LEED-CERTIFIED LEADER: When a guest checks into a hotel, they're typically presented with a few tidbits of information by the clerk at the front desk. Perhaps the seasonal offerings at the restaurant or what's in bloom in the gardens or the toiletries the guest will find in their room or whether the property has received its LEED certification. But hearing that last fact still doesn't happen all that often, though many inns are making the push towards sustainable practices and less waste and energy efficiancy. The Ambrose Hotel in Santa Monica became one of the early hotel leaders in this field when it committed to a footprint-diminishing plan back in 2007. The eco-minded city it calls home followed up with a Certified Green Business accolade for the hotel the following year, and the 77-room inn stood at the forefront of a movement that several hotel chains and businesses would follow, not to mention individuals and home owners, too.
RENOVATION (IN TIME FOR SUMMER): But there was no laurel-resting for the hotel located on 20th Street near Arizona Avenue: A 2015 refurbishment brought a buffing-up of rooms and public spaces, and the early June re-debut was quite timely, given its five-minute-drive-from-the-beach location. This is not to say that Santa Monica, and all hospitality businesses within the city, have a trademark on toastier weather outdoor activities, but, kind of, right? The beach, the pier, the sun-fun times: Unveiling a Santa Monica-based hotel's updates at the start of summer days is right on the money.
AMENITIES AND MORE: The craftsman-y structure boasts the touches of the historic look -- softly lit passages, woodsy details, odes to nature, warm interiors -- but its keeping-green ways are fully modern. Natural in-room products from LATHER, balconies or terraces on each room, and gratis Wi-Fi complete the serene scene. Will you want to be down at the beach all day if you have a craftsman hotel with LEED-certified cred to hang out in? Oh, the pleasurable conflicts of having an inn that's on the edge of eco-consciousness, with craftsman-cool style. Is it time for an Instagram peek-around the place? Probably.
