I’m a little overdue in sharing the details from our Thanksgiving Weekend trip to California with all of the holiday shuffle! Between sourcing and preparing Gift Guides and outfit ideas coupled with real-life holiday prep and hosting, we had a busy month! Today, I’m popping in to share more about our recent trip. Here is Santa Monica, CA // Our 1-Night December Visit.
To read more about our family vacations & adventures, my girl’s trips and more, be sure to head to my full Travel Gallery.
Heading on a trip soon? Click here for my travel essentials and here for travel outfit ideas & inspo while you’re away!
Santa Monica, CA // Our 1-NIGHT December Visit
We took off the day after Thanksgiving for a long holiday weekend road trip. We drove to Long Beach, CA to catch the ferry which took us to Catalina Island for a 2-night stay. [I’ll share more on that trip soon!] We took the ferry back to the mainland on Sunday and drove about 45 minutes to stay a night in Santa Monica. I had heard such fabulous things about this vibrant, artsy, coastal neighbor to Los Angeles so we were excited to check it out.
We stayed at Hyatt Centric Delfina Santa Monica which was formerly Le Méridien Delfina Santa Monica. It is a fresh and new boutique hotel with 315 rooms and suites with fabulous ocean and mountain views and private balconies. Ours looked out to the ocean!
The hotel’s front entrance was my favorite. It was chic and modern with art & sculptural details all throughout the property. The lighting, furniture and decor was all fabulous.
The ceiling was spectacular.
When we first arrived we set out to explore the lobby and beyond. Upon checking in, we were told about the Game Room, so of course, the boys couldn’t wait to check it out.
T and I took shifts hanging out with them since they wanted to get their fill of competition [aka brotherly battling] before we ventured out for the afternoon. They had a pool table, shuffleboard, uno, a swinging chair and more. Perfect entertainment for 3 energetic boys. They could’ve hung out in there all night!
The hotel was about 10 minutes from Venice so it worked out perfectly to meet up with one of my college girlfriends and her family. She and her husband and their 2 year old live in Venice so happy hour at Salt & Straw on Abbot Kinney Boulevard was perfect!
We got to sit, sip and catch up for a bit which was so nice since I hadn’t seen her in almost 3 years since her wedding in Palm Springs.
We headed back to the hotel for dinner at Coastal Harvest Bar & Kitchen. The food was SO delicious and there was something for everyone! We did Burgers all-around and then a BBQ Chicken flatbread and French Onion soup for the table.
The best part is that it was a Sunday night and the restaurant served dinner until 10 PM which is a huge bonus when you’re traveling with kids. Any or all of us can get “hangry” without a proper meal! So often hotel bars & restaurants stop serving food early or don’t even offer a dinner menu on Sunday nights!
It wasn’t a late night so there was no excuse to not get up to catch the sunrise. It was spectacular. T and I went down to the lobby to get coffee.
We decided the boys could wait on their muffins, so we grabbed our coffee and went outside to enjoy it poolside by the firepit.
I loved the vibe of the pool area. The murals, palm trees and cozy atmosphere was the perfect spot to start the day. We didn’t end up swimming, but taking a dip in the warm salt water pool was tempting both day & night.
Back to the room to pack-up and let the boys enjoy their muffins on the balcony.
Santa Monica, you’re pretty.
We had no big plans that day, other than to go the Santa Monica Pier before heading home. It was a gorgeous morning so we walked around a bit and took in the sights and sounds of the pier.
We definitely plan to come back to Santa Monica to spend some more time at the Pier, check out the beaches and do some shopping and dining.
We’re always torn when we think about another visit. Do we bring the boys back or do we plan a kid-free trip?! Decisions, decisions.
HYATT CENTRIC DELFINA SANTA MONICA HIGHLIGHTS
Here are some of the hotel’s highlights and photos I took during our short, but sweet stay!
THE FRONT ENTRANCE / LOBBY
THE GAMEROOM
OUR GUESTROOM
THE BALCONY VIEW
POOLSIDE ESCAPE
Have you been to Santa Monica? What should we see and do if we return?!
Looking for other places to visit in sunny California?!
If you want to check out some of our other California road trip adventures – see our La Jolla visit here and our Carlsbad one here. I have a few more to share as well! Adding them to my January content calendar!
Here’s to more travel and adventure in 2025! I can’t wait to take you along for the ride 😉
To read more about our family vacations & adventures, my girl’s trips and more, be sure to head to my full Travel Gallery.
Heading on a trip soon? Click here for my travel essentials and here for travel outfit ideas & inspo while you’re away!
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