Great Family Hotel
After reading the other reviews and needing to find a reasonably priced hotel in Santa Monica, we went with the Hotel Shangri-La. This turned out to be a great decision for our family. The rooms are large, clean, and have great views of the ocean. There are really no amenities to speak of, so this might not be a great long-term destination, but the location was very close to the beach, the pier, and the Promenade. We walked everywhere we went, and easily caught the bus to Venice Beach one day. The free parking is also awesome. I wouldn't pick this hotel for a romantic getaway, but for a road-trip with kids it was perfect.