The Bar/Lounge at The Beacon

"Virtues that compensate for the stingy space include a friendly, professional staff, double windows that block street noise, beds so comfy you want to live in them, and a rooftop bar with an ocean view to die for (though it’s often crowded)"

"A chic outdoor pool area is a highlight here, while the rooftop ONYX bar is a nighttime hotspot, with live DJ sets several times a week -- it's worth noting that bar noise can be an issue in rooms"

"Known to attract fashion's elite and an otherwise trendy crowd, who are drawn to the South-Beach-meets-Santa-Monica vibe, this hotel is cool --- especially since reopening after a recent $30 million renovation, which added The Dining Room restaurant, a swimming pool and Suite 700, the rooftop bar area"

"Once a private penthouse, this indoor/outdoor roof lounge retains a sense of glamour from the seaside hotel's heyday in the Golden Age of Hollywood"

"Renovated from top to bottom in 2008, the Shangri-La is now home to one of Santa Monica’s most indulgent spas, the kind of rooftop bar a femme fatale would have haunted in a film noir (and the only one in town with ocean views), and a stylized, vintage pool courtyard where broad-brimmed hats and Jackie O sunglasses wouldn’t seem out of place"

"There’s also a chill pool surrounded by retro striped loungers and a restaurant that serves Cali cuisine using produce from the local farmers market"

"Designed by Marc Smith (who famously conjured The Edison Lounge Downtown), this sleekly minimalist indoor/outdoor rooftop bar at Santa Monica’s revivified art deco Hotel Shangri-La boasts epic Pacific vistas from its bluff-top perch; by day, it’s a boisterous, sunshine-drenched hangout, while after dark, it’s a secluded hideout for overnight guests and lucky locals basking in ocean breezes and pricey cocktails"

"A restaurant and pool have also been added, and, on the rooftop, guests can enjoy a drink at the Suite 700 lounge or a spa treatment"

"The pool area features alfresco dining, an outdoor bar, cabanas, a lounge area, fire pits and a Jacuzzi"

"The teak-wood pool deck is simply lovely, and one of our favorite parts is the Studio 54–inspired scene at the rooftop bar, Onyx"