LOS ANGELES—The Kor Group has begun construction of Santa Monica Proper, which is being developed with longtime landowner Alex Gorby and the Merchant Banking division of Goldman, Sachs & Co. Slated to open in winter 2018/2019, Santa Monica Proper Hotel is The Kor Group’s second partnership with Goldman, Sachs & Co.; the companies also teamed up for Austin Proper Hotel & Residences, which is also under construction.
The 271-room hotel, located close to the Pacific Ocean along Wilshire Blvd. in Downtown Santa Monica, will be managed and branded by the luxury lifestyle hotel operator, Proper Hospitality. The property will offer interior design by international style icon Kelly Wearstler, multiple dining options by local area chefs, a rooftop lounge and swimming pool, 8,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space, and almost 7,000 sq. ft. of ground-floor retail.
The Kor Group will work with Santa Monica-based architecture firm Howard Laks Architects to renovate the original 1928 six-story, Spanish Colonial Revival-style building and expand the footprint with a new seven-story building.
The hotel will be located close to a concentration of technology, entertainment and digital media industries, including Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Yahoo!, IMAX, Apple and Sony. The hotel will also be near the new Exposition Light Rail Station, providing connections to Culver City, Downtown and the entire Los Angeles rail network.