A Staycation at the Santa Monica Proper Hotel

If you live in LA (and honestly, even if you don’t), the Santa Monica Proper Hotel is probably all over your Instagram feed. The Kelly Wearstler-designed space is a neutral-colored dream with textures and funky shapes galore. Every interior design junkie has images of the space saved to multiple Pinterest boards, and probably keeps an eye out for any potential dupes to add to their own home.

After living in LA for over two years, I still hadn’t been by to see the space IRL. But I recently had the opportunity to spend a day working from the dreamy space thanks to their Work From Here partnership with Industrious, and let me tell you — it was totally worth the wait. The hotel is even dreamier than the pictures show. Each corner of the space is carefully designed — so much so that it’s almost a sensory overload. Every piece is visually and kinesthetically pleasing so that my eyes and fingers were never bored.

The lobby gets the most love on social media — and rightfully so — but the rooms are just as beautiful. The arched headboards at the head of every bed is an Instagram-worthy moment in and of itself. The bathrooms are outfitted with Aesop products and Kelly Wearstler x Parachute cloud cotton robes, which are just as luxurious as they look. Through the Work From Here program, they also set up a workstation in my room (complete with a marble work desk and ergonomic rolling chair, of course) so that I could comfortably sit and answer emails. They also left some snacks for me to munch on throughout the day; they definitely did not go to waste.

Finally, the food. Brunch at Calabra, the hotel’s Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, was a joy. First off, the experience felt very COVID-safe: I requested a secluded table and they obliged, everything was contactless (QR-coded menus on the table, etc.), and my waiter wore a face shield, gloves, and a mask. It was my first time eating at a restaurant during lockdown (about eight months at that point), and I couldn’t have felt safer. I had an eggs Benedict and it was everything I could have wanted in that moment.

Whether you’re just in town visiting or an LA resident looking for some time away from your home, be sure to book a stay at the Santa Monica Proper. It’s a (stay)(va)cation that you won’t forget.

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TravelKristin Corpuztravel, santa monica proper, hotel, staycationComment