Skip to content
The Better Trip

Destinations

Santa Monica Proper Hotel vs Sunset Tower Hotel

Almost level on price, so choose the scene. Santa Monica Proper Hotel, from about $585, if you want Kelly Wearstler interiors, a busy rooftop pool and bar, a spa and the sand under 20 minutes' walk away; Sunset Tower Hotel, from about $595, if you would rather settle into the Tower Bar, with live jazz in the evening and the city spread below the south-facing windows.

Santa Monica Proper Hotel: Pewter-glazed columns in the Palma lobby loungeThe design one

Santa Monica Proper Hotel

Kelly Wearstler interiors across a 1928 city landmark and a new building, with a rooftop pool in downtown Santa Monica.

$$$From about $585 a night

Choose Santa Monica Proper Hotel if

  • Design lovers
  • A first stay in Santa Monica
  • Rooftop sunsets
  • Walkable city days

The catch

A $55 nightly destination fee plus tax is added to every stay, and valet parking is $90.27 per vehicle with tax, so the room rate is not the nightly cost, least of all for a guest with a car.

Sunset Tower Hotel: The Art Deco tower above the pool terraceThe classic

Sunset Tower Hotel

A 1931 Art Deco tower on the Sunset Strip, with the Tower Bar downstairs and the city spread below the south-facing windows.

$$$From about $595 a night

Choose Sunset Tower Hotel if

  • Old Hollywood
  • Cocktail evenings
  • Couples
  • A first Los Angeles trip

The catch

The room rate is not the whole price. A nightly amenity fee of $52.43, tax included, is added to every stay, parking is by valet at $75 a night, and 16.695% hotel tax applies to the room.

Which of our lists each one is on

Best forSanta Monica Proper HotelSunset Tower Hotel
Best design hotels in LAOn the listOn the list
Best spa hotels in LAOn the listNot on the list
Best central hotels in LAOn the listNot on the list
Best hotels with a view in LANot on the listOn the list

Both hotels on the same scales

Santa Monica Proper HotelSunset Tower Hotel

FunctionalDesign-led
QuietLively
Central & walkableRemote escape
Smart spendSplurge
Beach & pool optionalBeach & pool central
Wellness minimalWellness focus
InternationalStrong sense of place

Santa Monica Proper Hotel

Area
Santa Monica, United States
From the centre
16.8 km
Airport
19 min from LAX
Price band
$$$
Typical rate
From about $585 a night
Rooms
262
Opened
2019
Pool
Rooftop
Beach
Public beach nearby
Spa
Yes
Adults only
No
Restaurants
2
Parking
Yes
MICHELIN Guide
One MICHELIN Key (2026)
Selected by
Independent research
Last checked
October 2026

Sunset Tower Hotel

Area
Sunset Strip, United States
From the centre
3 km
Airport
27 min from LAX
Price band
$$$
Typical rate
From about $595 a night
Rooms
81
Last renovated
2018 (opened 1931)
Pool
Outdoor
Beach
None
Spa
No
Adults only
No
Restaurants
1
Parking
Yes
MICHELIN Guide
One MICHELIN Key (2026)
Selected by
Independent research
Last checked
October 2026

The verdict

Almost level on price, so choose the scene. Santa Monica Proper Hotel, from about $585, if you want Kelly Wearstler interiors, a busy rooftop pool and bar, a spa and the sand under 20 minutes' walk away; Sunset Tower Hotel, from about $595, if you would rather settle into the Tower Bar, with live jazz in the evening and the city spread below the south-facing windows.

Questions people ask

Good questions about Santa Monica Proper Hotel vs Sunset Tower Hotel

Santa Monica Proper Hotel or Sunset Tower Hotel?

Almost level on price, so choose the scene. Santa Monica Proper Hotel, from about $585, if you want Kelly Wearstler interiors, a busy rooftop pool and bar, a spa and the sand under 20 minutes' walk away; Sunset Tower Hotel, from about $595, if you would rather settle into the Tower Bar, with live jazz in the evening and the city spread below the south-facing windows.

Is Santa Monica Proper Hotel worth it?

Book Santa Monica Proper to sleep inside a Kelly Wearstler interior in walkable downtown Santa Monica, with a rooftop pool for the afternoon. Pay the step up to a Landmark Garden Terrace for private outdoor space in the 1928 building, and budget for the $55 fee and valet. A design-first hotel in two buildings, with a public rooftop and a walkable downtown address, rather than a beach hotel or a quiet retreat. Expect a lively roof, interiors you will photograph and a walk of 17 to 19 minutes to the sand.

Does Santa Monica Proper Hotel have a pool or a beach?

It has a rooftop pool. A public beach is within walking distance.

Is Sunset Tower Hotel worth it?

Book it for the Tower Bar, the Art Deco tower and the city through the glass, and pay the step to a Studio Suite, asking for the south side, for room to enjoy it. Budget for the amenity fee and valet, and expect to drive to the beach. Old Hollywood still in use: an Art Deco tower on the Strip where the Tower Bar is the room and the city lies below the south-facing windows. It is dear before the fees, needs a car for everything beyond the boulevard, and has a small pool and no spa.

Does Sunset Tower Hotel have a pool or a beach?

It has an outdoor pool. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.