The author was a guest of Hyatt Centric Delfina Santa Monica. All opinions are the author’s own, and Hyatt Centric Delfina Santa Monica had no input in any part of this review.
Hyatt Centric Delfina Santa Monica was rebranded from Le Méridien Delfina Santa Monica in 2024 and underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation, completed in late 2025. During my spring break visit in March 2026, I found a fresh property that merged contemporary coastal-chic design with hints of beach nostalgia.
I’ll review how to book this hotel (including the benefits and savings when booking with points), how long the walk to the beach was, and what my kids liked best about the room.
Booking Hyatt Centric Delfina Santa Monica
For our March stay at Hyatt Centric Delfina Santa Monica, my family was assigned 2 connecting rooms, 1 king and 2 queens, with partial ocean views and balconies. The nightly cash rate for this room type was around $428 per night (including taxes and a $37 destination fee). The destination fee covers a welcome drink (Wycliff Brut was offered), coffee and water in the lobby, beach yoga classes, beach towels, daily bike rental, daily game room usage, and area discounts.
In addition to standard city-view rooms, the hotel offers ocean-view rooms with a wider balcony and 3 unique suite types. The Sunset Suites even have whirlpool hot tubs on their balconies, offering ocean views.
As a Category 6 World of Hyatt property, standard award nights cost 25,000 points, with off-peak dates at 21,000 and peak dates at 29,000 points (on May 20, 2026, the hotel moves to Category 5, and these rates will range from 15,000 to 35,000 points). For my March stay, the value was 1.7 cents per point, slightly higher than our valuation of Hyatt points at 1.5 cents each. World of Hyatt members get waived resort fees on award stays.
Location
Hyatt Centric Delfina Santa Monica is located across from Santa Monica High School and within walking distance of many area sights, including the Third Street Promenade.
If you’re visiting without a car, the hotel is a 13-minute walk from the Downtown Santa Monica light rail station on the Metro E line.
The hotel is not beachfront, but it takes only about 10 minutes to walk to the beach boardwalk known as Ocean Front Walk, where the iconic Shutters on the Beach hotel is.
The famed Santa Monica Pier is about a 10-minute walk from the beach entry point (or about 20 minutes directly from the hotel).
The Room
The partial ocean-view balcony rooms were remodeled in 2025 and exuded a fresh take on vintage design, with funky geometric carpeting, retro California photography, and fabric-panel headboards featuring a palm-tree motif. I found the king bed incredibly comfortable and the linens perfectly light for Southern California’s warm climate.
The TV cabinet and desk were rounded and chunky, with an art deco vibe. The cabinet had a minifridge and a safe on the inside. The chair paired with the desk lacked caster wheels, so it was a bit difficult to maneuver on the carpet.
The balcony was tiny, with only 1 chair and a small table, but you could indeed see the ocean (just look left from the giant Santa Monica High School campus).
The renovation ensured that technology was updated to meet today’s travelers’ needs, with power for USB-A, USB-C, and standard outlets on the nightstands and desk.
Bathroom
The bathroom was overwhelmingly gray, with a pop of color from the yellow Drybar blow dryer. The wallpaper had a 1960s-style graphic design, which paired nicely with the modern subway tile of the floor and shower. Bath amenities were by BeeKind.
Just outside of the bathroom was a closet with a robe, hangers, a luggage rack, an iron, and an ironing board. Across from this was an awkward counter space where the ice bucket and 2 water bottles were placed. I suppose this could have been used to place luggage on, but it would have been more ideally renovated as an open closet space, with a lower luggage shelf and an exposed hanging rod or shelving.
2 Queen Beds Partial Ocean View with Balcony
Our kids stayed in a connecting room with 2 queen beds, which mirrored our king room for the most part. There was nothing unusual to report from their side of the door, but they did note that the Wi-Fi was incredibly fast on their devices (which is clearly a priority for preteens and teens on vacation).
My kids also liked that the hotel used a pad of paper airplane origami sheets instead of regular notepaper. At least 1 plane was folded and launched into the parents’ room.
