast, sunset lighting, and fabulous drinks. I had some kind of belini and wine. Its white and beachy inside so while not at beach level, you most certainly feel close to the ocean. I think making waitresses wear black boots and miniskirts is a little dumb but I guess that makes them easy to point out? I feel bad for the bar-goer that turns up in that outfit. Perhaps no one does nowadays.
The lobby smells amazing. I'm not sure if it was the candles, orchids, or what.
People thought this was:
I had been curious about the Huntley since they remodeled. I finally found the opportunity to stay there.
I found the staff very accommodating, the location superb (I walked everywhere in SM the whole wknd) and the price just right! The Huntley offered a promotion where the guest books a stay and then receives $100 in comped food from the Penthouse. This is a smart incentive as I probably would have eaten elsewhere and yes we did go over the $100 mark.
The room was ok, nothing phenomenal but the view was quite nice. Maybe because this wknd was so great seeing my friends, etc. my experience was that much better. But I truly can't find anything to complain about. Solid 5 stars!
People thought this was:
The Huntley is a swimming pool away from great. The rooms are modern and slick. Flat screen TV nicely placed, high-pressure shower head, and a great view of the beach from the bathroom. Most rooms have a decent ocean view if you get close to the window and turn your head. The Penthouse is the real draw here. It is a lively bar/restaurant coined the cougararrium by someone who will remain nameless. Good Times.
This is just a review of the bar and the lobby....
Creepy, creepy, creepy. It's only a few blocks off of Ocean, but it feels like you've drifted to Mars. It really feels like it's far away from everything else. The lobby is like a "W Hotel" interior design brainstorm session gone horribly wrong.
The lighting in the bar casts a strange pallor over the patrons. I kind of felt like I was hanging with Malcome M. and the Clockwork Orange crew. Sadly, I wish I was. Lot's of oldish, foreign type wealthy men looking for youngish wealth seeking girlies.
On the other hand, the bartenders were quite friendly and attentive and they pour generous drinks. I hate to be unfair to the Huntley because the bar itself has potential. Sadly so much of the ambiance is tied to the clientele. Maybe we went there on a bad night.
Rooftop bars I like...The Hudson Rooftop (NYC), The Mondrian, The Standard, Downtown and the Banyan Tree in Bangkok Thailand.
People thought this was:
This place has a restroom that should be featured on the Travel Channel as the best restroom stall in the world. I get soo drunk here because I want to have to go to the bathroom and hang out in the stall. Its on the top floor and looks out all over Malibu, SM, and down towards the South Bay... exceptional. The drinks are good and ambiance is great. I wish there was more seating for people just there for drinks and not dinner though.
People thought this was:
I really liked the bar at the Penthouse. It was a breath of fresh air for 30 something...to find a place where people are older (yes, oldies like to have a life and go out too!). The drinks are not expensive and a little more sophisticated atmosphere. I feel the real draw is the Penthouse.
enjoyed my weekend here.
MADE a lot of trouble without ever GETTING in trouble, which I like.
Views were lovely, which I also like.
Bed and shower, two things that could easily gross me out in a hotel, were clean, relaxing, and better than what I have at home.
Nice enough staff, dark chocolate on pillow, free toothbrush when I forgot mine. good. good. good.
What made them think I didn't want a bath, though? Maybe if I knew I had a bathtub to return to I wouldn't have gone up to the Penthouse for a nightcap so many times. And then maybe I would have stirred up less trouble. "Oh I'll pass, guys, I'm just gonna soak in the tub. But you all have fun!" Follow my logic here?
People thought this was:
It wants to be a high-end hotel, but the staff and guests just don't have the panache. Yes, I'm being hard on the place, but a couple of rude encounters with the staff and a lack luster menu at the roof top bar / restaurant did not leave me with the desire to come back again and again.
The one saving grace was the (VERY) pregnant waitress who served our party at the bar. She was so sweet, and provided exceptionally good service. They need to hire more people like her - fast.
