Regent has returned to the US with the opening of Regent Santa Monica Beach, a beachfront resort combining the glamour of Los Angeles with the splendour of the coast.
Regent Santa Monica Beach, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ luxury and lifestyle portfolio, reintroduces the Regent name to Los Angeles and becomes the brand’s first flagship property within the Americas. Originally located in Beverly Hills, Regent returns along one of the nation’s most celebrated beaches and just steps from the famed Santa Monica Pier.
The destination resort delivers inspired stays through a blend of timeless elegance and modern luxury. It is poised to usher in a new era of extraordinary experiences to guests while setting a new standard with luxuriously spacious guestrooms and suites, inviting spaces, spectacular restaurants, and an elevated pool deck overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
“It is an honor to reintroduce this legacy brand to Southern California and ignite a new era of unforgettable memories for our guests in Santa Monica,” Regent Santa Monica Beach general manager, Younes Atallah, said. “Our resort captures the unique allure of Santa Monica in a serene setting where you can disconnect from the outside world and experience Regent’s legendary hospitality on your terms.”
Defining unprecedented luxury
The design direction is helmed by Chantell Walsh of Strategic Hotels & Resorts, alongside lauded design firms. Regarded as one of the world’s most innovative design firms, AvroKO’s San Francisco studio looked to luxury fashion and the ocean’s natural beauty to inspire its meticulous and thoughtful design including framed views and distinct personal havens for Regent Santa Monica Beach.
Found throughout the resort’s public spaces are creative details reflecting boat sails, yachts journeying in the Mediterranean, and sandy textures found in the endless natural beauty of the ocean. Accompanying such details are framed brass arch ways, brass detailing, yacht-style flooring, and green hues coupled with gold- and cream-colored accents to create a bright and airy ambiance.
The award-winning interior studio, Wimberly Interiors, designed the resort’s guestrooms and suites with a sense of serenity, incorporating the soothing hues of the Pacific Ocean. Its design of the on-site Guerlain Wellness Spa blends a coastal California aesthetic with Mediterranean elegance, exemplifying a combination of the spa’s location and Guerlain’s French origins.
Designed unlike any other meeting spaces in the marketplace, the special events venues feature warm wood tones, marquetry overlaid, and floral motifs creating a unique elegance in each meeting space. Specialty spaces, notably the Jacaranda Ballroom, bring forward thoughtful design elements creating an ideal backdrop for memorable gatherings. Exquisitely appointed and boasting 566sqm of interior space, and an additional 278sqm foyer, this hall allows guests to indulge in the splendor of their dream celebration, while The Atelier positions itself as the ideal getting ready room for weddings and events.
“As we open the doors to Regent Santa Monica Beach, we celebrate not only the homecoming of Regent to the Americas but a new chapter for the brand that will usher in an unprecedented level of luxury along Santa Monica’s prized coast,” IHG Hotels & Resorts vice president of global luxury & lifestyle brands, Tom Rowntree, said. “Half a century ago, Regent Hotels & Resorts pioneered modern luxury hospitality by introducing amenities that are hospitality hallmarks today. As we welcome Regent back to Los Angeles, the brand sets its sights on innovating luxury travel with a resort that will redefine Southern California hospitality and set a new standard for elegance, serenity, and thoughtful service.”
The resort has 167 guestrooms and suites, with most offering panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, Santa Monica Beach, and its namesake pier. Upon arrival, guests can relax with a beverage from the room’s complimentary Refreshment Gallery, featuring beverages and snacks curated ahead of arrival according to a guest’s personal tastes. Regent Santa Monica Beach features the brand’s signature purposefully designed personal havens that nestle naturally within private and common areas to inspire indulgent intimate moments. Spa-like bathrooms, complete with a soaking tub, walk-in rain shower, and Perricone MD products, invite guests to decompress.
In-room features include a designated dining and workstation, a Bose speaker, Dyson hairdryer, plugs, and chargers near each bedside. The show-stopping signature Santa Monica Presidential Suite boasts an unprecedented 3,200 square feet of opulently designed living space, including separate living, dining, and game rooms, alongside panoramic ocean views.
Equally impressive, the Oceanfront Atrium Two-Story Two-Bedroom Suite spans 2,180 square feet across the second and third floors, offering direct ocean vistas. This suite boasts separate living and dining areas, king beds in both bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a luxurious soaking tub, rain showers, a bidet, and other refined touches, ensuring a seamless blend of comfort and sophistication.
