As a local Angeleno, Shutters on the Beach has long been known as Santa Monica’s premiere beachside haven. I’ve had lunch there on special occasions and several romantic dinner dates back in the day. However, I had not been to Shutters in 10 years and never stayed the night. Just back from a nearly month long whirlwind European adventure, starting in France for the Cannes Film Festival, then visiting friends in The Netherlands, I had hunkered back down in my east L.A. bungalow, getting my now full-time home in order. I had suddenly sold my Oceanside beach house in the pandemic-fueled sellers market with an offer I couldn’t refuse and was forced to find a place to put everything I owned. In the inland heat-wave, surrounded by stacks of stuff, I began to miss the ocean and was longing for some sea, sand and sunset serenity. Once the last moving box was emptied I felt a change of scenery was deserved. I didn’t want to venture too far after my last exhilarating but exhausting journey. So it was the perfect time to head a mere dozen miles west on the Santa Monica freeway for a Shutters stay-cation.
At Shutters it’s all about location, location, location. The address 1 Pico Boulevard says it all. You can’t get any closer to the edge of the Pacific than that. Shutters on the Beach has a comfortable yet luxurious east-coast-on-the-west-coast, Cape Cod, cottage-chic vibe. The 5-Star luxury hotel looks over a sun soaked pool terrace and the vast expanse of white sand and blue sea. The guest rooms are designed with soothing aqua marine colors that complement the edge of the continent landscape out your window. Most ocean view rooms have balconies and Hydrothermal massage tubs (yay me) as well as wifi, Smart TV and a Bluetooth speaker system.
I love Shutter’s casual-elegant al fresco restaurant Coast Beach Café that offers farm to table breakfast lunch and dinner. They do a mean lobster roll and their fresh off the boat oysters, along with Grass fed burgers, salads and sandwiches, are delish. For fancier fare, their 1 Pico fine dining venue is perfect for a seasonal, market fresh, upscale dinner. In-room dining and take-away picnic baskets for the beach are also available to guests.
Though I did not hit the indoor gym I did explore Santa Monica by bicycle. The picturesque beach path winds through Venice Beach, Marina and Playa Del Reys all the way to the South Bay cities of Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo Beaches. The Shutter’s concierge can arrange bikes as well as surf & boogie boards for the miles of ocean right outside your door.
Shutter’s ONE Spa offers massage treatments and nail services. The facility is full service besides a hair salon which can be done right across the street at their sister property Casa Del Mar. I took advantage of their stylists to do a blowout for an impromptu photo shoot with Modern Luxury to promote my new movie shot in Malta during the pandemic. Directed by Matt Shapira, Sony/Pinnacle Peak’s Love on the Rock (Starring David A.R. White, Steven Bauer, Jon Lovitz, Vincent De Paul, myself and many others) comes out October 14 everywhere digital and DVD… for my birthday. I am going to ignore which birthday it is this year because it’s far too big for me to fathom. However, I’m grateful to be here to celebrate a major milestone trip around the sun, still doing what I love in such a beautiful place. I am happy to have called Los Angeles home for all of my adult life. And, with Shutters on the Beach right in my own front yard, staying put for a bit in the city I live in, the City of Angels, is just fine with me.