People thought this was:
I have to start by saying that I was impressed by the looks. The outside facade is gorgeous, and they did a good job making the sitting area downstairs look like a fancy lounge room.
Yet, what was I doing at the Huntley with a husband and two children?! Not a place for the little ones at all. Of course I kind of knew that but, hey, we were going to L.A. for the day, it's a nice little walk from the beach and promenade, I was curious about the place and we got a price break through Expedia (the double rm with a view cost about $280.) So, why not? The beds were fluffy, beautiful, crisp. The view, amazing. But, despite the poor match boutique-hotel/ children, I have to say that there were a few disappointing things:
- Two small elevators, one was broken for an entire day.
- The bellman took forever to find our bags and take them upstairs (we had friends waiting for us, a baby who needed a change of clothes...we called twice for the bellman...pretty silly for a supposedly topnotch place in Sta. Monica.)
- Only one trash can in a double bedroom.
- No shower cap
- No bathtub
- Old musty smell in the common hallway area.
What I learned from it?
- What was I thinking taking kids there? Not a good idea.
- Even if my husband and I were by ourselves, I think we'd try to stay somewhere else because the service was sub-par (at least on the day we stayed.)
Penthouse HUNTLEY HOTEL:
Aaaah, beautiful décor, beautiful people, Oh So Euro crowd........Kaye, $15 not-strongly-prepared-but-still-beautifully-presen ted drinks, tonight this girl was just not feeling this scene. You have to be mentally prepared for something like this. Will definitely not voluntarily go on my own or take friends here. Interesting to people watch here. Learnt where certain cute outfits came from. Yes, I have no problem interrupting your conversation and asking you where you bought those great great looking leggings. Thank you to the very nice south american lady (gather that's where u were from judging by the accent) for the tip on the leggings.
People thought this was:
Too much of a "scene" for my taste...please, the bartenders look like strippers. But, I've been here for a handful of lunches and the food is simply OK, nothing spectacular, the view is probably impressive to out-of- -town folk (yawn, sigh). The wine list was pretty good and the cheese offerings are nice, but it's not a place I would take a good friend - something chaotic and chilly about the vibe - nah, thumbs down on the Penthouse! Oh, wait, the bathroom view (from the women's room, last stall) is pretty much the best thing I can remember about this place.
This place sucks major ass! Its an ok place to have a drink after work but the food is just terrible! One of the worst meals I've had in a long time. Their sushi is chewy and fishy, and they overcook their meat. Yuck!
For the same price and ambiance, the Viceroy or the Wilshire is a much better choice.
People thought this was:
We stumbled over to the Huntley after spending three hours at Cabo Cantina, (if you've been to Cabo during Happy Hour then you can imagine how we were doing). We got seated at a nice couch area with an awesome view of Santa Monica.
We were convinced our waitress was a C list movie start, although she wouldn't admit that to us. At one point we ordered the tuna tartar and when it came I could barely see the tuna (it was about one bite).
Somehow, and I'm not really that surprised about this, we ended up spending close to $500.
The view was cool but I think I enjoyed Cabo Cantina more.
The staff were very nice as was the restaurant & bar on the 18th floor. As far as the room, the closet was behind the bed so I couldn't actually open the door fully which was annoying. The room service I ordered was not good at all and I didn't even get any water with my food. The room was ok but it felt kinda old. I did find the place a little creepy though. The walls are kinda thin and its modern and I was a little scared when I got there and made my way to the room. Maybe it was because I checked in super late or maybe it just says more about me and I need to stop watching scary movies :)
Last complaint, the gym is tiny and there is no water in there and one of the 3 machines wasn't really working. I can't believe all the hotels charge $30-$35 a night to park your car. You have to valet which I was surprised by so I don't even think it made sense to get a car. Would probably have been cheaper to take cabs.
Overall, the rate was good and the staff were very nice... hence the 3 stars.
