Santa Monica Proper Hotel

The Proper Hotels brand debuted in San Francisco with a classic building, a vibrant contemporary design by Kelly Wearstler, and high-luxury details that elevated it above typical high-end boutique fare. And for the brand’s second installment, it’s a similar story: though the Santa Monica Proper Hotel is a new build, designed by Howard Laks Architects with interiors by the very same Kelly Wearstler, it incorporates a 1920s Spanish Colonial building on Wilshire Boulevard, updating a century-old classic for the boutique-hotel era.

What results is a hotel that’s more contemporary than vintage, even if its history does show through — it’s got the romance of the Twenties but the forms and materials of a modern luxury boutique hotel. The rooms feature works by Los Angeles artists, and the full-length windows reveal uncommon views of Santa Monica’s rooftops. The Proper brand has its own signature bed, which is an indulgent one indeed, and it’s complemented by Fili D’Oro and Bellino linens, Kelly Wearstler bathrobes, and Aesop bath products.

The Surya Ayurvedic Spa is joined by a fitness center and a yoga terrace, and not only is the rooftop pool deck the only one in a Santa Monica hotel, but it’s also home to one of the restaurants. Calabra, by the poolside, serves a hybrid Mediterranean-Californian cuisine, and it’s joined by Olea, another al fresco option on the garden terrace, as well as the swanky Palma Lounge.