The staff is great, especially the valet crew, however this hotel is completely under construction. The rooms have all been renovated, but outside of that, nothing is up to par with what you would expect. The courtyard is roped off due to construction, the pool is closed, beach access from behind the building is closed. The fitness room and sauna are completely outdated and the sauna/steam room are unusable. To charge full price for this hotel while under these conditions is poor judgement, but to also charge a resort fee is nearly criminal. The only reason why I didn't ask for a refund and go somewhere else was because my family and I spent 10 hours traveling to Santa Monica, unpacked and didn't want to go through the hassle of getting a refund and book a new hotel in the area.
I have no doubt it will be a great property once the construction is completed, but there are better options out there right now to consider.