Seaview Hotel

A small remodeled motor hotel from the 1950s, the Seaview can be spotted by its two neon "Seaview" signs peeking out between tall cacti and palm trees. The hotel is painted an Art Deco shade of pale blue with white trim, and its balconies and palm tree trunks are wrapped with Christmas lights. The concrete walkway that starts at the tiny parking lot leads inside to a very green, jungle-like inner courtyard with more palm trees, flowering bushes, and hanging plants and vines. In fact, the entire hotel (other than the lobby and rooms) is open-air, with outside paved walkways lined with white railings and planter boxes filled with flowers. The lobby -- a tiny, cramped room with huge windows that overlook the parking lot -- is a bit of an eyesore. A blonde wood front desk and a slipcovered armchair take up almost the entire room, with the white walls crisscrossed with multiple cords for the fax machine and the two flat-screen TVs. There is a bit of a community feel to the property, thanks to the cozy common spaces, including a rooftop sundeck with Adirondack chairs where guests can gather. 

The Seaview Hotel is located a block from the beach on Ocean Avenue, a busy four-lane road lined with upscale apartments, other hotels, and more of those ubiquitous palm trees. Luckily (as the hotel doesn't have an on-site restaurant) Cora's Coffee Shoppe and the Italian restaurant Capo are right next door. The beach is a block away (guests can walk there using the alley that backs up to the hotel). The Santa Monica Pier is a nine-minute walk away and the Third Street Promenade (an open-air shopping mecca) is 14 minutes away by foot. LAX Airport is a 22-minute drive away.

The Seaview's rooms have flagstone floors and are decorated in a calming palette of Art Deco colors including purple, tan, and mauve. The furniture is mostly white and pretty basic. (Many pieces are instantly recognizable as IKEA.) There are floor-to-ceiling windows in every room, but unfortunately, the flimsy white curtains don't do much in blocking out the light. There are some perks to the rooms -- such as wall-mounted flat-screen TVs and mini-fridges -- but there is no air-conditioning and the walls are very thin. Be prepared to hear some traffic noise, as well as noise from neighboring rooms. The bathrooms have somewhat small walk-in showers and a hairdryer and free soap, but no shampoo or conditioner. More expensive rooms come with furnished patios or balconies, small kitchenettes, and eating areas. Wi-Fi is free throughout. 

The Seaview Hotel is a little light on features, with no on-site restaurant. Its main attraction is the wooden rooftop sundeck, with many brightly colored Adirondack chairs clustered around tables for mid-afternoon sunbathing or evening sunset watching. Sadly, the name "Seaview" was probably accurate 60 years ago, but is now a misnomer -- the only kind of view this sundeck has is of trees and the backs of other buildings. The hotel also offers free Wi-Fi and free parking, though there are only 10 parking spaces, given away on a first-come, first-served basis.