Review: Shutters on the Beach

How did it strike you on arrival?
The once novel and now iconic Shutters, which first opened in 1993, was the left coast's idea of an East Coast beach house. The white shingled oceanfront property got a top-to-bottom redo in 2005, led by Michael S. Smith, the interior designer who famously decorated the Obama White House. The lobby is warm and inviting like the living room of a house in the Cape, with two large fireplaces. And the art! Around the hotel, you’ll see works by Modern art greats like David Hockney, Robert Motherwell, Claes Oldenburg, and Roy Lichtenstein.

What’s the crowd like?
It's leisure travelers—plus a fair share of entertainment industry people, photographers, ad agency creatives, and anyone on an expense account who wants to pretend they're on vacation at the end of a long work day.

The good stuff: Tell us about the rooms.
The smallest of the 186 breezy guest rooms and 12 suites are 450 square feet, and they all feel very residential—hardwood floors with hand-woven Tibetan rugs instead of carpets, built-ins instead of bulky furniture. Most are designed with sliding shuttered doors, surprisingly few of which open to reveal the ocean below. Many rooms have no view at all, so be sure to get the skinny before you book.

How about the little things, like mini bar, or shower goodies. Any of that worth a mention?
Room libraries include special hardback edition classics like Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. Rooms also come with a take-home souvenir: a rubber bath amenity of Shutter’s signature whale—perfect for the kiddos if you left them back at home.

Please tell us the bathroom won’t let us down.
Bathrooms are spacious, with hardwood floors, 15-inch LCD televisions (for those who need a TV in the bathroom), and large whirlpool tubs. Open the shutters for outdoor views if you've got them while you’re taking a soak.

What do they have for food and drink?
Michael S. Smith also designed the 85-seat 1 Pico, which is so-called for its address, and open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. The Italian-influenced and seafood-forward menu (think hamachi tartare with avocado and roasted fish like arctic char and halibut) is solid, if a little passé, and is a bit player in the scheme of the restaurant's ocean views. The indoor-outdoor, all-day Coast Beach Café and Bar is right on the bike path. There’s an open kitchen and a self-heating floor (it gets cold by the beach!), and a communal table that gives it a laid-back vibe. Don’t miss the lemon ricotta pancakes for breakfast. Nightly in the Living Room lobby lounge, there’s live jazz music and seasonal cocktails. It’s also the go-to spot for afternoon tea.

Anything stand out about other services and features?
The hotel sits right on the sand of Santa Monica Bay; you can see the Pacific from the pool and Jacuzzi, surrounded by chaise loungers and private cabanas. The clean, natural palette of sand, wood, and stone will have you relaxed even before getting a treatment at the ONE Spa at Shutters on the Beach. Body treatments use products from Kerstin Florian, Scientific Organics, and Lalicious.

Bottom line: Why are choosing Shutters?
For its womb-like lobby, spacious rooms, and location on the beach.