Driving on Santa Monica’s hotel-lined Ocean Boulevard, the Viceroy stands out: a 14-foot-tall light sculpture casts a pool-table-green hue along the right side of the eight-story hotel. Inside, a design scheme created by designer Kelly Wearstler evokes the British Regency style, with such decorative touches as china displays, cameos and lots of wood and leather.

Part of the Kor Hotel Group, the luxury hotel offers plenty of amenities, include a top-notch restaurant (named Whist, after the British card game) serving New American cuisine. Pampering treatments available from GreenBliss EcoSpa, a mobile “eco-luxury spa service” that provides spa and beauty services poolside and in guests’ rooms. In the evenings, particularly Thursday through Saturday, one finds a lively, trendy crowd at the Cameo Bar, sipping such signature drinks as Strawberry Vice, Mojito Royal and Mandarine Gimlet.

The hotel is just a short walk from the beach, and it’s close to both Santa Monica’s Main Street and the Third Street Promenade, each a hotbed for shopping and dining. The Santa Monica Convention Center and the Civic Auditorium are just across the street, and the Santa Monica Pier is also within walking distance.

Amenities

• Bathrobes
• In-room beauty bars featuring full-sized spa products
• In-room entertainment centers featuring movies, music and PlayStation
• Wireless and wired high-speed Internet in all guestrooms and public spaces
• 27-inch flat screen color televisions
• CD/DVD players
• 2-line cordless telephones with speaker capacity
• Dataport connections for modem/fax hook up
• Mini-bar
• 24-hour room service
• Two outdoor pools
• 24-hour fitness center
• Massage and in-room spa services
• Same-day dry cleaning and laundry
• Concierge service
• Valet parking