I have to write an update to this place. My best man decided to have my bachelor party here. We started off with drinks and dinner at the Penthouse. Then we moved the party up to one of the suites. The drinks were stiff, the food was top-notch, and the suite was plush with all of the amenities, and more.
Now for the juicy details!
Yeah, right. What happens at a bachelor party, stays at a bachelor party. Thanks for the memories, G!
People thought this was:
We went to The Penthouse restaurant at the top of The Huntley Hotel for a dinner/drinks party for 8… Read more »
I stayed at the Huntley for five days. Love the staff.. fantastic, super friendly and they always welcomed me by name everytime I left or came back to the hotel. The hotel is fantastic location wise - close to the beach, promenade etc. Food at the hotel is just ok.
Lobby and lounge are modern. The lobby smells delicious - courtesy of their signature Jasmine candles.
The Penthouse lounge, though beautiful with a great view of the city and beach has a mad cheesy crowd on weekends and late night.. I went Thursday (around midnight) and it was relatively quiet but it was a really weird crowd of women that are too tanned and men that are picking up on these women. Saturday, I was coming back from the Other Room in Venice (which I loved) and there was a huge ass line to get up to the Huntley Penthouse Lounge.. all comprised of the worse of LA (I can say this because I used to live in LA before I moved to NY).
In short, weekend late night crowd is wack - do not go. Weekdays at the lounge is nice, normal after work crowd...
Overall, would recommend staying at the Huntley for proximity to beach, attentive staff and modern hotel for a relatively good price.
People thought this was:
I needed a quick weekend getaway got a great weekend rate , attentive staff. nice rooms . The Penthouse is wonderful , great nite life . I arrive Friday evening and didnt leave till monday afternoon , What a great escape that was.
People thought this was:
"is that patron?:
"yes it is, this is my 5th shot"
"is that our table over there?
"6th shot down the hatch..."
"Wow, look at this view!"
"JAGER BOMBS"
"Can we close the tab?"
"aiwerkjaksjdfParlorfasdjfh"
Greg had an awesome birthday, and the Huntley made it happen. I just wish I could have showed up sooner to witness the first 4 shots instead of the apparent aftermath.
But really, the view is pretty awesome, and the bar is super nice.
**ps, this was my 100th review, time to break out the top shelf stuff**
People thought this was:
The pros:
1) We could see the ocean from two different windows. And while in the shower!
2) The mini bar had these yummy grapefruit gummy candies (though the ones from Joan's on Third are better...I live for those and they may be the only things I truly miss from living in LA).
3) During the day when I was just hanging out, it was only a hop and a skip to the ocean or to the promenade.
4) There's a little outdoor smoking area with some benches to sit and relax on if you just want to nip out for some sun for a minute, but don't want to go far, and you're not up for the Lounge Douches that can often populate the Penthouse.
5) The lobby and our room felt extremely crisp, clean and modern, so if you're like me and like that in a hotel, this is a definite pro
The cons:
1) The food was nothing special. Oddly, the plain pasta I requested to soothe my hangover-induced stomachache was the best thing we had from there. Do not order the chicken club as it is flat out gross.
2) The hotel staff would NOT STOP VACUUMING OUTSIDE MY DAMN DOOR. For real. At all hours. 9am? Time to vacuum! 1pm? Time to vacuum! Why so many hours spent vacuuming the freaking hallway??
Overall, I'd recommend, but I should say as an aside that I was there because my boyfriend had to go to Santa Monica on business for two nights, and I may have enjoyed the hotel less if it was for a romantic vacation or something of that sort.
People thought this was:
Really beautiful hotel in a perfect location. I mean, perfect if you are into the Promenade thing, which is kind of cool during the farmer's market thing -- or better than I thought it would be.
so, in the mini-bar, the drink options were 4 bottles of white wine, voss water, and 4 cans of redbull. WTF is wrong with this town?
