More about The Ambrose
Hidden Gem for usually overpriced Santa Monica
by A TripAdvisor Member
This hotel is very beautiful. The quality of the reviews is very high. I would say it is in the top tier. You get Aveda products, beautiful linens etc.
The breakfast in the morning is lovely. There is a pretty brook and feng shui atmosphere right outside the breakfast area.
I stayed there in August 2003 and had no problems. The rooms aren't very large, but they are of decent size.
Overall, this was a very pleasant experience. This is a very good value for Santa Monica (whic is generally overpriced for what you get)!
The Ambrose - Pricey but adequate
by TripAdvisor Member Happy_Clam
We stayed at the Ambrose for 1 week in early May 2004. The hotel looks very new as it is only 1 year old. No worries about worn carpeting or furniture. However, we did encounter a leaky aircon duct. But this was promptly attended to by a friendly handyman. The hotel is indeed very nice and 'Zen' looking with many wood panels and Asian tones. A 'Koi Pond' (with no Koi) in the front of the building is nice to have your morning coffee in front of.For those of you who like to go to the gym, The Ambrose has a nice one that's a bit under-utilised. So the machines are very clean and new. Nice. Best time to use the gym is in the late mornings and afternoons.However, for all its serenity and cleanliness, we found that the hotel could do with a few more 'nice touches' which I don't think would cost a lot. For the price you pay for staying here (and its not cheap, even by Santa Monica standards), these improvements should be looked into. The Ambrose has a really large bathroom with marble floors, I think they should provide disposable slippers so guests don't freeze their feet off. Also, housekeeping wasn't really effective. I don't think they even tidy up anything else in the room other than making the bed and replenishing the amenities in the toilet. The bathroom could also do with a clothes line for guests who want to do some laundry.The Ambrose is an above average hotel which gains points for the mere fact that it is new and clean. Staff at reception are OK but not overly friendly. Give the hotel a couple more years and you'll probably start noticing some differences in its look. They serve a continental breakfast in the mornings like muffins, danish, juice, fruit salad, yoghurt, bagels and coffee/tea. Adquate but not lavish. Don't look for anything hot to eat other than toast.On the whole, a nice hotel but location is far from shopping and beach. You'd have to walk about 1/2 hrs (one way) to get to the 3rd street promenade for any nice restaurants or shops. Nearby restaurants are IHOP, koo-ko-roo and Sizzler. The neighbouhood is very quiet perhaps because it's opposite a chapel and funeral home. But if you're looking for peace and quiet, this place is it. However, remember to bring those bedroom slippers and a good book to read.
Loud, But Lovely
by TripAdvisor Member TazoNashville
After reading the reviews here, I decided to try the Ambrose. My check-in was easy by a helpful desk clerk that I only saw once in my 5 day stay. The rooms are clean and spacious and very comfortable. HOWEVER, noisy TV'S can be heard from your next door neighbors' rooms. So, bring ear plugs! A Whole Food Market is within walking distance and good for breakfast as you will want to pass on the continental one served here. The pastry was soggy and the fruit was over ripe and mushy. I hoped each morning it would improve.!
(Ambrose) Motel 6
by A TripAdvisor Member
The room looked ok but the service and intangibles at this motel was pathetic. I am convinced that many of these reviews are fake.
We had booked an upgraded room on an upper floor directly with the hotel. (strike 1 - bait & switch) When we got there, we were informed that that class of room we booked does not exist, and an upgraded room would cost us an extra $30 per night. (strike 2) We were then told that, since there was no bell desk, we would have to bring up our luggage to our room ourselves. Of course I hurt myself. (strike 3) There was a wedding party across the hall making noise until about 3AM. (strike 4) The walls are paper thin so you can hear conversations, etc. in the adjoining room - we tried running the fan to drown out all the noise, but the room became too freezing for our 8 month old baby who was up crying all night. (strike 5) We found out on the second day that the lock on the room door didn't work. (strike 6) We wasted about 2 hours of a nice day waiting in vain for the lock to be fixed, then for someone to find us a new room, then discovering that the room class was a few levels lower.
You probably don't believe this, but I usually am not one to complain. However, this stay was extraordinarily bad, and people should be warned about the fraudulent reviews. At least they refunded the room upgrade amount after I complained at the front desk. If you just want a room and are on a tight budget, maybe this hotel is passable. If you want even the minimum level of service, please go elsewhere!
Good city hotel
by A TripAdvisor Member
We stayed there for 2 nights recently and found it good value for a city hotel.
The room is spacious and well furnished though the reservation staff probably should not have descibed it as a junior suite. Judging from their floorplan, there is probably not a lot of difference between their standard and premium rooms. Continental breakfast (included in the room rate) is a nice touch.
The hotel is tastefully furnished and is worth a try. Service are ok: they did provide help for luggage when asked.