Amenities
Convenience Room
Our floor had a room with a vending machine, an ice maker, a water bottle refilling station, and a microwave.
Lobby
The lobby was divided into 3 primary areas. The check-in desk with seating for groups was separated from the elevator area by a shutter-style room divider. On the elevator side of the divider was a long, high-top coworking table. A prominent staircase led to the Sandbox game room and meeting space on the mezzanine. Coastal Harvest Bar & Kitchen was at the rear of the lobby.
Pool
The heated saltwater pool was a touch small, but it was surrounded by plenty of loungers and cabanas. It was open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
I loved the morning shade and was told the pool starts receiving full sun around 11 a.m. For nonguests, it is available for daily access via ResortPass.
Fitness Center
The fitness center was open 24 hours a day and offered thoughtful amenities, including a water bottle refill station, chilled towels, and disposable earbuds. There was a variety of equipment, including 2 Pelotons, 4 treadmills, an elliptical, a pulley machine, free weights, and stretching equipment.
This was a true interior gym with not a ton of daylight, so I’d encourage you to take advantage of a walk on the beach, or put that destination fee to use and take a bike out.
Meeting Spaces
The hotel has 11 meeting spaces, crowned by Santa Monica’s only rooftop ballroom, the Delfina Ballroom. From its penthouse perch, this space offers amazing views of the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Monica Mountains. I peeked into other rooms configured in classroom and boardroom setups. More details on the event spaces can be found here.
The Sandbox
The Sandbox is a game and relaxation area on the mezzanine that offers billiards, darts, tabletop shuffleboard, plenty of seating, and a bar. While this space is open to guests throughout the day (perfect for coworking), it’s also available for corporate gatherings.
Parking
Overnight rates are $57 for self-parking and $62 for valet, plus tax. An additional $15 charge applies for electric vehicles.
Dining at Coastal Harvest Bar & Kitchen
Coastal Harvest Bar & Kitchen is the hotel’s only restaurant and serves California cuisine from breakfast through dinner. Breakfast is served from an à la carte menu from 6:30 to 11 a.m., and lunch and dinner are served from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m.
Indoor seating ranged from cocktail-friendly tables for 2 near the bar to tables for 2 or 4 near the windows, which could be pushed together for larger groups. Outdoor seating was available both covered and uncovered, with most tables accommodating 6 or more guests.
My family fueled up for a sunset walk on the beach with the happy hour menu and enjoyed rockfish tacos, firecracker chicken bites, coconut shrimp, french fries, and hummus with pita.
We returned from our walk later than we expected, and rather than have a big dinner, we ordered 2 Delfina wagyu burgers to share and another order of fish tacos from the dinner menu. I had asked for the burgers to be cut in half (with no further instruction) and was pleasantly surprised when each half and a share of fries were individually plated. This made eating and heading to bed extremely easy for a set of tired parents.
For breakfast, I enjoyed the fried eggs with avocado, fruit salad, and toast, while my kids and husband had eggs Benedict and pancakes.
Overall, menu prices were on the high end, but I found them commensurate with the nightly rate and area.
Final Thoughts
Hyatt Centric Delfina Santa Monica is well-located in Santa Monica, with easy access by foot to the beach, the light rail, and area shopping and restaurants. The property’s rebranding and renovation have delivered comfortable, refreshed rooms and unique spaces, including the Sandbox game room and a rooftop ballroom with views for miles. The meals we shared at Coastal Harvest Bar & Kitchen were tasty, and the service was attentive and friendly.
With higher cash rates, this hotel is prime for award-night redemptions, which are even better if you’re a Globalist who can enjoy complimentary parking and breakfast. However, World of Hyatt loyalists now have more options in Santa Monica. The Hyatt Centric Delfina Santa Monica faces competition from its new Hyatt neighbor, The Georgian, a recently refurbished 93-year-old oceanfront hotel across from Palisades Park and the beach. When making a booking, guests should assess the location, room size, and overall vibe to help them decide between the properties.