Not quite as "great" as some make it out to be, but certainly this is a good little find on the north side of Santa Monica. Room was very comfortable - clean, nice bed, linens, bathroom - and well appointed. They take the 'green" thing seriously and that also lends a nice overall vibe and a fresh feel.
But here's what's best: FREE, very EASY parking. Meaning not only does it not cost anything, but neither is it a major production to get your car and come and go. The garage is small; you pull right in and pull right out. For Santa Monica this is gold. And obviously when they quote you a rate of $200 a night plus taxes etc - it's not really $230 a night plus constant valet gratuities, taxes etc.
Also - great location on 20th between Arizona and Wilshire; walk one block to Whole Foods, bagel shop, 24-hr Walgreens, Gap, Koo Koo Roo, and at least a couple of nail salons. Within another few blocks in ether direction is anything else you could possibly need, including a great Ralph's, UCLA medical St. John's, and of course the beach and 3rd St. Promenade etc.
The free lobby breakfast is also very nice - coffee, tea, fresh juice, cereal, breads, pastries, yogurt, fruit. Staff was very helpful. Not a true vacation place or a hotel for a long stay, but if you're in Santa Monica for a few days (or even LA) and just need a calm, comfortable place to crash, where you can be assured there won't be tons of add-on charges, this is it.

My partner and I stayed at The Ambrose for 2 nights at the end of a trip down the Pacific coast.
We wanted to be well placed to visit Hollywood and the sights, while staying somewhere comfortable and not too expensive. According to the TripAdvisor reviews the Ambrose fit the requirements.
The staff were very friendly and helpful, the room was clean and comfortable, and the public areas were quiet and smart. It was nice that the underground parking was non-valet which saved us a few dollars, and the free London cab taking us down to 3rd Street was a nice touch. The breakfast was simple but filling.
The location was good, 20th is a quiet road, and with ok traffic you can drive to Hollywood within about 30 minutes.
For the evening we would recommend Barneys Beanery on 3rd for a great meal and a wide choice of drinks. We took the cab down there and walked the 17 blocks back in about 20 minutes.

Further to the reviews on tripadvisor and on looking at the hotels own website, I was thrilled to get a room here at New Year for a couple of nights.
The Hotel is 'boutique' style and looks swish. It is clean. Staff are efficient if a wee bit supercilious in attitude. The room was pleasant enough and the bed was comfortable. The underground parking was useful.
Everywhere is a long way from this hotel...everywhere. We walked out to different restaurants both nights as we did not wish to use the car (and the public transport isn't great from that area) - which was fine, but be prepared to walk for quite a way on pavements on the side of busy roads if you dont want to use the car.
However, there were no facilities in the room to make a hot drink, nor was there an 'on tap' coffee/tea bar downstairs (which we had found everywhere else in California even if there WAS a kettle in the room!). It was 'room service' or nothing - and the price for that was more than elsewhere too. Also, the couple of packs of biscuits and crisps and bottles of water were not 'complimentary' even though they were displayed as though they were. Once I realised this, I found myself wondering if they would also charge for the use of the soap and shower gel in the bathroom!...it is THAT kind of Hotel.
SO - it was OK but we would not stay again

We recently traveled to CA to look at colleges with our daughter and visit our son in LA. After much searching, we settled on The Ambrose Hotel in Santa Monica, a beautiful, Craftsman -style sanctuary in a quiet, residential neighborhood. For some reason this hotel did not come up in my web searches - I found it in a wonderful guide book exclusively devoted to Santa Monica and Venice. Touted for its energy saving Green awards, it is a smart, well-run establishment, replete with an attentive staff, very comfortable rooms, a great breakfast and free parking, making it a terrific value, especially if you stay for three nights or more. There is a lovely garden in the front, with a waterfall and some enormous koi, and an authentic British taxi cab.
Our plane was delayed for hours and thus we did not arrive until nearly 5 am, but the front desk greeted us affably and helped us settle in. The next morning we overslept, and famished, called down to see if there was any breakfast left. My husband went down and returned with a tray of fresh fruit salad, croissants and good strong coffee. I knew we'd made a good lodging choice! Later that day, the kids and I went to the beach while my husband napped - when he awoke, the staff had someone deliver him to Venice in the taxi so we would not have to drive back to pick him up. These are the kinds of things that one remembers...... when planning to visit again. Thumbs up to The Ambrose!