HotelChatter

The interior design was done by Chris Bartlett of KAA Design Group who did the rooms in a mixture of just the right amount of bright colors (some blues, yellows, greens and even reds)--perfect for a hotel by the beach and thankfully, not the same old boring neutrals or all-white color schemes.

All of the guestrooms now have huge 50" plasma TV screens (the hotel reps say they are the biggest of any LA hotel rooms) in both the living rooms and the bedrooms. There's also a game table for backgammon, chess and checkers and a large workspace that is filled with books and magazines and a mini-bar with snacks and drinks.

Lastly, the bathrooms have been modernized with Waterworks fixtures and tiles and are filled with L'Occitane toiletries and plushy white Frette bath robes.

The layout of the hotel is typical for an apartment building in these parts with the apartments-turned-hotel-suites surrounding the pool. A good way to describe this set up is to think of Melrose Place and how all the apartments centered around the pool.

Speaking of the pool, the place is perfect for either sunbathing, swimming, or having a bite to eat. And at night, the hotel sets up candles on the tables, lights up the fireplace and serves specialty cocktails, making it a great spot to kick back.

The hotel also boasts a small restaurant but for hotel guests only as well as a little bar area in the Ocean Lounge at the front of the hotel which offers great views of the Pacific Ocean. The restaurant was created by Jonathan Morr (Bond Street NYC) and is executed by Chef Sonia El-Nawal.

The menus are pretty standard for a hotel meaning you can always get a burger and fries amid the seafood and steak entrees. While we were a little sad that we can't eat at the hotel unless we book a room, we think it's nice that guests don't have to fight for reservations with outsiders who are not paying $500+ a night.

Should you want to venture outside the hotel, the hotel is within walking distance to the Santa Monica Pier (beware: lots of tourists there) and the Third Street Promenade. But even closer is Montana Avenue which has great restaurants and upscale shops, all of which are mostly tourist-free.

Sadly, a hotel with this killer location, gorgeous new space and privacy does not come cheap. Starting rates for a weekend in a junior suite are at $555. You can book a special rate of $455 but these are paid upfront in full, along with a $15 surcharge and no cancellations are excepted.

For more pictures of the Oceana Santa Monica, check out our shots in the HotelChatter Flickr Pool.

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· Snapshot: The Newly Renovated Hotel Oceana [HotelChatter]