Santa Monica Hideaway - The Ambrose

The Ambrose Hotel

Befitting the Southern California locale, this lovely hotel features in-ground and container plantings enlivened by colorful, textural succulents and cycads. Santa Monica is a seaside town - an 8-square-mile community tucked within the city limits of Los Angeles, bolstered by a beautiful beach, the famous Pier, Ferris Wheel, and the vibrant 3rd Street promenade for dining, shopping, and night life. On a previous L.A. sojourn, I discovered this boutique hotel about a mile or so from the ocean. In a lovely part of Santa Monica, The Ambrose is walking distance to hip Montana Avenue, a stretch filled with restaurants, shops and galleries. Won over by the convenient, continental breakfast buffet with fresh organic fruit, I was smitten by the hotel's iconic London Taxi that allows guests to hop a ride to nearby attractions.The Ambrose is often fully booked, so when I planned my spontaneous recent trip, I shifted my dates slightly in order to stay 3 consecutive nights.

In the hotel's sequestered front garden, a pond and the sounds of falling water add up to a cool, soothing effect. The hotel's interior decor puts a contemporary twist on Arts & Crafts style, for a serenely comfortable atmosphere.

An Asian influence emerges in the layout of this enclosed space.

Variegated Aeonium plays off the dark strappy leaves of a Phormium in sunny, streetside plantings, while Kniphofias punctuate plantings along the front driveway.

The Ambrose composts, recycles, and as of last year, 

the hotel can boast LEED Silver certification for its conservations efforts, use of non-toxic products, and commonsense practices such as windows that open to let in fresh air! 

Landscape Architect:  Troller - Mayer Associates, Glendale, CA