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Santa Monica's best swimming months are July to September, and winter highs fall to 16.7°C in January. All 7 hotels we cover have a rooftop pool. Five sell day passes, one is guests only, and one doesn't publish its access rules.
Our first pick is Santa Monica Proper: the rooftop pool is heated, and its day pass is the lowest published on our list. The hotel gives two sets of pool hours, so check them before you go. For an easy booking, Kimpton Hotel Wilshire sells day passes on its own site for its 3-foot dipping pool, open 8am to 5pm.
Lowest published day pass on our list, with cabanas and a fireplace bar
Mid-City, 5-star hotel, rated 4.4 on Google (1,081 reviews)
Sample photo, not Santa Monica Proper. Jvhertum, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Non-guests can swim
Day pass
Sold, price varies
Heated
Heated
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Day passes on ResortPass start at €25 with fees included, the lowest price we can publish for this city, and the rooftop pool is heated. The hotel gives two sets of hours, so check them.
At 700 Wilshire Blvd, the hotel's rooftop pool is one it calls expansive. Views take in the Pacific Ocean, the coastline, the mountains and the city skyline. The catch is that day passes are subject to availability and the hotel gives two sets of hours.
Best forDay-pass swimmers who want ocean views and a bar beside the pool.
Skip it ifYou need confirmed hours or a guaranteed pass on a busy weekend.
Skydeck pool with cabanas and skyline views, sold by ResortPass
Tri-West, rated 4.1 on Google (15 reviews)
Sample photo, not Le Parc Suite Hotel. Ori Ackerman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Non-guests can swim
Day pass
Sold, price varies
Heated
Heated
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Pick this for a heated Skydeck pool with private cabanas, if you accept that it is in West Hollywood rather than Santa Monica. Day passes start at €75, fees included.
The pool is on the Skydeck rooftop terrace, with views of the LA skyline, Hollywood Hills and Beverly Hills. The hotel's address is 733 W Knoll Dr, West Hollywood, CA 90069, not Santa Monica. The catch is the price, which is above most passes on our list.
Best forGroups who want a cabana and skyline views and don't mind West Hollywood.
Skip it ifYou want a beach-side Santa Monica address or the lowest day-pass price.
A 3-foot dipping pool by a fire pit, open to day-pass guests
Beverly Grove, 4-star hotel, rated 4.1 on Google (782 reviews)
Sample photo, not Kimpton Hotel Wilshire. Amanda Hawker, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Non-guests can swim
Day pass
Sold, price varies
Heated
Heated
Season
Open year round
Why it's here. Choose this one to lounge, not to swim laps. The rooftop pool is a 3-foot-deep dipping pool, open 8am to 5pm, and day passes sell on the hotel's own site.
At 6317 Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles, the pool sits up on the roof and is reached by elevator. It is a dipping pool beside a fire pit and cabanas, with Hollywood Hills views. The catch is the depth: 3 feet.
Best forFriends who want a poolside afternoon with food, drinks and a fire pit.
Skip it ifYou want to swim lengths or need a quiet weekend deck.
Rooftop pool with cabanas for up to 10 and daybeds
Beverly Grove, rated 4.3 on Google (2,265 reviews)
Sample photo, not SLS Hotel Beverly Hills. Ted Eytan, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Non-guests can swim
Day pass
Sold, price varies
Heated
Not published
Season
Not published
Why it's here. This is the one for a group that wants a cabana. A day pass starts at €35 with fees, and cabanas hold up to 6 or 10 guests, open to outside visitors.
The Altitude Rooftop Pool is on the roof at SLS, 465 La Cienega Blvd in Los Angeles. Guests and day-pass holders can use it. The catch is that the hotel doesn't publish heating, hours or a floor.
Best forGroups of 6 to 10 who want a cabana on a rooftop.
Skip it ifYou want heating confirmed or opening hours published.
Priciest published day pass on the list, with a full-service spa
Downtown
Sample photo, not West Hollywood EDITION. Ted Eytan, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Non-guests can swim
Day pass
Sold, price varies
Heated
Heated
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Consider this for a spa-and-pool day if you'll pay for it. The day pass starts at €100 with fees included, the highest on our list, and the hotel has a full-service spa.
The hotel's name is West Hollywood EDITION, but its listing address is Santa Monica, CA 90401. The rooftop pool takes both guests and day-pass visitors. Hours, floor and heating details aren't published, and that is the catch.
Best forDay-pass swimmers who want to pair the pool with a spa visit.
Skip it ifYou want the lowest day-pass price or published opening hours.
