Santa Monica Proper Hotel — Hotel in Santa Monica

Zero stars if I could. Save yourself and stay literally ANYWHERE ELSE than this jute covered flaming dumpster fire. ||||Why pay $600+ a night to have a strange man threaten to break the security chains on your locked room while you are naked and asleep, as he fights to enter the room past your door chain? The hotel is barely interesting from a design perspective, and while has high ceilings and nice lighting, it has the worst staff of any hotel in this category in the entire state.||||It’s a core problem to this hotel, and if you read about other’s experiences here and elsewhere online, you’ll start to see why. Imagine a hotel full of worst people you have ever met, from guests to staff. From mere pettiness all the way up to dangerous people—your stay will be ruined by each interaction.||||Why is that? How is it possible that Proper Hotels have created SUCH a toxic culture that the entire visual design is overshadowed by an overall grotesque experience? From check-in… to breakfast… to especially the rooftop pool… to front office, every encounter with staff or guests is a nightmare.||||Upstairs on the rooftop pool, guests are insanely rude and will throw other people’s personal items resting on lounge chairs in the bushes even though there are plenty of free chairs and general seating everywhere. The staff here are even WORSE — Ernest from the front office lied to my face inventing a bs reason for why he threatened to break the security chain of the door preventing him from barging in as I was naked just because I wasn’t able to dress fast enough after he woke me up, and so I was forced to answer the door barely holding up a towel as he proceeded to try barging in and hold an extended conversation without allowing me to get dressed.||||BOTTOM LINE: NOT RECOMMENDED FOR SOLO FEMALE TRAVELERS.||||If you have to stay at this hotel, DEADBOLT the door, otherwise staff will try force in whether or not you are naked (and verbally requests to wait while you get dressed will be completely disrespected). Totally inappropriate, unsafe, and unacceptable.||||Usually other hotels will slip an envelope under your door if they need to pass along a message. This hotel is staffed by rote and monstrous employees who could care less about the quality of your comfort, peace, or sleep. This happened even after I took the time to call the hotel ahead of arriving to make a special note that I would be arriving late from extended travel, and even after putting up the “do not disturb” handle hanger. Joshua Samad, Director of Rooms, argued with me with totally gaslighting statements defending this unacceptable, scary, and violating behavior. Three different members of staff, from check-in, to Ernest, to Joshua all lied multiple times in conversation with me, contradicting themselves and each other. I wish this hotel would shut down completely. The toxic culture here is horrible, and the staff are at best completely incompetent and at worst rude to the point of being scary. Santa Monica Proper Hotel is the worst.||||On top of all of this, Proper Hotel mgmt charges a disgusting $70 per night just to park at the hotel to avoid walking at night among the homeless outside. Proper Hotels are contributing to an extractive, toxic culture in the hospitality and travel industry, they ARE the problem. At parking rates that high, the least you could do is hire qualified and educated professional staff with quality hospitality degrees instead of people who so clearly should not work in any service capacity whatsoever.||||I hated this hotel so much that I actually left my multi-day prepaid booking early, which I have never done at any other hotel before. If I could go back in time and un-book this hotel, I would. AVOID this...

