The Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows sits across the street from Santa Monica Beach — 650 feet from the sand — making it one of the closest full-service hotels to the water for families visiting Los Angeles.
Steps to Beach
Pool & Spa
Bungalow Rooms
Family Dining
The Beach Is Your Front Yard
The hotel sits at 101 Wilshire Boulevard on the bluff above Pacific Coast Highway. From the front door, it’s a short walk across the street to Santa Monica State Beach, where 3.5 miles of soft pale sand stretch from the Pacific Palisades down to Venice Beach. The Santa Monica Pier is a five-block walk, under 15 minutes. Third Street Promenade — the pedestrian-only shopping and dining strip — is about a five-minute stroll. For a family, that means no loading kids into the car for every outing. Everything is on foot.
Several pedestrian overpasses connect the bluff to the beach below. Palisades Park runs along the top of the bluff and gives you a wide, stroller-friendly walking path with ocean views. The Palisades Park path leads directly to the pier and the beach access points.
Rooms That Give Families Room to Spread Out
The hotel has 297 rooms spread across two towers — the Palisades Tower and the Ocean Tower — plus a collection of garden bungalows. The bungalows are what set this property apart. The Fairmont Miramar is the only hotel in Santa Monica with private bungalows, and they come in several configurations that work well for families.
The Bi-Level Bungalow Suite sleeps four. Downstairs you get a living room with a sofa bed, a dining table, and a patio. Upstairs is a bedroom with a king bed and two separate patios. Kids can have their own floor. The Bungalow One is the largest at 232 square meters and sleeps up to eight guests. That works for extended families or two couples traveling together.
For standard suites, the Grand King Suite accommodates up to six guests with a sofa bed. A rollaway bed can be added for $45 per night plus tax. The Miramar Ocean View Suite — which ran about $2,041 per night in early March 2026 — has a living room with a sofa bed, a dining table, and a record player with vinyl records. The master bedroom has its own bathroom with Le Labo amenities. Note that the only bathroom is in the master bedroom, so anyone sleeping in the living room needs to walk through the bedroom to use it. That’s a detail worth knowing before you book.
The lowest available rate on that same March 2026 date was $603 for a Fairmont Palisades 1 King room. Rates vary widely by season and room type, so check the hotel’s own booking page for current pricing.
The Fairmont Miramar is the only hotel in Santa Monica with private bungalows — two-story units with ocean views and patios that give families their own space.
Where to Eat Without Leaving the Property
You have five restaurants and bars on site, and several of them work well for families. FIG Restaurant serves breakfast daily from 7 to 11 a.m. and dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. Weekend brunch runs 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The menu is seasonal Californian cuisine with seafood, butcher’s cuts, and pizza. The breakfast menu includes chilaquiles, pancakes, breakfast burritos, fruit platters, and baked goods. The indoor dining room has a garden-room feel with greenery hanging from the ceiling.
Dogtown Coffee is open daily from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s a casual spot for coffee and quick bites, and locals walk inland from the beach for the breakfast burritos. Soko Sushi is an eight-seat sushi bar open Monday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. They also offer sushi-making classes Tuesday through Thursday from 5 to 6:30 p.m., which older kids might enjoy.
The Lobby Lounge is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight. They have live jazz Thursday through Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. Afternoon tea is served Saturdays and Sundays at 12 p.m. Room service runs daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Pool, Bikes, and Beach Days
The outdoor pool is heated to roughly 83°F and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. In warmer months, the hotel runs a poolside movie series with s’mores. The hot tub is adjacent. Pool towels, sunscreen, and water are provided, and you can order food for pool delivery.
The $50 daily resort experience fee covers access to the EMWell Spa facilities, 50 percent off fitness classes, two hours of complimentary e-bike use per day, complimentary beach cruisers, and a one-time $25 credit at Soko Sushi. The fee also includes filtered water stations, daily koi feeding, and complimentary tickets and discounted admission to area museums. That bike rental alone makes it worth it for a family — beach cruisers on The Strand, the 22-mile paved bike path that runs along the beach, is one of the best ways to see the coastline.