Loved it the First Time but...
by A TripAdvisor Member
We stayed at The Ambrose in the first month or two it opened and loved it, thought it would be the "home away from home" in Santa Monica. Because it was new and not yet full, we got a huge room for the lower rate, facing west (the front of the hotel) with a view of the beautiful colors of sunset. Continental breakfast and service were great, and it really felt like a find that I would enjoy recommending. Went back again in late May 2004 and unfortunately felt the opposite. I had a much smaller room for a higher price on the north side of the hotel, on an alley, with a view straight into the kitchen and living room of the apartment across the alley (and they with their view of me). Delivery and garbage trucks started roaring down the alley at about 7:30 in the morning. 2 reasons not to open the curtains or windows during a stay in Santa Monica are 2 reasons too many. That room, for the price, was no find at all. Apart from the room, the quality of the continental breakfast had gone way down (mushy and soggy fruit, pastries no more distinctive than a business breakfast meeting), the food was not refreshed/replaced when it ran out without asking for it, and one morning it was totally cleared away 10 minutes before the breakfast time was over. The front desk was understaffed and fairly dour. Both of these trips were multi-day stays. I would like to give The Ambrose one more try since our first stay was so great, but not sure I will at that price. Be sure to ask for a room facing west!
The Good and The Bad
by TripAdvisor Member foodierd
Found The Ambrose from tripadvisor. Usually stay at the Fairmont-love that hotel but getting too pricey for monthly visits. Have also stayed at Shutters as well as a few other Santa Monica hotels. First stay was very good-room was clean and comfortable with balcony. Breakfast is adequate-soggy Danish notwithstanding. Wish they offered milk, iced tea and perhaps some cheeses. Staff is, well, untrained is the most positive way of putting it. Some are downright snooty and rude, others seem clueless. All are young. Don't expect any "service". The hotel is extraordinarily stingy with towels. It cannot just be a conservation issue. The towels are threadbare to begin with and then all you get are two bath towels and two handtowels. Calling down for more resulted in the delivery of ONE more bath towel. They are so worn that taking a shower and drying my hair required three towels. Beds are very comfortable, rooms are definitely clean. Location is good if you have a car. The free underground parking makes up for a lot of the misses. Valet at a hotel is $20 a day plus a tip each time they bring you the car. That can really add up if you go and come a bit. The "concierge trained" staff (from their website description) know nothing about LA-at least that has been our experience. The price is right, if you are looking for a clean room with a comfortable bed for under $200 a night without many frills. We calculated that The Fairmont for a similar room including parking and eating a similar breakfast would come to $375 a night. But no ocean views, cannot walk to the beach, no well trained staff, no amenities. And no place to sit and relax if you don't have a balcony. No pool. No grounds. Just four chairs facing a grassy area out in front of hotel just yards from the street. Chairs are not comfortable enough for a relaxing moment to read or contemplate especially since people are constantly walking by going in and out of hotel. All that said, will probably stay here again because the price is right for the cleanliness.
folks who enjoy a good nights sleep
by TripAdvisor Member TOFF777
stayed 6 nights , found the rooms very comfortable , unlike most hotels the beds were lovely and soft and not rock hard , the only downside not enougth cuboard space especially as there was four of us.as far as breakfast goes it was a continental, but we went out mainly for breakfast and one of the best places we encounted was izzes on wiltishire boulevard, which i highly recommend.We found the staff very helpful , The main point about this accomodation it is in a very peaceful location and very clean, where as the hotels on ocean boulevard are situated on a very busy road so i doubt you get much sleep.So any one staying in L. A for a few days i highly recommend this hotel .
Wonderful hotel
by A TripAdvisor Member
I was surprised to read some of the negative reviews of The Ambrose. We stayed there for 4 nights in July 2004 and loved it! Our room was spacious and quiet (except for the hotel's plumbing system which does make some noise) and had pleasant amenities like bathrobes and Aveda bath products. The bed was the most comfortable I have ever slept in at a hotel and I loved the bed linens and the thick, fluffy towels. The decor of the hotel is Japanese-inspired with clean lines and quiet colors which contribute to the relaxing atmosphere, reinforced by New Age music piped out in the common areas of the hotel.
The complimentary breakfast was first-rate, particularly the coffee (Starbucks). My only complaint is that the two rooms adjacent to the reception where it is served can get quite crowded in the morning rush.
The hotel has good-size fitness room with up-to-date equipment, a small but lovely garden, and friendly, knowledgeable staff. Upon our arrival, we could not lock our room safe but it was fixed within a couple of hours. The free parking in the hotel garage is worth gold, but SUV owners should be aware that the parking spaces are fairly narrow.
The Ambrose is ideal for people who like to come back to a calm, soothing place after a day in bustling LA or an evening in downtown Santa Monica. Families with young and/or boisterous children and people who want to be close to the beach and the "action" on the 3rd street promenade (The Ambrose is approx. 2 miles away in a quiet residential area) should go somewhere else.
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