Unwind at beachfront Casa Del Mar and celebrate the hotel’s 100th year in Santa Monica with special programming

This year, the iconic beachside Hotel Casa del Mar celebrates 100 years in Santa Monica. No small feat in a city that rewards itself for constant change. Once a beach club, where Charlie Chaplin and Marilyn Monroe frolicked on the sand, this centennial celebration offers a yearlong series of 1920s-inspired culinary collaborations, special room packages, and cultural events. Book with me for special VIP perks.

Arrive at the awe-inspiring grand foyer before admiring the sweeping staircase. It’s easy to imagine this exclusive beach club during the Roaring Twenties, as its Italian Renaissance Revival design and luxurious amenities capture the absolute essence of Southern California’s glamorous “Gold Coast” era.

The milestone programming includes specialty cocktails, Centennial menus, Macallan spirit pairings, curated art displays, and a Route 66 menu at sister property Shutters, celebrating the 2,400-mile stretch knitting the US together – from Chicago to Santa Monica’s Pacific perch.

A specialty Prohibition-themed cocktail menu is available throughout the entire year at Terrazza and the hotel’s lively Lobby Lounge. In May, the hotel debuted Bubbles and Pearls, a special champagne and caviar experience. Summer ushers in a signature Macallan prix fixe menu, inspired by the allure of the 1920s and priced at $192.60, available July through September. In July, a seasonal San Marzano Tomato Pizza special at Patio del Mar, celebrates summer on the coast.

Designed by Los Angeles architect Charles F. Plummer with arched loggias, a red tile roof, and pale stucco walls catching the last light of day, Club Casa del Mar opened in May, 1926. When third generation hoteliers Thomas and Edward Slatkin, of the Edward Thomas Collection, reopened the property as a hotel in 1999, their ambition was not to recreate the past but to revive its original character.

Don’t miss the archival photos, memorializing and honoring the roaring twenties origins, as aerial views capture a moment when Santa Monica’s coastline transitioned from open waterfront to an organized district of beach clubs and coastal amenities, becoming an athletic haven and lively center of nightlife. Jet setters would flock here, like actor Jack Donovan, seen in one photo with a friend and dog in his open Mercedes touring car.

Come for a staycation to experience this premier luxury beachfront hotel, with New England room vibes and views of the Santa Monica Pier and ocean in the distance for miles. Dine at Mediterranean-Californian Terrazza during the sunset, as the glow cascades around you, and end your night with a jacuzzi bath tub soak. Their special priced menu celebrates highway to horizon.

Mix up your stay between the two properties. Next door, grab a beachfront lunch at Coast Beach Cafe and Bar at Shutters, with an order of loaded clam chowder followed by an overstuffed lobster roll with fries. Pair with a glass of Sancerre and a butterscotch pudding desert with meringue sticks, of course. For those who want to get their body moving, take a surf lesson, cruise down the beach for miles on a complimentary beach cruiser or get up early for complimentary yoga on weekends.

The Sea Wellness Spa at Casa Del Mar is an eco-friendly facility, as is the One Spa at neighboring sister property Shutters on the Beach, a few feet walk from the Casa del Mar lobby. What more could you want with two spas to choose from! After a session, head to the top floor fitness center and rooftop pool to enjoy some of Casa del Mar’s amenities.

Over the last hundred years, the building interiors have had a major evolution. Spaces have been refreshed, styles reimagined, the pool relocated, and generations of guests welcomed. Each room is carefully and exquisitely donned in ocean décor and design, making it feel like staying at a friend’s beach house in the Hamptons or Connecticut. Residential-style suites are two stories with high ceilings, just steps from the Pier.

“Celebrating our centennial is about honoring the spirit of Casa del Mar where history, community, and hospitality come together,” said Charlie Lopez-Quintana, Vice President & Managing Director of ETC Hotels. “We’re excited to invite guests to experience the stories, dishes and moments that have shaped this quintessential building for 100 years.”