The Ambrose Hotel - an inclusive experience in Santa Monica

I’m a California native who has lived across the US and internationally. Service trained by Disney, Apple and The Ritz-Carlton, certified as a practitioner in Neuro-linguistic Programming, I’m a passionate hotelier who use to be a drummer in an LA-based Rock band. In fact, I still perform throughout LA and Orange County with my singer. What I love about playing music is the connection with the other musicians on stage. Always looking out to complement each other, not trying to be centre stage at every moment but by playing dynamically and with a higher sense of self, to create something as a group and give that experience to the audience. Similar to the way I like to create experiences for the guests in the hospitality industry. Health and fitness is a priority of mine but will definitely indulge in a Sidecar doughnut or Salt and Straw ice cream occasionally. So good!

We are a small, independent hotel that focuses on you, and we truly create a SoCal experience where nature can intertwine with our interiors — offering a courtyard that flows through to our living room, an outdoor fireplace providing an environment of comfort, to use as a home to begin your adventures exploring Santa Monica for the day. Then, come home to, relax and unwind.

Health and wellness are inherent to who we are; we are located in Santa Monica, after all. We attract guests who care about their wellbeing, and we are always listening to the guest’s feedback through both surveys and day-to-day conversations. We switched up our breakfast options to accommodate a wide variety of nutritional preferences from Paleo, to vegetarian, gluten-free etcetera. We know our guests are biking enthusiasts, and we chose to partner with Peloton Bikes and opted for a fleet of beach cruisers to explore Malibu and Venice. We even recently upgraded our house car to a Tesla Model 3 because our guests are both style and sustainability conscious.

It boils down to cleanliness, service, and a brand’s mission. What’s great about The Ambrose is that beyond being spotless and service focused, we are intimate, secluded and everything you might need to enjoy a quick trip to Santa Monica or a week stay. We are a fantastic location to get to anywhere you want to go in Santa Monica and Los Angeles. Plus, we really do care about health, wellness and the environment, and those values are intentionally infused in everything we do.

Just like music and TV, the consumer wants what they want when they want it. We are not looking to tell the customers what “hospitality” should look like; we want them to enjoy the type of service that is important specifically to them — tailored to the individual. If someone wants to sit and chat about local restaurants, we do that. If someone prefers to rest and relax with their thoughts while sipping on a glass of California wine in the Library or out by the fireplace, we have that space. What’s important to the guest is important to us. That creates comfort; that’s what hospitality is.

Design is fantastic the first time you go and experience a new hotel. How that design impacts the guest stay would depend on the functionality of the design, how it makes the guest feel, and the ability for the staff to provide the service around it. Our guests appreciate our residential California Craftsman design that’s accented by access to nature via our terraces, patios, fireplace, and botanically lavish courtyard. However, for most of our guests, they come back because of the personal connections we aim to foster during their stay. We live in a time when everything around us is becoming transitional, from social media to dating apps, and I believe humans are craving real connection. We are investing in a relationship with each guest that walks through our doors, and as a 77-room boutique hotel, our intimate size is a benefit.

Los Angeles is the city of big dreams, nature, glitz and perpetual sunshine. We offer an incredible location to experience anything and everything one could want in a city destination. If its beach life, restaurants, clubs, shopping, fitness classes, sightseeing, hiking, sports and entertainment or diving up the coast there is something for everyone. There are places to see and be seen as well as retreated to enjoy your privacy and seclusion. Will Rogers State Beach is one of the top LGBTQ friendly beaches and hangouts of all of California, and it’s literally 4 miles away. With surfing, volleyball courts, restrooms and gymnastic-style equipment available it’s an extremely popular local place for the LGBTQ community.

New restaurants and bars are opening up all the time. You could spend years here and never visit the same place twice. I personally enjoy walking the Third Street Promenade and Pier as well as biking Venice boardwalk just to people watch. There is so much to see and experience the history and culture of it all. Fia is a fantastic new restaurant a couple of blocks from the hotel with a beautiful southern-style patio that feels hidden, energized and romantic. The Getty Villa is stunning for art and definitely not something you would want to miss. Reservations are required, which is helpful as it keeps it a private experience.

It’s our mission to make all feel included, and this shows with our award-winning diverse team at the hotel. We feel this is why the gay community loves us. The Ambrose is also not an ‘over the top’ hotel. We’re not flamboyant, or that party hotel one may seek. We are that space to have your space. The Ambrose is a lifestyle, luxury hotel with a style all its own. We want our travellers to feel included in the hotel community but not make one feel they are being singled out. I think our guests can feel we are welcoming to all. The Ambrose… it’s your hotel.

Explore, explore, explore. Be open to trying new things. One of my favourite quotes from the late Anthony Bourdain, “Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s OK. The journey changes you; it should change you. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.“

Whether you want a resort vacation, wildlife safari, city break, luxury cruise, wellness retreat, honeymoon, once-in-a-lifetime adventure or weekend escape, the trip curation experts at Mr Hudson make travel planning a breeze. Find out how we can handle the finer details of vacationing in style.