Cal Mar Hotel Suites

Don’t waste your time and money. Paid $ 90 for up front parking and still got a big warning sticker on my window I can’t get off. Staff was very rude over the issue was a big hassle to get verified and get someone to remove it.

I recommend this place, but with some caveats. Setting expectations is important.
You get more than what you pay for (in Santa Monica-​dollars) IF and only if you have neighbors who live similarly to you. If you are a family who needs to be in bed and asleep by 9 or 10 pm but also staying here is a group of college or just-​out-​of-​college grads who want to party or even just talk and tell jokes ’til (what time is it now? 11:30?) then this is NOT the place for you. If you are a group of college or just-​out-​of-​college grads who want to party or even just tell jokes into the night, but one of the suites is occupied by a family who needs ZZZs by 10 pm, then this is NOT the place for you. Problem is: You can’t tell what the neighbors will be like in advance!
The courtyard echos, and the old single-​pane casement windows don’t keep ANY sound out. So be ready for that. You don’t realize it until you hear someone else’s noise transgressing on your earspace. I didn’t notice either until I heard a family chatter their way through the courtyard at a very modest volume, and I could understand every word. Then I realized, oops, that morning in the suite I yelled at my kids to put their shoes on (for the 5^th time?) and that probably was «enjoyed» by all the residents, too. Lesson learned.
If it weren’t for the noise and the circumstances of this particular stay, I’d give this place a 4-​star rating and recommend it highly to ppl seeking a very chill, relaxed, unfussy, clean, affordable, super convenient, and family friendly kind of place. Nothin’ fancy, but everything you need, served with a smile. Kind of like your grandma’s somewhat outdated retirement village condo.
I would absolutely stay here again. And I would still recommend it, but I’d be clear about the potential for noise. I can think of a few people for whom that alone would be a deal-​breaker.

There is a desk, spacious living room, separate dining room, kitchen and separate bedroom. Love that the have 2 tvs. One in the living room and one in the bedroom. There is also a delivery system so you can order room service from nearby restaurants. 3^rd street promenade is two blocks away with tons of shopping and dining options available too. The SM pier is about a 20 minute walk away. The suite is very clean and quite comfortable. I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again. They provide everything from a toaster to a microwave, large stove, refrigerator and a coffee pot with ample amounts of coffee, which many hotels no longer provide.
This is an older, but super clean and well maintained hotel. We were quite comfortable staying here. Very reasonable prices for SM too.

Great location, large rooms with full kitchen a plus. Close to 3^rd street promenade and steps from the beach and pier. Home from home, a little dated, however everything was spotlessly clean.
The staff are great, 6 stars to Douglas the GM he is amazing.
Thank you I will defiantly be back!

I stayed at the Cal Mar Hotel in Santa Monica for five days a couple of weeks ago, and it was so wonderful!!! I’d go back there in a heartbeat. It’s a great retro apartment building like you see in movies about California in the 60s with a courtyard and pool in the middle. Each suite is an apartment, and I’m so glad they haven’t renovated them and taken the charm out of them. My kitchen had green tile and retro curtains around the big window, and I loved it. And it’s a complete kitchen! Fridge, stove, microwave, pots/​pans, dishes, everything you could need or want. They even had a coffee maker with regular and decaf coffee, sweeteners, and coffee creamer. My bathroom had blue tile and a blue bathtub :) it was really cool. The bathroom isn’t large, but you’re essentially renting a complete apartment for an exceptional price, and I would personally rather have that than a hotel room with a larger bathroom. I really felt like I lived there and had my own apartment there, which was awesome. And the location is amazing! It’s in this beautiful residential neighborhood, and it was perfect walking distance to the 3^rd Street Promenade and one block from the ocean! Something else I loved, was they had pretty flowers planted at the entrance under the huge trees, and the courtyard/​pool area had pretty lights at night. They also have parking spaces, so if you rent a car, you don’t have to try and park on the street (there is a daily fee for a parking space, and at first I thought «per day? really?» but when I thought about it, i realized with the great rate I got through Expedia that I pretty much got the parking for free). And the staff was so very nice, like incredibly so – polite, gracious, helpful. After I booked through Expedia, I called the hotel to make sure I had booked a room with a balcony that faced the street — turned out, I hadn’t booked it that way, but they went out of their way to change my reservation so I could have the kind of room I wanted and they made sure when they changed it that my Expedia rate stayed there. So I got to sit out on the balcony in the morning and have coffee and watch people go by and look at the palm trees like I wanted to :) And very tops on the list is it was spotlessly clean. No smells, no yuck, and no signs of bugs whatsoever (and, trust me, I looked very carefully — I’m hyper about any chance of bedbugs anywhere I stay). This is not an updated posh hotel, so if that’s what you prefer, this just wouldn’t be the place for you to stay. But if you want a charming, comfortable place with an awesome retro vibe that’s super clean, amazingly affordable, and in an incredible location, it can’t be beat. I’m already planning another trip to Santa Monica partly because I want to stay there again. I loved it and hope they never renovate the charm out of it. So happy I found it!

