The Dreamiest Hotel in Malibu: The Surfrider
Located directly on the Pacific Coast Highway, The Surfrider Malibu is a laid-back boutique hotel with just 20 rooms and picturesquely encaptures the ultimate SoCal beach-town aura. Less than 30 miles from downtown Los Angeles, The Surfrider is the perfect getaway.
The design is as Californian as it comes—minimalistic, yet modern with hardwood floors, creme-colored walls, bamboo light fixtures, and artwork inspired by surf culture. The hotel is intimate and cozy and gives off the feeling you’ve just checked into a private beach house.
When it’s time to feel the warm sand between your toes, Surfrider Beach is directly opposite the hotel, just one crosswalk away. The hotel provides complimentary beach towels, umbrellas, and even surfboards and stand up paddle boards.
And when you’re hungry, the iconic farm-to-table restaurant, Malibu Farm, is right at the beginning of Malibu Pier, less than a 30 second walk from the hotel’s front door. Some of the delicious vegetarian dishes I tried were the Malibu blue nachos, red pepper hummus, avocado huarache, spaghetti squash lasagna, and vegetable paella.
The best part of The Surfrider is its guest-only rooftop deck that overlooks the Pacific Ocean, Malibu Pier, and the beach. The rooftop includes a restaurant and bar that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Surfrider describes its menus as “Coastal-Californian with a focus on locally sourced, sustainable and organic produce.”
Many picturesque beaches, hiking trails, bars, and restaurants are all within a 15 minute drive of the hotel. Have a yogurt berry bowl for breakfast on the rooftop, go hiking at Solstice Canyon, take a drive to Calabasas for lunch and shopping, and be back in time to catch the sunset on El Matador Beach and have dinner at Nobu.
You won’t find a better SoCal experience than at The Surfrider. My absolute favorite part of staying here was having a drink on the rooftop each evening while taking in the captivating summer sunset and watching the surfers catch waves.