The second-floor fitness center is open 24 hours and has treadmills, Pelotons, ellipticals, weight machines, and free weights. There’s also an outdoor fitness patio with more Pelotons and stretching equipment.
The Beach at Your Doorstep
Santa Monica State Beach is managed by the city and county. The sand is soft and pale, averaging about 150 feet wide. The water is safe for swimming during dry weather — Heal the Bay publishes a weekly Beach Report Card. The 72-hour rain advisory is the rule to remember: avoid ocean contact for three days after any significant rainfall due to urban runoff.
For families with younger kids, Ocean Park Beach — about a 10-minute walk south — has a mellow local vibe with gentle waves good for boogie boarding. The area near lifeguard tower 26 is where surf schools hold lessons. For older kids who want more action, the pier area has volleyball courts, street performers, and the Pacific Park amusement rides. The best family sand for building castles is north of the pier, where the beach is wider and quieter.
Lifeguards are on duty from Memorial Day to Labor Day with limited winter staffing. Beach hours are 5 a.m. to midnight. Dogs are not allowed on the sand but are welcome in Palisades Park on a leash six feet or shorter. No alcohol is permitted on the beach or pier.
For a broader look at what to do in the area, the Los Angeles travel guide covers more family-friendly stops across the city.
What It Costs
Room rates at the Fairmont Miramar range from about $470 to $2,438 per night for a standard room, depending on season and room type. Suites run from $638 to $1,757. The average room price is roughly $658, compared to the Los Angeles average of $229. Children ages 3 to 17 stay free of charge.
Parking is the biggest extra. Overnight valet parking costs $77 to $79 per night plus tax. The hotel also charges a $50 daily resort experience fee. Pets are allowed for an additional $100 per stay. The cancellation policy requires canceling by 3:36 p.m. on the day of arrival to avoid a no-show charge.
The hotel participates in Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts and Capital One Premier Collection, which can add room upgrades (when available), daily breakfast for two, and a $100 property credit. It’s worth comparing those program rates against the hotel’s own offers page, which sometimes includes third or fourth night free deals on select rooms through the end of 2026.
The Fairmont is part of the Accor group and participates in the ALL – Accor Live Limitless loyalty program. Members get 5 percent off nightly rates and earn reward points that can be transferred from Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Citi ThankYou Rewards.
Who This Hotel Works For
The Fairmont Miramar suits families who want to be on the beach without driving, who prefer walking to restaurants and shops over navigating LA traffic, and who value having multiple room configurations — especially the bungalows — to give everyone space. It works less well for families on a tight budget, given the parking fees, resort fee, and room rates. It also doesn’t suit travelers who want a quiet, isolated resort — the hotel sits on a busy corner in the heart of Santa Monica, and the bluff disguises the highway below.
September through November is the sweet spot for a beach stay. The weather is still warm, the water is at its warmest, and the summer crowds have thinned. Winter weekdays offer the most solitude and lower rates, but the water is colder and rain is possible. Summer weekends are busy and expensive, but the poolside movie nights and evening beach walks make up for some of the chaos.
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Sources
Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows official page. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, accessed 2026.
Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows offers page. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, accessed 2026.
FIG Restaurant official site. FIG Santa Monica, accessed 2026.
Soko Sushi official site. Soko Santa Monica, accessed 2026.
Dogtown Coffee at Fairmont Miramar. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, accessed 2026.
Lobby Lounge at Fairmont Miramar. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, accessed 2026.
Santa Monica State Beach. California State Parks, accessed 2026.
Santa Monica Pier official site. City of Santa Monica, accessed 2026.
Palisades Park. City of Santa Monica, accessed 2026.
Third Street Promenade. Downtown Santa Monica, Inc., accessed 2026.
