Santa Monica’s Hollywood-Era The Georgian to Re-Launch

BLVD Hospitality, in partnership with ESI Ventures, revealed plans to re-launch Santa Barbara’s iconic The Georgian hotel next year. BLVD acquired the landmark hotel in August 2020 with the intent to restore it to its former glory.

Located on Ocean Avenue, above the Santa Monica waterfront, The Georgian has been a fixture of the Southern California coastline since it first opened in 1933, one of the first high-rises ever built in the area. Over its many years of operation, it has seen a number of famous guests including Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe and Rose Kennedy.

“I had passed by The Georgian many times before stepping foot inside the architecturally stunning property for the first time 13 years ago,” said Jonathan Blanchard, founder and CEO at BLVD. “I could see The Georgian has such a striking presence and charm, she just needed to be brought back to her full potential.”

The next chapter for The Georgian will see a restoration of the 84 guest rooms and 28 suites, alongside new and refreshed offerings including the ocean-view Sunset Terrace, Dining Room, and Sunset Bar. The hotel will also be home to two private meeting and dining spaces, The Gallery and The Writer’s Room. The Gallery will showcase a variety of works by international artists on a quarterly basis.

The project is being approached more as a historical inspired restoration rather than a redesign and will revive and re-energize the “iconicity that emanated from its doors in the 1930s and decades following.”

The refreshed concept will keep much of the hotel’s retained original detailing, while new materials and an elaborate art program will combine to create a series of spaces to bring a new chapter to The Georgian. Touches include fully custom Art Deco furniture, ornate lighting, imported Italian marble, and the Sunset Bar’s Havana Deco-inspired floor pattern.

“The story of Santa Monica’s First Lady is one filled with magic, intrigue, sophistication, and quite certainly, a touch of debauchery,” said Nicolo Rusconi, co-founder and president at BLVD. “Our vision is that each one of those elements will coalesce with contemporary California culture to once again make The Georgian California’s crown jewel.”