Famous interior designer Michael S. Smith was hired by the management of the prestigious Casa del Mar Hotel in Santa Monica, California to revamp this historical hotel. The end result is just as elegant as you could expect and is truly faithful to the hotel’s legacy!

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For those who don’t know, Casa Del Mar has been a Santa Monica institution since the roaring 20’s, when it was the see-and-be-seen destination of the old Hollywood elite. The beloved hotel was in desperate need of some renovations and who better for that job than Michael S. Smith, one of the top celebrity designers of L.A.

It is the lobby lounge, in particular that Smith—a-five time honoree of Architectural Digest’s “The AD 100”, and is the recipient of the Pacific Design Center’s West Week “Stars of Design” as well as the man who was personally appointed by President Obama to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House—has gifted with his Midas Touch. The updated lounge features a brand-new check-in area with Spanish tiles and hand-blown glass beading.

There are also three new suites that have received a generous upgrade thanks to Rooms & Gardens. The multi-level Penthouse suites are reminiscent of Italian seaside villas, featuring eclectic Venetian-designed furnishings, a living room with a fireplace, a formal dining area, and either one, two, or three bedrooms with separate sitting areas, giving guests the feeling they are in their own private, beachfront pied-a-terre. A single Presidential Suite includes two bedrooms, a living and dining room, guest bath, bar, a Bang & Olufsen stereo system, hydrothermal massage tubs, and a separate shower and vanity. The suites are priced from $2,700 to $4,200 per night.

Room details include all-new, custom-designed alder and walnut furnishings throughout, with particular attention paid to incorporating a variety of hues and textures, i.e., ebony-finished pieces to contrast the light blue walls and soft color palette, furniture with caning, and raffia-wallpapered bookcases. The centerpiece, a rich walnut four-poster bed, is accented with luxurious white linens, lush chenille throws, and a bisque-colored ceramic garden stool located at its base.

Additional unique touches include an etched and hand-silvered mirror, a selection of thoughtfully chosen novels, and whimsical artifacts reflective of the property’s beach location, such as coral and vintage maps of downtown Santa Monica, inspired by an original print dating back to the 1930s. Opulent baths feature white Italian Calacatta marble walls and floors, light fixtures finished in silver leaf, traditional pedestal sinks with white porcelain fixtures, and whirlpool tubs with a frosted pan-windows opening into the guest rooms.

Additionally, each room is outfitted with the latest technology, including a 42-inch LCD flat screen television and Bose speakers in the main room, a flat screen television in the bathroom, complimentary movies on-demand, and wireless internet access.

Image SOurce – Architectural Digest’s