HotelTonight – Santa Monica Hotels in a Few Swipes
When you think of communities in Los Angeles, there are very few that come to mind before Santa Monica. Santa Monica is the place for most people who live here, as it's an area that provides beach-style living, relative proximity to other things you may need across the city and a very nice vibe all around. Or at least, that's what I was told until recently when I finally got to experience this neighborhood for myself. I extended a work trip by a day so I could do so, as I had never really spent any time here. The travel arrangements were quite simple. I flew back a day later than I would have otherwise and lodging would not be a concern. That's because I have HotelTonight on my phone, with this powerful app I'd be able to find a Santa Monica hotel room in seconds. I could not wait to see this part of Los Angeles.
The Promenade
I hadn't heard of the Third Street Promenade before visiting Santa Monica, but it's awfully hard to miss once you arrive. This is technically a mall, but it's unlike any mall I have ever seen. It's not packed with a bunch of chain stores and restaurants, but instead it's outside, it's diverse in its offerings and it's somehow quite laid back in nature. I strolled and strolled and strolled and never got tired of looking at what I was seeing. I had to remind myself more than once that this is, at its foundation, a mall, but you could spend days here and never get bored.
The Pier
The Santa Monica Pier is the iconic place that I was going to make sure to see while I was there. This engineering feat opened way back in 1909, and it's an amazing sight to see. It extends over 1,000 feet out onto the water, there is an amusement park here and options for eating and shopping. You can also do more traditional pier things like walk and fish if you would rather do so, but the point is that this pier is almost like its own community. I could not believe all that there was to do and how it all seemed to fit together so nicely.
The Quiet
Once you get away from places like the Promenade and the Pier, there's something else that you start to notice as you explore further: the quiet. Whenever I had been just about anywhere else in or near Los Angeles, there was always sort of a buzz in the background that reminded you that you were in an enormous city. There is no such thing here, even when you are near the beach. It's a community that seems to value its low-stress lifestyle, and I can see why now.
HotelTonight – Santa Monica Hotels Are Available
After a fun and active day, it was time for me to call it a night. I didn't have a place to stay yet, but that wasn't a problem with HotelTonight. I opened the app and had a Santa Monica hotel room all set to go within a minute or two. I could not wait for the deep sleep that I knew was coming.
