This Santa Monica Hotel Is Equal Parts Business and Pleasure

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Last month, TQE held our annual offsite at the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica. While I live exactly one mile north of the hotel, I stayed on site with the team in the name of camaraderie. I’m so glad I did – for more reasons than one. 

Yes, the team bonding was great (look how fun we are!), but I was also lucky enough to enjoy an unexpected staycation and find a hotel I’d recommend to my parents for their next visit. 

The Viceroy, located at the corner of Ocean Avenue and Pico, is a block from the beach, a few blocks from downtown Santa Monica’s action, and an airy, breezy breath of fresh air. Ideal, somehow, for a team of 25 coworkers and a pair of opinionated parents alike. 

Best For:

• Company offsites and team retreats
• Design-forward staycations within driving distance of LA
• Walkable Santa Monica trips without a rental car
• Out-of-town parents and family who want comfort, beach access, and easy LAX proximity
• Wellness-minded travelers (beach yoga, surf lessons, and Rapha cycling are all built in)

Don't Miss: Sunset on the pool deck (firepits, cabanas, a Sugar Palm cocktail). And through May, the More Than Matcha pop-up at Sugar Palm, including the Tropical Mango Matcha created exclusively for the property.

First Impressions of The Viceroy

Some background: the Viceroy Santa Monica was the first property in the Viceroy Hotels & Resorts portfolio when it opened in 2000, and it just underwent a $21M top-to-bottom renovation led by the design studio EDG. I had previously popped by the property pre-renovation – stepping back into the space now, I was amazed by the new look and feel. Natural textures, mid-century moments, and fun art (much of it commissioned from LA-based artists like Erin Miller Wray and Spencer Mar Guilburt, often crafted from recycled materials) give the lobby a beachy, poppy feel.

The lobby flows directly into Sugar Palm, the hotel's signature all-day restaurant and bar, helmed by Executive Chef Johnny Marin. The space is the heart of the property with indoor seating and a wraparound bar that flows seamlessly onto the outer deck. (Worth noting: through the month of May, Sugar Palm is also hosting a limited-time pop-up with More Than Matcha, and the restaurant regularly launches fun collaborations and popups.)

Out back, the pool area features private cabanas and firepits, both of which we used during the offsite (and both of which I’d return for as a guest). It’s an ideal setup for large group activities, but would also be cozy as a staycation with a partner or friends. 

Beyond the offsite, the property runs a slate of guest programming I'd plan a return trip around: morning yoga on the beach, Rapha-curated cycling routes through Santa Monica, Venice, and the nearby hills, surf and skate lessons, hands-on cocktail and mocktail-making classes, and weekend poolside DJ sessions (during the summer). 

Upstairs, my room was surprisingly spacious (not the case for all Santa Monica hotel rooms – I have stayed in many) and warm. I had plenty of space to sprawl, unpack, and even host a few coworkers for a late night chat. Many of the 169 rooms on the property have ocean views. I’ll just leave this here:

Business That Feels Like Pleasure

As far as the offsite went, the meeting spaces were functional yet warm. The property boasts several: The Merryvale Room (a light-filled room with a pool view and indoor-outdoor flow), the Kingsley (the largest indoor space, opening through glass doors onto a semi-private patio facing the pool), and the Markham (two walls of frosted floor-to-ceiling windows). 

What stood out most at Viceroy Santa Monica was their thoughtfully curated group experience menu. We got the Après Surf experience (a private cabana setup with firepits, s’mores kits, and group games), an onsite FaceGym activation, had a curated beach picnic setup, and went to a cooking class down the street at La Gourmandise Cooking School. I didn’t realize until I was catching up with Scott (TQE’s co-founder who did all the planning) that the hotel helped plan each event (and he didn’t have to juggle multiple vendors). 

For groups bigger than ours, the entire Sugar Palm and backyard pool can be bought out as a single 3,442-square-foot indoor-outdoor venue, DJ stage included. 

Why It Works for Everyone

It's hard to find a place that can seamlessly host a team of 25 in mode-switching meeting spaces, deliver a real staycation to someone who lives by the beach, and pass the would-I-send-my-parents-here test. The Viceroy works because it’s polished yet approachable, walkable to everything you'd actually want to walk to (the Farmers Market, Main Street, the Pier, Third Street Promenade), and around the corner from the 10 (that’s locals-talk for the main freeway that’ll take you the eight miles to LAX, over to West Hollywood, or across town to Silver Lake and Echo Park). 

We often talk about the brands that just get it on TQE – they’re functional, aesthetic, and offer the exact thing you’re looking for before you even realize it. The Viceroy just joined our short list. 

Book a stay here.