Press Contacts:

Sue Lowry / Harriet MacPhail

Magellan Public Relations

Tel:  020 8875 2850

Fax:  020 8875 2851

Email:  [email protected]

Website:  www.magellan-pr.com

 

 

 

UPDATE:  SANTA MONICA – CALIFORNIA USA

The Real Life Alternative @ the Sea…  

LOCATION

Santa Monica is the perfect epicentre for exploring Southern California.  Just 13 km from Los Angeles International Airport, this urban village is an easy hop to Beverly Hills, Universal Studios Hollywood, Venice, Malibu, the Getty Center and Disneyland.   

WORLD-CLASS BEAT

A unique blend of European sophistication and Southern Californian chic, Santa Monica is best known for its stunning beaches, dining and arts & culture.  The city offers 3,300 hotel rooms from budget to deluxe.  First class beachfront properties include the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, Shutters on the Beach, Casa del Mar Hotel and Le Merigot Beach Hotel and Spa. Other properties include the Fairmont Miramar, Four Points Hotel Santa Monica and Doubletree Guest Suites.   

SANTA MONICA BAY

The city of Santa Monica sits on Santa Monica Bay – an internationally-renowned hot spot for beach culture.  The white sandy shoreline spans six km.   A 42 km paved bike path links the seaside city to Malibu, Venice and beyond.  Bathed in 300+ annual days of sunshine, Santa Monica’s beachfront is famous as the birthplace of legendary Muscle Beach, original film site for television’s Bay Watch and playground for Hollywood celebrities.  

SANTA MONICA PIER

One of the city’s top attractions, the Pier opened in 1909 and is the West Coast’s oldest pleasure pier.  The historic Hippodrome building houses an original hand-crafted carousel.  Pacific Park, an expansive amusement centre, is packed with rides including the world’s first solar-powered Ferris wheel.  Summer months deliver weekly concerts as the sun sizzles into the Pacific.  

A WALKING PARADISE

Santa Monica’s easy-to-explore environment has long lured international travellers.  The city’s hotels, attractions, galleries, beaches, shopping and dining are within close proximity to one another and span just two square km (or 14-blocks).  Travellers with an artistic eye will enjoy Santa Monica’s bountiful statuary, murals and sculpture that span the city’s many walkways.  New:  the expansive Downtown Transit Mall, a US$18 million, 10-block pedestrian-friendly redesign and the new Santa Monica Visitors Center, located at Santa Monica Place. Around town, the Tide Shuttle transportation service circulates to major hotels and shopping areas and is an easy and convenient way to scout Santa Monica for just 25 cents.  

SIZZLING NIGHTLIFE

Nightlife hits a high note after the sun sets in Santa Monica.  One of Los Angeles’ hottest venues, this city sizzles with live entertainment, dance clubs, martini bars and eclectic coffee bars.  Santa Monica’s deep-rooted appreciation for the arts unfolds with a year-round roster of cultural performances, theatre and outdoor concerts.  Most venues are within walking distance from the beach, hotels and other attractions.  

SANCTUARIES BY THE SEA

Leisure visitors seeking a little solace can indulge in one of many day spas that dot the city.  Aqua Day Spa offers more than 100 treatments including Turkish body scrubs and Hungarian kurs. Kenneth George Sanctuary, Burke William Day Spa, Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel and Fitness Center and Le Merigot Beach Hotel and Spa round out the options.  

ARTS & CULTURE

California’s leader in cutting-edge art, Santa Monica boasts more than 75 galleries and museums.  Innovation and artistry are this city’s mainstay.  Bergamot Station offers the largest concentration of galleries – 40 in all – set in a rustic, warehouse complex.  Other great stops include the Broadway Gallery Complex, 18th Street Arts Complex, aviation-inspired Museum of Flying and nearby Getty Museum. Add a massive line-up of public art dotting the beachfront, freeway underpasses and jogging paths and the city is exploding with options.  

WORLD-RENOWN DINING

As one of the nation’s great culinary destinations, Santa Monica owes its evolution to a roster of celebrity chefs, ethnic innovation and a riveting fresh-from-the-garden mentality.  The city is bursting with nearly 500 dining options, from Indian cuisine to sushi and Asian fusion. Topping the charts in downtown Santa Monica are celebrity chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger (Border Grill); Wolfgang Puck (Chinois on Main), Hans Rockenwagner (Rockenwagner’s), Bruce Marder (Capo), Michael McCarty (Michael’s), Celestino Drago (Drago’s), Allyson Thurber (The Lobster), Josiah Citrin (Melisse) and Piero Selvaggio (Valentino’s).  

ALFRESCO SHOPPING

A cosmopolitan blend of international retailers, cutting-edge designers and one-of-a-kind boutiques define shopping Santa Monica.  Key regions include: 

Third Street Promenade -A thriving retail zone just blocks from the beach.  The three-block open-air bazaar pulses with live street performers, 40 alfresco restaurants and cafes, 100 retail stores offering rare books, antique lace and Disney originals.  Banana Republic and Gap round out the corners along with 19 theatre screens.

Santa Monica Place - A masterpiece in contemporary architecture designed from Frank O. Gehry, Santa Monica Place sits conveniently at one end of the Promenade and houses an eclectic mix of 140 nationally-known retail stores from Ann Taylor to Kenneth Cole.  This classic complex features shopping with ocean views and a one-stop fix for high fashion and 16 great international eateries.

Main Street - Micro breweries, vintage clothing stores, art galleries and old-fashioned coffee shops share space on this colourful shopping stretch located two blocks from the beach.  Main Street defines the essence of Santa Monica – casual, artistic and slightly offbeat.  

Montana Avenue - Set in one of Santa Monica’s most exclusive residential neighbourhoods and noted for its celebrity cache, Montana Avenue is the stop for upscale retail, house wares and top-of-the-line imported goods.  Exceptional boutiques, Italian designers and European bridal wear dot the 10-block street, along with trendy cafes and alfresco coffee houses for people watching/star gazing.  

FIRST IN FITNESS

Santa Monica is long known as the birthplace for legendary Muscle Beach, which kicked off an international fitness craze.  Newly renovated, the historic 1930s surfside gym reopened with a new line-up of athletic equipment for all ages, lawn panels, and bleachers for ongoing exhibitions.  

TOTING THE KIDS

Santa Monica is an ideal family destination. Great stops include The Puppet & Magic Center, with a collection of more than 500 puppets, marionettes and ventriloquist figures; Magicopolis, a theatre of illusion featuring some of the best magicians in the world; Angels Attic Museum which houses one of the largest collections of dolls, doll houses and miniatures in the U.S, and Bright Child, a children’s activity centre with an impressive array of arts & crafts.  

NEW MEDIA/VISITOR SERVICES

Destination information and on-line reservations are available via Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau’s website: www.santamonica.com.  The free Santa Monica Official Visitor Guide, a four-colour lifestyle magazine, is also available via the website.