Santa Monica ยท Ocean Avenue at Arizona Avenue
The Eden
William E. Foster's white Streamline Moderne Shangri-La of 1940 on Ocean Avenue, named for Lost Horizon's utopia; The Eden since 2025.
- Built
- 1940HHA overview: built as the Shangri-La Apartment Hotel in 1940 (HHA timeline: opened May 1). The Santa Monica landmark list gives 1939. Reopened as The Eden in 2025.
- Style
- Streamline Moderne / Art Deco
- Architect
- William E. Foster
- Type
- Boutique hotel
- Area
- Ocean Avenue at Arizona Avenue
- Credentials
- Local landmark; Historic Hotels of America member
The story
The seven-story Shangri-La Apartment Hotel, named for the utopia in James Hilton’s Lost Horizon, opened on Ocean Avenue in 1940 to William E. Foster’s sleek white design and the motto ‘America’s New Design for Living.’ It appeared in films and hosted guests including Elizabeth Taylor. Santa Monica designated it a landmark in 2009, and it reopened under the name The Eden in 2025.
Good to know
- Address: 1301 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Things to do
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Sources (3)
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.