Why I’m Building a Santa Monica Hotel Guide for the 2028 Olympic

Yesterday someone asked me a question I wasn’t expecting.

They wanted recommendations for 4 and 5 star hotels in Santa Monica for the 2028 Olympics.

I paused. I’m a tenant rep broker and focus on leasing office space. Helping companies figure out where to find the perfect office space here in L.A., nationally and internationally.

But that question stuck with me overnight.

Since the Olympics are coming to Los Angeles in the summer of 2028, running from July 14 through July 30. That’s a fixed date. It’s not moving. And when I started digging into it, a few things became clear fast.

LA28 isn’t building new stadiums or arenas. This will be the first Games in 80 years with no new permanent venues.

The plan is to use what’s already here, from the Coliseum to the Rose Bowl to Dodger Stadium to SoFi.

That’s smart from a cost and sustainability standpoint, but it also means something for anyone trying to plan a stay nearby.

There’s no brand new hotel district being built around a brand new Olympic Park. People are going to be competing for rooms in the neighborhoods that already exist.

Santa Monica is one of those neighborhoods. It’s close to the coast, close to transit that’s actively being expanded ahead of the Games, and close to a huge share of where the action will happen across the LA region.

That combination is going to matter a lot to visitors, sponsors, media, and companies trying to host clients during the Games.

And here’s the number that really made this feel real. Santa Monica has exactly 5 five-star hotels and about 10 recognized four-star luxury hotels. That’s it.

That’s the entire inventory at the top end of the market, for a city that’s about to host the world. When you think about how many companies, teams, and families are going to want to be in this specific location for these specific 17 days, that number gets small fast.

So that’s really what made me stop and think. This isn’t a someday problem. Teams, executives, and event planners are working on 2028 housing and hospitality logistics right now, two years out.

Rooms at the right hotels, in the right locations, will get booked early. The people asking these questions today are the ones who will be set when everyone else starts scrambling in 2027.

This is a bit of a departure for me, but when I thought about it more, it’s not really a departure at all.

It’s the same question I’ve always tried to answer for people. Where should you be, and why does that location actually work for what you’re trying to do. That question doesn’t care whether the answer is an office or a hotel.

The Olympics are a global moment, and Los Angeles is going to be under a lot of eyes for those 17 days.

I want to be useful for the people trying to get this right, whether that’s a company flying in clients, a family planning the trip of a lifetime, or someone just trying to figure out where to stay that won’t leave them stuck in gridlock every morning.

If you’re already thinking about 2028, I’d love to hear what you’re working through. With only 15 properties total at 4 and 5 star level, the ones that make sense for your team are going to fill up long before the torch gets here.

Reach out and I’ll walk you through the full list, including which properties are already fielding early group inquiries.

Happy to help however I can, on the hotel side or the office side.

Call/Text 310.487.2982

Star classifications reflect commonly cited industry ratings from sources such as AAA, Forbes Travel Guide, and major booking platforms. The United States does not have a single official body that regulates hotel star ratings, so classifications can vary slightly by source.