I am writing this review to balance out the inflated scores here. All the five star reviewers with no prior Unilocal history are fake — or at least they don’t tell the whole story.
The location IS awesome, no denying that. You’re two steps away from the beach and 3^rd St Promenade and a host of great restaurants and shops. Easy to walk to everything or hail an Über. Outdoor covered parking is $ 27 — don’t know how that compares to the area but it seems a little ridiculous to me (and I live in New York)!
The rooms leave much to be desired. Agree with the previous reviewer who said it felt like nothing had been updated since the 70s. Really thin walls, squeaky floors, single pane windows, all adding up to lots of noise from neighbors and the street, and if you’re there in the winter like I was, the rooms get pretty darn chilly. Didn’t enjoy the springy mattress — if there were two people you’d definitely roll into the middle — woke up shivering under the thin bed covers. The $ 10 wifi kept dropping off so it was not even serviceable. At least the tiny bathroom was clean. There was only soap and a dispenser with «hair and body wash» so bring your own shampoo. Or skip washing your hair because the water pressure sucks.
Did not go in the pool or use the kitchen. I was slightly relieved that when I checked out, they didn’t ask me how my stay was. At least they had the good sense to save the embarrassment for both parties.

— rooms: very clean and large room, comfortable beds and couch.
— pool: very clean, perfect located between sunny and shaded areas.
— service: very good room cleaning service (even cleaned the dishes), friendly front desk
— location: very good area and really close to the bars and the beach but pretty far to the next supermarket.

My wife and I loved this hotel. Is in the middle of all the action in Santa Monica.
The hotel was clean and the staff were extremely friendly.

The rooms are okay, but could use some SERIOUS sprucing up… it felt like I was in the 70’s. The beds were not comfortable and were really squeaky which was annoying. The corner rooms don’t have access to the free wifi… not cool!!!
Pluses: convenient location and the staff was friendly.
Not the worst place you could stay in Santa Monica (I guess?), but also not the best.

Having lived in Santa Monica for 20 years and now frequenting as a guest from NoCal, the CalMar is my family’s go-​to place for all of our return visit needs. First, if you need high-​end accommodations with all the frills, look elsewhere. But if you’re looking for a perfectly-​located, reasonably priced (including free parking) location with kitchen and pull-​out bed in each room, with an always-​heated salt-​water pool (ie, ideal for families), with a lovely staff, you really should look no further. Sure, the rooms could use some reconditioning and the overall atmosphere could use freshening up, but at its price point and with it’s positive energy it earns five stars. One suggestion — no free Wifi is a negative, please bring back the free service!

Cheated $ 15 on undeclared parking fee in bill. Wifi was $ 10 for a single device and very slow. You can do better nearby. Kitchen was a plus.