People thought this was:
So the hotel has a great vibe. Love the feeling you get when you walk in and see the decor and smell of candles.
The hallway outside of my room smelled...well...like something died...it was very dissapointing to go from the lobby experience to the rooms.
The room itself was great. The beds are comfortable and bedding are really comfy.
The staff is very helpful with all my needs.
stayed in a spacious room with two queen beds and a view of the ocean. the hotel is at a prime location, just one block away from the promenade and two blocks from the beach. the only thing that stood out about the room was the walk in closet with a full-sized mirror. they're definitely catering to LA girls with that closet.
it's your standard 4-star hotel, but I was sad to find that there was no tub whatsoever in the room, just a standalone shower. front desk stated there were some rooms with bathtubs, but they couldn't make the switch because they were booked.
The Penthouse is a very cool lounge. the only thing i can really remember is that it was pretty well-lit for a bar/lounge and it lived up to it's cougar den reputation (you go ladies!). i saw a lot of older women with handsome young men.
my room was located just below the Penthouse. i was concerned that there would be too much noise from above, but it turned out to be ok. i could hear some walking and talking, but it was negligble.
Love remodels gone right!
Had a wonderful lunch last Sunday with my friend, Heather here. Could not believe how Clean/White this place was. NICE!
I enjoyed this plenty deli salad with fresh ice-tea. The view was the best taking me back to the Topper days.
You have to have brunch here on the weekend. Great friendly service with a smile. Parking valet is PRICEY. Make sure to validate or you'll totally pay the price. Oh, the booths have a clear curtain around it. Very trendy!
People thought this was:
The Huntley Hotel is quintessential Santa Monica of today and yester-year. The outer skin has a spanish flavor design with the interior redone to ultra-contemporary. On a beautiful temperate Saturday night I met up with a fellow yelper in the Penthouse restaurant/bar. The restaurant/lounge opens up 360 degree view of Santa Monica, Malibu and the Pacific Ocean. It is a slightly older but mature crowd. Packed but lacking the craziness of Hollywood.
The people there could have easily been found in tony areas of Orange County.
Overall a very nice time and it was great to meet the famous Kaz.
People thought this was:
The hotel has a creepy feeling when staying in one of the rooms. The walls are very thin and the hotel floors are very quiet, almost too quiet and erie. The room itself is nice, but they could have done a better job at sound proofing the halls, you can hear every little thing going on outside the room. It got really scary at night cause I felt like I was the only one staying at the hotel, it felt haunted or something!
People thought this was:
Should be 3.5 but I'm feeling generous. The hotel is beautiful and in a great location. The flat screen TV, wonderful 24 hour room service- my mom always said her version of "roughing it" was a hotel without 24 hour room service, and comfortable beds make the room a place you don't want to leave.
However, when you do leave, and want to come back to your gorgeous room, you have to fight with the 100's of people trying to get up to the Penthouse. You see, they only have two elevators for an 18 story hotel. You can wave your room key and then bypass the line, but you're literally pushing people away. There was a rumor there's an outside elevator that was broken- if it was working, this would make all the difference. Also, the gift shop/cafe sells the greatest candle ever, so bonus points for that.
People thought this was:
When you enter into the Huntley Hotel, you get a whiff of jasmine. This amazing scent actually comes from candles without a trace of waxiness in your nostrils. I immediately thought, jeez, my apartment should smell this nice! It was a sniffty inspiration :) I also like how they creatively stick the hotel's business cards in a potfull of sand for the taking.
The beds were so comfy and the slippers plush. When it rained outside, and this may be a complete coincidence, but the lady at the front desk gave me a maroon umbrella that coordinated with my jacket :)
The only reason it doesn't have 5 stars is that the bakery/cafe in the morning didn't have any hot sandwiches, and I was dying for scrambled eggs on a toasted bagel.
