The beach is right outside the front door. Parking is convenient and affordable. I came to Santa Monica to relax and that's exactly what I was able to do while staying here. I hadn't done much research about what do to in the area so I stopped at the front desk to ask for some suggestions. Rashad was there to save the day. He was helpful and professional. All the staff seemed to have the same excellent manners. Guess the people with complaints about this hotel are too uptight.

I stayed for 4 nights as a solo female traveller in late September 2011. Although the hotel is not directly on the beach front, my sea-facing room with small balcony was very pleasant, spacious and clean. I did not experience any of the rowdiness or other unsavoury noises mentioned by others, though my stay was not on a weekend. But there was a certain amount of traffic noise. I would not have stayed in a room overlooking the courtyard, which is basically the car park. The staff seemed pleasant and helpful, though I had little contact with them. My only gripe was that the tea/coffee was not replaced daily. In terms of value for money I've certainly received much more for a lot less in other destinations, but Santa Monica seems to have a scale of its own when it comes to room rates. I chose the hotel solely for its location - the pier, beach and Third Street promenade with its excellent shops, bars and restaurants, are all accessible in minutes - as most days I visited friends in downtown LA, a very easy and cheap bus ride away.

This Hotel has a nice view on the ocean side rooms. However, two things troubled me about this hotel.

#1) We were promised a rate for a ocean facing room by a woman named Joy that would be the same rate as our original online reservation we had made several weeks prior. We thought this was really nice. We even wrote it down on our reservation printout. Upon our arrival however a Mr. Torres informed us that we could not have possibly had that conversation. This was despite both me and my wife recalling the conversation about getting the upgraded room for the same rate with the woman at the desk named Joy several days earlier. We were together at the time of this call, I remember quite clearly. He was very dismissive of us, in effect calling us liars. That he would continue to do this here on Trip Advisor is further disturbing.

#2) The amount of disruptive partying in the hallway just outside our room was very frightening. Sounded like a lot of rowdy young people partying and fighting. This took place on both nights we were there. Also with the very thin walls the room above us had a lot doors opening and closing and coming and going with what sounded like more 'intimate' activity than I have ever heard in a hotel in one night.

One staff member at the front desk named Rashad was indeed very nice, and really tried to be helpful. The room did have a very nice view of the ocean. Also the restaurant at the hotel next door to the north was very nice.

We stayed 6 nights at the Ocean View Hotel last week (mid January 2012). If you're looking for a "A" location in Santa Monica at a reasonable price, I recommend the Ocean View. It's across the street from the pacific ocean, two blocks away from world class shopping and walking distance to all things cool in Santa Monica - especially the pier with all its attractions.

The rooms were clean and the staff bent over backwards with any request. We had our 2 kids with us and this placed worked just fine. The front desk staff was especially kind, ask for Rashab, Joy & Jose and they'll be helpful.

Brad B. Vermont