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Cal Mar Hotel Suites – reviews, photos

220 California Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90403
Hotel amenities
Cal Mar Hotel Suites
Professional photos
81 traveller photos
Ranked #17 of 34 hotels in Santa Monica
4.0 of 5 stars 195 Reviews
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195 reviews from our community

What travellers say about this hotel
  • “Living room” (7)
  • “Full kitchen” (6)
  • “Great location” (5)
  • “Third street promenade” (4)
  • “More expensive” (3)
  • “Short walk” (3)
Traveller rating
    50
    89
    31
    13
    12
Only show reviews for Family (72) | Couples (43) | Business (12)
Date Rating
Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
“Retro! best possible location, good value”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 February 2012

This is a 1930's Santa Monica apartment building turned into a retro hotel suite. Suites have a full kitchen with oven, toaster, microwave, coffe maker, fridge. Seperate bedroom and full living area. The building must be on a historic L.A. preservation list as the building looks like it's original. It's a quaint place with a nice maintained pool in the middle of the courtyard. They have a 50's Santa Monica decor and theme that matches much of the outside. Location is amazing and the price is right. We got a place for 150 one of the last room on a Monday. The major drawback is the noise. The rooms walls are paper thin and every little noise or conversation can be heard through them. So if you are looking to get some action it will be heard. I would recommend to all of Portlandia, hipsters, and people who have some ear plugs.

Room Tip: try and get a room on top floor less noisy
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  • Stayed February 2012, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Ask TravelinDan33 about Cal Mar Hotel Suites
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Susan Somers, General Manager at Cal Mar Hotel Suites, responded to this review
12 February 2012
Good morning TravelinDan33

We very much appreciate you posting your awesome review relative to your recent stay. Thank you so much for highlighting the value, location, spaciousness and all of the amenities our property has to offer. We applaud our team in tending and caring for the Cal Mar. We are in the process of upgrading some of our rooms and completely renovating our balconies so this should bring a vast improvement to the “noise” factor. Thank you for choosing the Cal Mar Hotel for your recent visit and we look forward to seeing you in the future, we so much appreciate your sharing your experience for travelers. Have an amazing day!
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Broomfield, Colorado
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
“Hidden Little Gem”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 January 2012

We stayed at Cal Mar for two nights over New Years Eve. The building doesn't look like much from the outside but don't let that deter you. It's a converted apartment building (looks like right out of Melrose Place). The room was very clean and had a very "at home" feel to it. The pool was heated extra warm, so even during a foggy evening you can enjoy it. The staff was very friendly. If I ever need to stay in Santa Monica again, this will be the spot. It's not as expensive as other hotels in the area but you won't feel like you're missing out on anything. The location is great, one block from 3rd Street Promenade and two blocks from the beach. I'm really picky about where I sleep and would recommend this place to family and friends.

Room Tip: If you want a room with a balcony, call and specify. There are rooms on the second floor that have...
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  • Stayed December 2011, travelled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Ask DNAnelli about Cal Mar Hotel Suites
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Susan Somers, General Manager at Cal Mar Hotel Suites, responded to this review
20 January 2012
Thank you DNAnelli for taking the time to post your very positive comments regarding your recent visit to the Cal Mar. We love the term "Hidden Gem" - we appreciate it so very very much!

We are delighted that you had a great visit and enjoyed all our property has to offer. Our team takes pride in keeping our property clean and inviting to our treasured guests. I have shared your glowing comments with our staff; we are very fortunate to have a team that values so very much guest satisfaction ensuring that each guests feels “at home” during their visit. Again, we appreciate so much your feedback and look forward to welcoming you back the next time you’re in our area. Have an amazing day!
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San Diego, California
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“The Heart of SoCal”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 December 2011
1
person found this review helpful

Stayed in a spacious 1 bedroom, Family friendly. Awesome staff, (surprised my daughter with a B-day cake). There to enjoy the Santa Monica pier & rides, which is close enough to walked to. Pool heated year round. 1 block from 3rd St Promenade. Quiet, quaint street. True Melrose place experience. Recommend: the Famers Market on 4th & Arizona, Saturday am, True Food Kitchen Restaurant & Ugo Italian Coffee Bar in Santa Monica Place.-- Can't beat price or location of this Hotel!

Room Tip: Corner rooms.
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  • Stayed December 2011, travelled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
See 4 more reviews by Christine92057 for Santa Monica
Ask Christine92057 about Cal Mar Hotel Suites
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Susan Somers, General Manager at Cal Mar Hotel Suites, responded to this review
20 December 2011
Greetings Christine 92057. We are delighted that you shared your experience regarding your recent visit to our property. Thank you for sharing our excellent location and the close proximity to the 3rd Street Promenade as well as the Santa Monica Pier, We are so glad we exceeded your expectations and that you appreciated the value of the Cal Mar. Thank you for mentioning the great restaurants which are in close proximity as well. Our heartfelt thanks for your feedback; we look forward to seeing you on your next visit to Santa Monica. Have a wonderful holiday season!
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Borrego Springs, California
Contributor
20 reviews 20 reviews
Reviews in 16 cities Reviews in 16 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“Unbeatable location”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 December 2011

Whenever our plan calls for an overnight stay in Santa Monica, we head for Cal Mar Suites. It's an old apartment complex on a residential street, and not one bit fancy, but spacious, extremely clean and wildly reasonable for the location, steps from the Third Street Promenade. Can be a bit noisy at times, especially in the peak summer tourist season -- if you're there for longer than a night or two, ask for an upstairs room at the back of the property.

Room Tip: Upstairs rooms are quieter
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  • Stayed December 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Ask DesertInnKeeper about Cal Mar Hotel Suites
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Susan Somers, General Manager at Cal Mar Hotel Suites, responded to this review
8 December 2011
Hello DesertInn from Borrego Springs, California. We are delighted that you shared your experience and your reasons for returning to the Cal Mar. We appreciate so very much your mentioning the spaciousness of our rooms, our excellent location, and our extremely clean rooms. We are delighted that you have chosen the Cal Mar to host you during your visits to Santa Monica. Our team prides themselves on caring for our property and attending to our guests ensuring that they enjoy their time spent here. Again, we so very much appreciate your posting and look forward to your next visit. Have an amazing day!
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Santa Rosa, CA
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“Excellent value for Santa Monica”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 14 November 2011

Not a luxury property, but clean, well-kept and friendly. The best aspects are the location and the space you get. Our one bedroom suite had a full kitchen and a dining area, plus a living room, in addition to the bedroom and bath--really a one bedroom apartment.. The staff was very helpful and responsive in all respects. We recommend this property highly and would stay there again.

  • Stayed October 2011, travelled with family
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask GoLongNow about Cal Mar Hotel Suites
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Susan Somers, General Manager at Cal Mar Hotel Suites, responded to this review
23 November 2011
Thank you so very much for posting your comments on Trip Advisor. We appreciate so very much you mentioning the value of our property, as well as our spacious rooms including fully equipped kitchens. Our team works daily to ensure that our guests have a delightful experience during their stay at our property. Guest comfort is our priority and we hope to serve you again in the future. Have an amazing day.
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Additional Information about Cal Mar Hotel Suites

  • Cal Mar Hotel
  • Cal Mar Santa Monica
Address: 220 California Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90403
Price range (per night):* INR11,090 - 17,195

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Cal Mar Hotel Suites
220 California Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90403
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Spacious dining area viewed from living room Cute country kitchen The suites surround a lovely pool pool
Cal Mar Hotel Suites Photos (81 traveller photos)

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Cal Mar Hotel Suites
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