Great spot to stay when you are in Santa Monica — feels like you’re living in Melrose Place! Friendly staff, spacious (for the location) suites, clean with great attention to detail. Balcony off the bedroom was a bonus — love watching the world of Santa Monica go by over a glass of wine on a warm summer evening…

Great location, one block from the 3^rd Street Promenade in a relatively quieter neighborhood. We had a spacious king suite on the top (second) floor with a kitchen, dining area and living room with a queen sofa bed, equipped with 2 large TVs and cable. Comfortable and clean, with a nice, well-​heated swimming pool. Neither luxury nor modern, more like a 60’s low rise apartment complex. That means old single pane windows and shades and a modest bathroom. We weren’t bothered much by noise, but guests hang out by the pool and in the chairs fronting their room entrances, so expect to hear conversations during the day and early evening. We didn’t hear our neighbors at night, though there can be some street noise at all hours, but what do you expect in downtown Santa Monica? The rates were pretty good for the area and parking was a relative bargain at $ 20. My only quibble is that they charge extra for wifi. All in all, a great location and good value. I’d stay there again.

If you’re ever in the area this is a great spot to stay. Its close to everything you could possibly want to do in Santa Monica. The pier is only a couple of blocks away and the promenade is just around the corner. The cost is worth the convenience of having to drive and find parking and you get your exercise from walking. There are quite a few amenities to this place and despite this place’s flaws there are much more pros.
Like many others have stated its like renting a small apartment. You get a living room, bedroom, dining room, small kitchen, and a bathroom. There are 2 televisions, one in the living room and bedroom. The kitchen comes equipped with utensils, cups, bowls, plates, pans, microwave, and a fridge. They are kind enough to provide a coffee maker with decaff and caffeinated coffee grounds. The bathroom was a bit small, but was nice to have hot water and good water pressure. The bedroom had a dresser with the TV sitting on top. The heater was located in the room, and when I arrived it was really hot in the room. I had management come and send someone to turn the heater off because the adjusting switch was broken. The price may be higher than most, but you pay for convenience and a safe place to walk. There’ wasn’t air conditioning in the room which might be a problem for people staying here during the summer.
There was a heated pool that I didn’t take advantage of because there’s a beach just around the corner. Good to have if you’re looking to jump into the water without tasting salt in your mouth… well just depends on who goes into the pool. The pool isn’t big either, its just big enough to play around in, but not for people who plan on swimming laps.
Overall I enjoyed my stay here and recommend others do too if you have the money for it. I didn’t have many problems and management was nice to us.

If I could give it a «no» stars– I would.
The only thing this hotel has going for it is the location. You can walk almost everywhere.
The bad news:
The windows are not double panes — you can hear everything inside and outside your unit. Which means you cannot sleep. The walls are also non existence — it sounded like the people above us were square dancing– and stomping their feet all night long– not to mention, we could hear their TV.
The website states — wifi and a state of the art gym– neither are available. The gym is in the promenade– and they give you a «free pass» for one day. They are not even affiliated with the gym, and if you go more than once– $ 20 per day. Wireless Internet 9.95 $ per day.
Parking– $ 15.00 per day– which is also not listed on the website as an additional charge, they ask if you want to park in their covered parking– then tell you it’s &15 dollars.
The beds– your better bringing a sleeping bag and sleeping on the floor. The mattress on the fold out couch was filthy– and extremely worn and uncomfortable– it’s time for them to upgrade. It’s old and worn. The beds in the bedrooms were too soft, and also needed a steam cleaning.
The balcony– they advertise every room has a balcony– and it overlooks the pool– there are NO balcony s, they put chairs on the walk ways outside your room and call it a balcony. So, if you sit outside your door– you will have foot traffic going back and forth in front of you– last time I checked– most balcony’s are private.
The room had a chair that had several stains on it, it was gross– I asked the night manager to have it cleaned, it was as if I was asking for a miracle– needless to say, the chair was not cleaned while I was there. No one wanted to sit there.
The pool was bath water warm. I guess that’s good if its 50 degrees– but I’d like to cool off in a pool, not take a bath.
I’d never stay here again, nor would I recommend anyone to stay there. I thought it was ironic the manager did not ask «how was my stay» when I checked out– guess they don’t want to hear it.

