The Pierside Santa Monica

This hotel's seven-story building has been freshly painted with a sophisticated gray and blue color scheme. Remodeled in 2014-2015, the mid-size lobby is modern and sleek, with natural-wood floors, trendy disco-ball-like chandeliers, colorful abstract artwork, and seating areas -- soft brown armchairs and a bar-type countertop -- where guests can relax and hang out. The atmosphere is upbeat and easygoing, with friendly staffers eager to offer travel advice. Large flat-screen TVs on the walls let guests keep track of the score or the weather. An open-concept restaurant and bar, decorated with various woods and wood-laminate furnishings set off by eclectic lamps, also resides in the lobby, so it can get busy at times. Guests are a mix of tourist couples and families, along with business travelers, which are all drawn to the property's beachy location and breezy atmosphere.

Situated a half-block east of Ocean Avenue and just off the 10 freeway, the hotel is ideally located at the Pier and Pacific Park for family-friendly entertainment including fishing, swimming, amusement rides, an arcade, shopping, and the aquarium. It takes one minute to walk to the busy Third Street Promenade, filled with shops and eateries. In addition to the Santa Monica Pier and the Promenade, the immediate area around the hotel is packed with shops and eateries. It's about 25 to 30 by car to Beverly Hills and Hollywood, and a 10-minute drive to Venice Beach. Los Angeles International Airport is about a 35-minute drive away, depending on traffic.

Rooms are fresh and well-kept, and decorated in a modern, somewhat corporate style: beige-patterned carpeting, dark-wood furniture, and tasteful earth-tone textiles accented with framed beachy prints and pretty, glass bedside lamps. All rooms have iHome clock radios, flat-screen TVs, and coffeemakers, as well as work desks with ergonomic chairs, and mini-fridges are available on request. Bottled water in rooms is exorbitantly priced so guests should check the label before drinking. Bathrooms are tiny but well-maintained with shower/tub combos and granite countertops. Some rooms have glimpses of the ocean, although most are at an angle; and some rooms look out on McDonald's across the street and the city.

An open-concept restaurant in the lobby serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and there's a bar there as well. The menu is classic American with a California twist. The outdoor pool beside the highway is heated and suitable for swimming laps. Lounge chairs surround it for relaxing by the pool, but there are only two umbrellas. Poolside food and drink service is available. The small 24/7 fitness center has large windows allowing in natural light, and it's equipped with treadmills, elliptical trainers, stationary bikes, and weights.