Starting my review solely based on the unprofessionalism of the management. Why? Because that's the essence of the place. As a professional who operated in customer business and was, and still will always be, incredibly successful. I have never experienced anything quite like the proper hotel. I was coming to this place at least three times a week. I would come to sit and work at the bar or a lounge area. The bar staff is impressive. That was why I would always come up with special thanks to Sergio, Ricky, and Carlos, incredibly talented, charismatic professionals of the craft! Last night I got kicked out … for one simple reason I was charged on the card the entire bar of people I didn’t even know. They charged my card, and then I was baffled why it was that much. I asked for a check and then found out most of that was not even my bill; I was a regular ( imagine if they treat their regular guest this way, how would they treat random once the reason for this review ) 5 people came and surrounded me like I was a criminal. When I explained an issue, the bartender said he was sitting beside you. And I was like? If he sits next to me, I look like the one who pays for everyone. The charge was 340. The manager asked for another 250 to be charged because they said the refund was issued and that you would get it within a few business days, and now I need the rest. I asked for an actual bill, then checked once again items I never even ordered because I got two espressos martinis for ladies next and a French fries. She goes you had a peach martini. No, no one had it, and a bartender confirmed it, so now she is sending some other person I 340 charged that would be refunded, and then I need another 260 for things I didn’t order. I asked whether I could get an actual bill, and they sent it. Some other person tells me it’s yours. I was told right after never to come back up again because we had a few situations. I go what case, my sweetest assistant went to the pool, and I ordered her a drink and a drink for a man we had just met (a guest of the hotel ). She and he never got a drink, and when he saw the glasses, they would kick her out, saying it was only for guests; that guest left with her to the bar I was at, and we never got those margaritas. Now on all their Unprofessionalism, he says it’s a few situations. Do they even understand they work in a customer service business? I always came and sat at the pool and had no idea they would disrespect their guests that way. My bill that day was well over 500$. That guest worked for a hotel company and was shocked by the disrespect by that tall, beautiful exotic lady. He could never imagine that could ever happen. Is that a 5-star place? And now I was asking her, she said, laughing, I'm busy and left quickly, so ingenuine I went and still owe them 160$ I will pay, but it's a nasty shady environment. I'm expecting a call from GM. I hope he has the decency to fix this all up. By the way, their menu is entirely immature now, they got rid of all their skewers and healthy items, and now it's just a very average high-cost, low-quality menu. Go to Elephante for better food for twice less cost. It's just easier for them because they are lazy and Privileged. They think that way, defiantly not me! That's why I will never come back up ever again. I'm Russian, and I have an accent! I did not invade the proper hotel; I just came all those times to have a great time! Also, valet people are super awesome! Probably the only place management doesn't intrude! DO NOT FORGET YOU ARE SEVEN BLOCKS AWAY FROM THE BEACH WITH 40$ PARKING AND THE BIGGEST NASTIEST HOMELESS TOWN RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE PROPERTY, SO IF YOU HAVE A GF MAKE SURE SHE IS NOT ALONE AND...

Sadly this hotel has luxury prices but is not really a luxury hotel with the luxury touches or service. It is a pretty hotel, but it pretty much ends there. We were booked in the Deluxe Balcony King room which was on the second floor directly above a row of dumpsters. I could literally walk out on the balcony and throw my trash into the dumpster. Seriously. For almost $700 a night we were put in a room approximately 25 feet from dumpsters. I am literally still in shock that anyone would think this would be okay.

Also, it was my birthday (which is what this trip was for). My boyfriend let the hotel know that and asked them if they could do something special upon our arrival, which they said they would. He also called to confirm this the day before our arrival. Nothing was done as requested (twice).

We spoke to the front desk in regards of both of these issues and initially were told there was nothing they could do and that the hotel does not have "nice" views because of the location. I did not in fact ask for a nice view, I asked to not look at dumpsters. I think reasonable for $700 a night (we were staying 3 nights). Then we spoke to another woman who was very nice, and very professional and moved us to another room which was much better thankfully.

The room was nice and the bathroom was very big, however we were disappointed with the one ply sand paper they call toilet paper and the extremely cheap blow dryer. In a luxury hotel I expect nice Charmin or Quilted Northern and a higher end blow dryer that actually dries hair. I would expect this in a Holiday Inn, not a luxury hotel at $700 a night. It's just a cheap out. What I do like about the rooms was the high tech lighting/shade system next to the nightstand. This is a really great feature.

My boyfriend also had the concierge book us hotel reservations, however the restaurant was not informed that it was my birthday that night. It would have been nice for the concierge to pay attention to this detail and make sure the restaurant was aware. Just a nice "above and beyond" to inform them and maybe request a good table, etc. I think that is fair to expect at these prices. Once we were there John let them know and they happily moved us to a much better table that was ocean front.

Also, we were supposed to have a $160 credit towards the restaurants in the hotel. So we did eat at the rooftop restaurant and we ordered room service once. When we checked out we only received a $75 credit. They were able to fix this once we called it to their attention.

The hotel is very pretty, the food was very good along with the service. But at the end of the day my expectations are set by the price. If this hotel was much less expensive I would not find most of this much of an issue. But I do expect and deserve to get what I pay for, and when you have prices this high you have to back it up. The Proper just simply did not and after we left we agreed that we would not stay there again. Just NOT...