Here’s my letter to the business:
I have some feedback about our recent stay in room 317.
1. The bedroom wall gets a TON of noise whenever people come in and out of the side door. Please put up a sign letting patrons know to be quiet in that stairwell in the evenings. It is very echoy and at one point it sounded like drunk people were hanging out in there.
2. Do you recycle or compost? Please provide a separate bin (at least in the kitchen) to help the environment and do your part in recycling.
3. The tub didn’t drain. It isn’t a fun feeling to stand in 3 – 4 inches of water when you are showering.
4. The heater stopped working the last night we were there… before that there was a live flame visible at the bottom of the heater across from the bathroom… I don’t have kids but would be VERY worried about having kids around that open flame.
5. The alarm clock in the bedroom would best be situated by one side of the bed… install some extension cords that reach around to the side of the bed so that someone could plug in their cellphones next to their bed while they sleep
6. The TV in the living room made a TON of noise once it had been on for 10 – 15 minutes. It sounded like a fridge motor but it was the TV. That made it distracting to watch TV.
Overall your hotel is a great value and has a great location. Please consider making some changes to make it even more amazing!

Clean and just a short walk to 3^rd St Promenade. I loved having a charming apartment for the price of a nice hotel room.

I always assumed motels were cheap versions of hotels. They’re the places Richard Kern rents a room for a few hours and shot that Suicide Girls’ spot you pretend you’ve never seen. Or maybe they’re the place you’d go to set up that hand off that’s a bit too sketchy to do at your own place, because you’re pretty sure you’re being watched. Or kill a hooker.
I guess a better place to roll a hooker up in a carpet is a fancy hotel, really. I mean, a classy one, that is. The Cal Mar isn’t really the place to do any of that stuff. It’s more like renting a cheap apartment than a motel. The rooms are big, with a full kitchen, and all of the rooms look out on the pool I never saw anyone use. The walls are paper thin, so your neighbors will definitely hear a hooker’s body hitting the floor like a sack of potatoes. I know I sure heard everything going on in our neighbor’s room at 3 in the morning. And it didn’t sound fun.
Despite being a little unhappy with the rates of this motel, it was actually nicer than I expected it to be. Non-​free Internet is really lame and $ 12 per parking spot they give you (even though we took up one spot with a car and motorcycle, they charged us $ 24 per night for parking).
Motels are part of a disappearing part of Americana, especially the Southern California ones, so I was glad we stayed here. And I take that earlier comment back, you can totally throw down a sketchy drug deal here.

Still one of my favorite hotels and reasonably priced for the area (under $ 150/​night, where others are $ 200+). The hotel may be made up of converted apartments, so there is a warm «homey» feel throughout: hardwood floors, regular size kitchens and bathrooms, patios and a central pool lit by soft multi-​color light with deck-​chairs. There are other more upscale destination hotels in the area, but I can’t imagine staying «in» during a trip to Santa Monica. Stay here, appreciate the unique charm and spend the money you save in town…

Awesome location! Just a few blocks from 3^rd Street Promenade, the beach, the Pier and the park. You can’t beat it.
I looked at many hotel rooms for $ 2-​$ 300 and booked this place for $ 150 for my friends visit. We had a full suite with kitchen, 2 beds and a nice living room. Very clean and comfortable.
The guy who checked us in was so nice. He gaves us parking next to the office since we had some valuables in the car. He helped my friend bring her suitcase upstairs (prob not in his job description but he offered).
For two girls in a new place, it felt safe to be a short walk from everything worth doing.
I would happily stay here again, compared to the prices of the other hotels and considering the location it can’t be beat. (I put pricey for the range, I think it is fairly priced for what they offer and the location, it is just a pricey area in general).