Located 8 miles northwest of Sunset Boulevard, this inn is wedged between busy Highway 1 and one of Mailbu's most star-studded strands, Carbon Beach (Courtney Cox and David Arquette have put their neighboring 4,500-sq-ft beach cottage up for sale for $32 million). With the soaring cost of real estate, only a modern-day Midas could afford to purchase and renovate this relatively sprawling beachfront inn. Ironically, just a couple of years ago, Hollywood's own Midas, David Geffen, purchased the ailing property for a near-record $29 million and has since poured millions more dollars into completing a renovation. The hotel opened in late 2007. Not surprisingly, coming from one of Dream Works' cofounders, the results of the work are almost magical.
Granted, this is not a deluxe property, but the fashionable contemporary decor and suave seen-it-all staff moves in that direction. Geffen's design team has done a wonderful job of transforming the former innkeepers' aging Mediterranean ambience into an inviting, contemporary, residential-style property. The rate sheet here speaks volumes, with reasonably priced midweek rates doubling on Friday and Saturday nights.
This hotel is a superb L.A. getaway, especially considering that it requires no getting away. Both locals and visitors find that it works. Though squeezed onto a crowded coastline, the inn offers an uncrowded beach—at least during low tide—and expansive sweeps of the Pacific. The original three-story Spanish Revival building has been retrofitted with some 21st-century elements. The new entrance has a sleek feel, with a sexy waterwall perennially cascading beside the entrance. Doormen and valets—definitely the new owner's idea—help to justify the extravagant rate increases. The sumptuous interior design helps, too.
The compact open-plan lobby gathers a sleek reception desk, small lounge with a fireplace and a plasma-screen TV, and a corner nook with a few small tables that is touted as a restaurant. Only in L.A.! Light fare is offered here, but most diners take meals either in their rooms or on the sweeping beachfront terrace just beyond the reception desk. Perfect for alfresco dining, the terrace is as close to the water as one can get without putting on a mask and snorkel. Complimentary Continental breakfast is still included in the rates, and the dining room's limited menu is for guests only. 
There are no on-site recreational options, but the Pacific laps the foot of the stairs to the beach here, and high tide can turn the beach into a sliver of sand. Parking is by valet.
The generous proportions of the revamped guest rooms more than compensate for the paucity of common space. The new decor is fresh and inviting and lacks the irritating edge of some of the downtown hotels, offering instead a soothing residential flair bolstered with gas fireplaces, 32-inch flat-screen TVs, MP3 docks, and minibars with thoughtfully selected goodies, including tidbits from Dean & Deluca. Dual-line speaker phones, complimentary wireless Internet access, coffeemakers, safes and small closets with extra bedding are standard. The beds are excellent pillow-top models, topped high with extra pillows.
The lovely baths are fitted with robes, hair dryers and toiletry kits. Even in the majority of the standard rooms, the sitting areas are large enough for two. 
First-floor spa rooms have soft-tub whirlpools on their balconies. These are a good value for those who prize ocean views. Rooms on the second and third floors have smaller balconies, but quality patio furniture graces all balconies. Third-floor units are most appealing for their sloping ceilings and expanded panoramas. Six rooms lack direct ocean views, but they do spy the water across the parking lot.
Room service is available around the clock. Pets are not permitted.
This is the best choice for those craving beachfront digs in Malibu, and not just because it's the only choice here. Despite the general consensus that the hotel's new look and feel are a success, some bemoan the arrival of David Geffen and his heavy-handed style.