People thought this was:
Some friends from New York were visiting and I wanted to arrange a nice dinner. They're bonafied Manhattanites so I wanted to take them someplace they couldn't experience in NYC. I decided on the Penthouse at the Huntley since the beach is something we've definitely got New York beat.
We were a group of 5 so I won't go through all the dishes but everything was decent to good. The steak frites was yummy. They have great drinks and the service is very attentive. Try the seafood appetizers! A nice dinner here will cost you a pretty penny but nothing that will force you into debt. I rate the food 3.5 stars but overall it's a 4 for the view, atmosphere, and service.
The setting is beautiful --- they sat us in a corner table which had sheer curtains that partitioned the tables (almost like your own little cabana). Our view of the coastline and city was amazing. The decor also plays up the experience...they make use of a lot of seaside or underwater imagery and I love the soothing vibe. The bar in the center is packed so it's definitely a place to get together with friends and be merry.
The hotel makes a huge effort to keep the overall atmosphere relaxed (no Hollywood lines here) so I suggest making a reservation. I've known people who came without but there's a staunch-looking bouncer in the lobby who may not let you upstairs sans reservation.
I want to come back for lunch --- the views during the daytime must be just as gorgeous.
(There's a different place to review the upstairs lounge. This is for the hotel itself.)
This is my favorite Santa Monica hotel. Convenient, high-end, asskissing service, high-powered showers, plasma TVs, and amazing views. I love this place. Stop dissing it!
People thought this was:
I ate here ages ago with some business school colleagues. But the most recent visit was with my Dutch friends and we hung out in the loungey area for cocktails.
We ended up sitting with this young dude and his gf. He'd closed some deal or something and decided to buy us a round of drinks - all 5 of us. Thanks, mate!
The service was pretty good, but I guess on a Tues night there's no excuse for shoddy service. The drinks were standard fare. My 4-stars are for this place being accessible, well-designed and a bit of an under-appreciated destination bar.
Lobby: beautiful
Room: kind of weird
I didn't like the bathtub being outside of the bathroom which my friend proclaimed was actually hard to sit and relax in.
While it was cool they had that swivel mirror/tv combo going on in the middle of the room, it was a health hazard. My friend banged her hip on it and that wasn't any fun for either of us.
I was also very disturbed by the furry pillows. I had to stash them under the coffee table.
The room was also super hot. I had to call down for a fan despite having the AC on at full blast. Yes, a fan! And of course, the concierge wasn't even sure they had one.
Price: Hahahah! Yeah, let's not go there. PRICEY. I rather stay at the W.
But the view was amazing and I actually do love the mod look of the place.
Room Service:
Very nice, though the turkey club sandwiches were overpriced for what they were. Fries were so-so.
The bar:
The scene was...scene-y.
My French martini was very good though. $12 plus tip (good thing I scored on mostly free parking during the night).
Again, the view was amazing.
I have been to the Huntley before for overpriced drinks and fun and this time I went back for the overpriced food! Call me a sucka! The Huntley is beautiful and worth a visit... just be sure to hunker down on your nearest ATM and make sure you have a lot of $$$$.
Our waitress was totally trying to upsell us on EVERYTHING from table water to expensive menu items. When ordering our entrees, she stated we also got a choice of 2 sides. We picked a the sides we wanted and when the bill came, we were charged for $8.00 sides! She said she didn't imply they were included and left them on the bill. We all agreed it was a "shady" move.
Other than that, for $14.00 drinks you would think they would come in a bigger glass.... AND BE STRONGER!!!
I do think the Huntley is pretty cool but I wish I didn't feel like I had the staffs hands in my wallet the entire time.
Beautiful views, and a hot mess of a crowd. Some hot, some old, some super busted and douche bags a cruisin'!
Secret:
*Best to make dinner rezzies to get up with no hassle and then just drink at the bar without having dinner!
Check the dress code!
People thought this was:
Loved this place. A short walk from the beach and the 3rd Street Promenade. Classy place with a cool restaurant at the top. Great views of the city and cool vibe.
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