THINK FAST: We're going to ask a question here, and we kindly request that you not pause before answering it. Here it goes: What was the paint color of the last hotel you visited? The exterior hue, we mean. Have an answer? No? Kind of? Can't remember? Mmm hmm.
Hotels and bright hues, save perhaps the landmarks of South Beach, aren't normal pairings, which is too bad; vacationers are looking to step out of the ordinary, and the ordinary is so often synonymous with beige. In short? A little pizzazz in the inn-based paint department never hurt. Look at the glorious Georgian Hotel, a Santa Monica gem you likely know the colors of: ocean blue and sunshine yellow. It's bright and bold, as befits its water-close, near-pier location. But the Art Deco's one-of-a-kind facade isn't the only thing to recommend it; it's still a great hotel eight decades on. Oh, that's right; The Georgian is marking a rather important birthday this year, which means that several whoop-di-to-dos are in the works, as well as a stay-over deal. Let's start there, because it's sweet and it involves two Hollywood legends.
RETRO DECO ROOM PACKAGE: Catchy handle, and a catchy package, too: You get two nights in the Clark Gable or Carol Lombard suite, an old-school cocktail upon arrival, and a few other add-ons, like breakfast on the veranda. Oh, and it's for two people. Price starts at $999 and the package runs from April 1 through the end of the year. But even if you don't stay, other anniversary touches are in the Georgian's ether, from sunset teas to a vintage cocktail menu. It's all pretty swank and swell, and you'll be sipping whatever you choose to sip in a bright blue-and-yellow Deco landmark. That doesn't happen every day, but then historic hotels don't stay around every day, either. It's something to celebrate.
THAT VERANDA: You know you don't have to be a hotel guest to have breakfast or lunch on The Georgian's famous veranda, right? We have a theory that an hour spent there with a salad, an glass of chardonnay, and some salty Pacific breezes can cure many a woe. We mean, it's totally beyond a theory. It's practically fact.
