By Angela Fairhurst
The three towns along the southern end of Santa Monica Bay – Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach make up what locals call the South Bay. While each town has a different personality, the trendiest and closest city to LAX is Manhattan Beach. Founded in 1912,Manhattan Beach has blossomed in the last decade into a town known for luxury homes, fashionably chic shopping, award winning restaurants, stunning sunsets, and the city’s only luxury boutique hotel, Shade Hotel.
Just three blocks from the beach, it’s a great place to relax and unwind,where beach culture and contemporary chic collide.
Celebrity decorator, Christopher Lowell designed the interiors staying in touch with the beach culture of sun, surf, and bike riding. Its 38 guest rooms remain casual but luxuriously chic with a palette of soft greens and blues and rich, exotic woods. They’re cosmopolitan, yet minimalistic, creating a tranquil environment. The beds are California King size Tempur-Pedics. The bathroom has top line bath products to enjoy in your shoji screened Two-person Sanijet spa tub and a chromatherapy lighting system that allows you to set the mood while bathing. There are private balconies ideal for lounging and the second-floor rooms come with Heat & Glo Cyclone Fireplaces.
Other extras including a Keurig coffee machine for a wide range of freshly brewed hot beverages and a Pillow Library from which you can pick a special pillow. Complimentary Cruiser bicycle rentals are available as well as yoga classes on the hotel’s Skydeck every Monday and Saturday morning.
Shade’s owner, Michael Zislis, is a successful local restaurateur, so it’s no accident there are excellent food options. Zinc@shade Restaurant is open for brunch and dinner. Zinc has perhaps the longest bar in the South Bay serving seasonal cocktails and fine wines by the glass. In the lounge or on the terrace, you can enjoy a selection of unusual “farm-to-table” small plates, both sweet and savoury by Executive Chef, Chris Garasic. The intimate rooftop Skydeck offers cocktails with a view to relax beside a small dipping pool. Shade also has complimentary Beach Breakfast Buffet available every morning for guests from 6:30am – 10am.
Shade makes it easy to get work done when necessary. You can borrow a computer, get a few photocopies for your meeting, use a printer, or get some paper clips; they provide the service complimentary. The Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel and always free.
Shade is a 24/7/365 service-oriented hotel. Nothing is too much trouble or too much to hand. But the best part about Shade Hotel is that’s is only a 5-minute walk to the sand and water.
