On the good side, we used this as a place to lay our heads for a couple nights. It's so close to the beach and the pier with very nice hotels all around. We used the money we saved and drove up to Disneyland and Malibu very easily.

Bottom line though, do not more out of this (m)hotel than what it is. Instead of a lobby and check in counter, there is a front office and exterior walkways. Picture a smallish room with king size bed and a bathroom with a tub-shower. That's it. I was surprised there was cable. Parking out back was a bit tight. Oddly enough, the parking lot was well lit and I felt safe there but I didn't want to leave anything expensive in the room.

After a long day of travelling around L.A. and a cockroach experience in Hollywood, my girlfriend & I were looking for a budget stop in Santa Monica. We first stopped at the Seahorse and were quoted a very high rate by a rude night desk clerk. That motel wasn't even near the beach! By accident, we turned the corner and stumbled across the Bayside. Night clerk was friendly and the rooms were right out of a "Three's Company" episode. Very cool, retro motel that turned out to be clean, tidy and affordable. Room did not have A/C but we stayed during late summer when heat wasn't an issue. Beach was a 3 minute walk away and hotel had a spiffy little central courtyard viewable from our room on the second floor. Walkway surrounded the upstairs level and we never felt unsafe in the room.
Great spot on a budget in Santa Monica considering everything else with this location would be double the price!

Just finishing off a 7day vacation in Santa Monica at the Bayside. The hotel is across the street from the beach and a very short walk to the pier, promenade and main street shops. Our room is clean and cozy, not a lot of frills but for the price very good.

The staff are great, they hooked me up with umbrellas and mats for the beach every day and even offered to upgrade me to a room with a kitchenette for free.

It's very safe here, I left my laptop in my room and had the blinds open to get fresh air all day without any trouble.

Like most small hotels they have a wireless internet service for 9.99/day but there are enough unsecured networks in the apartments next door with better signal that you don't need to pay.

I HIGHLY recommend this place, why pay way more for a 'nicer' room when you will spend most of your day out in the sun.

Oh my god what a dump this place is. I can't believe that people are actually giving this place good reviews. Having booked this hotel for a 3 day break in Santa Monica I was looking forward to a nice relaxing break near the ocean but from the moment the taxi pulled up outside I knew I had made a major mistake. On arrival I was greeted by a number of homeles people congregated outside the front of the hotel which was not a very welcoming sight plus they seemed to linger around the front all day!! The room was below par with a flimsy lock on the door which did not make me feel very safe plus, as it was December it was a bit cold and the room did not have any heating. After one restless night of noise from the road outside and having to place a chair and all my luggage up against the door I decided to check out of the hotel and cut my losses. Yes, the front desk people were very helpful and friendly and I left the hotel feeling a bit cheated as I had wasted a night of my vacation staying in this terrible hotel. True this place may be of the cheap and cheerful variety but take my advice and stay in any of the hotels closer to 3rd. Promenade as they are a lot more safer and in general of a more higher standard than the Bayside, it's worth paying the extra money for that piece of mind.