First look: See inside Regent’s flagship Americas property opening in Santa Monica

At the beginning of the year, TPG shared its list of the most exciting hotels set to open in 2024, and those properties spanned from New Jersey to the Seychelles. One of these hotly anticipated hotels, which sits on a stunning stretch of California coastline, has shared new renderings of the property ahead of its summer opening.

Here’s what you’ll find at the Regent Santa Monica Beach.

Guests will enter the $150 million hotel designed by AvroKO and Wimberly Interiors by walking past a stunning circle entryway and porte cochere into the chic. They will step into a wood-paneled reception area full of fresh white accents, marble floors and a dramatic, wall-length portrait of the Pacific coast and rugged coastal mountains. (Plus, it’s nice knowing that the real-life views are just outside the hotel’s doors.)

For those unfamiliar, Regent is a historic brand that recently received a new life thanks to its majority acquisition by IHG before the pandemic. Since then, IHG has been rolling out new properties, including the Carlton Cannes in France and the rebirth of Regent Hong Kong as the brand’s ultra-luxury hotel darling.

Related: Regent plans return to the US amid IHG’s global luxury hotel expansion

The sweeping beaches and distant mountainscape vistas in Santa Monica — like the ones depicted in the new property’s lobby — set the scene for this hotel to serve as Regent’s flagship property here in the Americas.

In the lobby, the modern glamor of this California chic Regent will continue. There are seating areas in a palm-lined space and a glass atrium to filter in plenty of natural sunlight. It serves as a home base for guests who want to take advantage of Regent offerings, like Experience Agents who can help curate and tailor a stay.

The hotel can also personalize other aspects of the stay, such as scent, music and literature, to create a truly one-of-a-kind experience.

The hotel will feature 143 guest rooms, plus 24 suites. Entry-level rooms start at 720 square feet and offer bathrooms with soaking tubs, rainfall showers, bidets and other high-end amenities.

The rooms will be full of colors, patterns and textures, as demonstrated by the King Premium Oceanfront pictures above. Still, even inside the rooms, the ocean views will be the real star of the show.

In corner suites, a private outdoor space and separate living area will surely make guests feel like they’ve moved into a boho-inspired apartment rather than a hotel.

For an even bigger accommodation, splurge for a two-story Atrium Suite, which measures more than 2,100 square feet; or, opt for the Santa Monica Presidential Suite, which has not one but four Juliet balconies and a game room.

Dining at this Regent will also be a glamorous affair, with James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Mina bringing the flavors of the Mediterranean to Santa Monica at Orla.

Regent is also teaming up with Ayesha Curry for Regent Santa Monica by bringing her lifestyle brand, Sweet July, to the property in the form of a restaurant. It’ll offer cafe favorites like coffee, tea, pastries and desserts, as well as a Jamaican-inspired menu that celebrates Curry’s ties to the island.

And, because it’s not a trip to Santa Monica without shopping, visitors can also pick up goods from Black- and women-owned brands, all curated by Curry.

True to California form, the property will feature a pool deck with lounge chairs, covered day beds and views out to the ocean, as well as beach butler services. Hopefully, the hardest decision you have to make here is deciding whether to kick it by the pool or down by the beach.

For spa lovers, a 10,000-square-foot Guerlain spa will be there, waiting to pamper guests in true celebrity fashion.

Is IHG luxury hospitality’s silent sleeper?

The Regent Santa Monica — a partnership between Strategic Hotels & Resorts and Regent Hotels & Resorts — is scheduled to open later this year. Regent has an impressive pipeline in the works, with 11 properties set to open over the next five years in destinations like Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Kyoto, Japan; Sanya, China; and Shenzhen, China.

Regent’s growth is also a big win for IHG, which has a “strategic focus” on lifestyle and luxury brands, as TPG previously reported. This move should make other hotel companies with key luxury brands — like Marriott with St. Regis and Ritz-Carlton or Four Seasons — a little worried about what’s happening in the space.

IHG isn’t the only company making big moves in the luxury space. Just this week, Hilton announced it had acquired a majority stake in the parent company of NoMad Hotels, and has plans to eventually expand NoMad up to 100 hotels.

All this to say, it’s a great time for those of us who love a luxury hotel, be it young and fresh or timelessly elegant. While the major hotel brands duke it out to see who can build and grow the “best” luxury chains, the rest of us will benefit from the new competition. We can enjoy what’s sure to be a slew of incredible new hotels, like the Regent Santa Monica, opening up worldwide in the coming years.

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