Resort guests may personalise their stays with the assistance of a Regent Santa Monica Beach Regent Experience Manager. A Regent brand hallmark, the Regent Experience Manager is a single, designated point of contact from pre-arrival to departure to assist in curating all aspects of a guest’s stay based on individual preferences and requests.
CYBEX, a global lifestyle and child safety brand, is the official baby and child gear partner of Regent Santa Monica Beach. Guests staying at the resort with infants and young children are encouraged to visit the CYBEX Concierge whereby CYBEX strollers, ranging from luxurious full-size strollers with best-in-class features and an attachable kid board, compact travel strollers with first-class functionality, and multi-sport strollers perfect for jogging or biking with your little one, are available for strolls around Santa Monica and for use at the property. Visitors will also have access to CYBEX baby bouncers and 3-in-1 highchairs.
Additional childcare offerings include Nestig brand 3-in-1 Wave Cribs, which easily adjust to fit the age of the child and their sleep requirements and are equipped with breathable mattresses. Regent Santa Monica Beach’s dedicated kids programming, Seascape Explorers, will showcase an exciting lineup of age-appropriate activities, in addition to an ever-changing list of seasonal activations. Personal havens for the youngest of resort guests range from luxury bath amenities to an in-room tent and crib.
Epicurean explorations
Regent Santa Monica Beach is home to four dining destinations, each offering unique epicurean discoveries. Orla, and Orla Bar by James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Mina blends the beloved flavors of the Mediterranean with the unsurpassed quality and freshness of Californian ingredients. Designed in collaboration with AvroKO, guests can expect an original, handmade Pompeii mosaic crafted by 16 Sicis Master Mosaicists, harmoniously capturing the essence of Orla and allowing the bespoke atmosphere to resonate and define the entire property.
Orla Bar, located in the resort’s lobby, lures guests with a sumptuous yet approachable atmosphere and exquisite libations, while the outdoor Azure Bar radiates California sun by day and channels delicate ocean breezes by night with elevated poolside cuisine and creative cocktails.
Sweet July, the lifestyle and culinary brand founded by entrepreneur, restaurateur and two-time New York Times bestselling author Ayesha Curry in 2019, is expanding beyond its Bay Area flagship with the opening of Sweet July Cafe at Regent Santa Monica Beach. The new café will feature a never-before-seen menu inspired by Curry’s love for California farmers markets, alongside a nod to her Jamaican heritage.
The heroes of the breakfast menu are Sweet July’s best-selling coffee and tea, accompanied by other hand-crafted beverages, vibrant California dishes, and a curated selection of Sweet July home products. Next to the Sweet July Café, guests can find The Regent Shop featuring an array of lifestyle products and luxury goods for the self and home. The boutique’s thoughtfully curated selections range from essential sundries to gifting items featuring both beloved brands and exciting new discoveries, many from local artisans.
An indulgent odyssey to serenity
Regent Santa Monica Beach invites guests to rest and rejuvenate in its 10,000-square-foot Guerlain Wellness spa, the European brand’s first on the Western Seaboard. The coastal sanctuary offers 12 treatment rooms, a pre-treatment relaxation lounge, gender-specific lounges with plunge pool, sauna and steam room, an all-gender lounge, a post-treatment relaxation lounge and champagne room, and retail boutique. Guerlain Wellness will provide guests with ultra-personalised experiences to elevate services such as massages, facials, and body treatments to the level of art.
Overlooking the spot where the sun kisses the Pacific Ocean each evening lies Azure Pool, an outdoor haven perched above the beach and accompanied by plush cabanas and stylish sunbeds. The resort’s large, state-of-the-art Fitness Center is equipped with industry-leading strength and cardio machines from Aviron, Echelon, Escape Fitness, Life Fitness, Therabody, and more to satisfy the most advanced workout regimens. The Fitness Center is open daily from 5am to 10pm.
Regent Hotels & Resorts joined IHG Hotels & Resorts in 2018. Regent Santa Monica Beach joins Regent Hong Kong, Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel, Regent Shanghai on the Bund, and Regent Phu Quoc in exemplifying this new chapter for luxury hospitality. The debut of Regent Jeddah, which is expected this year, and Regent Kyoto in 2025 will lead the brand’s next wave of openings.