Rooftop pool deck with loungers, but no published access rules
Lucerne - Higuera, 4-star hotel, rated 4.5 on Google (415 reviews)
Sample photo, not The Shay. Blake Patterson from Alexandria, VA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Access not published
Day pass
No
Heated
Not published
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Treat The Shay as a maybe. It has a rooftop pool deck with lounge chairs and umbrellas, yet who can swim, the hours, the heating and any day pass are all unpublished.
At 8801 Washington Blvd in Culver City, the roof carries a pool deck with lounge chairs and umbrellas. The hotel also has a fitness center alongside the terrace and shared lounge. The catch is that access rules aren't published.
Best forTravelers booked into the hotel who want a pool deck.
Skip it ifYou need a confirmed day pass, hours or heating.
Westchester, 3-star hotel, rated 3.7 on Google (809 reviews)
Sample photo, not Hyatt Place LAX/Century Blvd. Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Hotel guests only
Day pass
No
Heated
Heated
Season
Open year-round
Why it's here. Choose this hotel for a flight-day stay, not a beach trip. The heated rooftop pool is reserved for guests, the hotel sells no day pass, and it sits in Westchester with a free LAX shuttle.
A 3-star hotel at 5959 W Century Blvd in Westchester, close to LAX, has a heated pool on its roof. The hotel doesn't publish a floor, hours or a day pass, so plan on it being a guest amenity.
Best forTravelers with an early or late flight who want a heated pool near LAX.
Skip it ifA day pass matters to you, or you want to stay in Santa Monica itself near the beach.
July to September are the best three months for a rooftop swim in Santa Monica. Outside that window the air cools, with average highs of 19.4°C in November, 17.4°C in December and 16.7°C in January.
For winter, pick a heated pool: Santa Monica Proper, Le Parc Suite Hotel, Kimpton Hotel Wilshire, West Hollywood EDITION and Hyatt Place LAX/Century Blvd all publish heating. None publishes a winter closure, so check dates before booking. We have no event weeks to flag for this city.
Average daily highs: November 67°F (19°C), December 63°F (17°C), January 62°F (17°C). The warmest stretch for swimming is Jul–Sep.
Hotels you might expect here, and why they're not
People often expect a rooftop pool at these Santa Monica-area hotels, but none has one that we can confirm.
Viceroy Santa Monica. No source places a pool on the roof or a top-floor terrace. The hotel's amenities page mentions two on-site pools and "poolside" and "Backyard" cabanas, which do not indicate a rooftop location.
Sandbourne Santa Monica, Autograph Collection. No source places the pool on the roof or a top floor. Sources describe a beachfront outdoor heated pool with no floor or roof mention, so it is not confirmed as rooftop.
Huntley Hotel Santa Monica Beach. The hotel's own amenities page states it has no swimming pool. The rooftop has The Penthouse restaurant and lounge, but no pool. The only water features are the Wellness Lounge's heated saltwater whirlpool spa and cold plunge, which are not swimming pools.
Ocean View Hotel. None of the provided sources mention a swimming pool of any kind, so no rooftop pool can be confirmed.
Hotel Erwin. The hotel's own FAQ states it does not have a swimming pool. Its rooftop bar, Kassi Venice Beach, has no pool.
Maison Twenty Seven. The hotel's own FAQ says it does not have a pool, so there is no rooftop pool.
Santa Monica rooftop pools: questions people ask
Which Santa Monica hotels let non-guests use the rooftop pool?
Five of the 7 hotels on our list sell day passes: Santa Monica Proper, Le Parc Suite Hotel, Kimpton Hotel Wilshire, SLS Hotel Beverly Hills and West Hollywood EDITION. Proper and Le Parc sell on ResortPass, and Kimpton sells on its own site.
Are any rooftop pools in Santa Monica heated or open in winter?
Yes, 5 hotels publish a heated rooftop pool: Santa Monica Proper, Le Parc Suite Hotel, Kimpton Hotel Wilshire, West Hollywood EDITION and Hyatt Place LAX/Century Blvd. Heating is published, but winter closures and hours are not, so confirm dates before you book.
Which Santa Monica hotel has the highest rooftop pool?
No hotel on our list publishes its pool floor, so we can't name the highest. If height matters, ask the hotel before booking.
How can I swim at a Santa Monica rooftop pool for the least money?
Santa Monica Proper has the lowest published day pass on our list, sold on ResortPass with fees included. West Hollywood EDITION has the highest.
Is there an adults-only or family-friendly rooftop pool?
We can't say. None of the hotels on our list publishes an age rule. Kimpton Hotel Wilshire's pool is a 3-foot-deep dipping pool, which suits lounging more than laps.
What is the best hotel with a rooftop pool in Santa Monica?
Our first pick is Santa Monica Proper: a heated rooftop pool with the lowest published day pass on our list, plus cabanas and a fireplace bar.
