The Surfrider Hotel, Malibu

The Surfrider is a boutique hotel designed to feel like your ultimate Californian beach house, complete with a personal staff, in a place with a special culture of it’s own. It is the embodiment of the California Dream. Like all dreams it’s an enigmatic combination of stories: nature and creativity, relaxation and adventure, innocence and insouciance, sensibility and liberation, solace and vibrancy.

In California these qualities coexist with charismatic charm. Against this backdrop The Surfrider is an experience and a destination. It a place for travellers, rather than tourists. For the person seeking the local experience. Its mission is to make the culture and spirit of the Californian Dream a reality for every guest.

The Design
As owners and designers, Matthew, Emma, and Alessandro have breathed their nomadic, cultured experiences into every element of The Surfrider experience. In creating The Surfrider from start to finish it is the experience that has been designed, more than the hotel. The intention has been to create a considered environment that doesn’t just look good but encourages people to feel good from the moment they step indoors to long after they leave. “Make yourself at home” is a common theme at this California Beach House.

The Surfrider has been built to last. Solid natural materials have been used throughout: reclaimed wooden floorboards, custom-made teak beds, stone, hand painted ceramic tiles, linens. There is a deep, embedded texture, which makes for a tactile, sensory environment that is grounding. It is warmly minimal with a feeling of care and craft throughout. Bedrooms are cool, clean and crisp. Public areas are generous and convivial. There are moments of personality too – books, photographs, artwork and ephemera, intentionally chosen for more than decoration.

All decisions have been made through the same lens, developed and designed from vision to detail by the team as designers-developers and owner-operators. This means it is a coherent vision. It is a world that makes sense. Guest’s wants and needs have been entirely anticipated, and this allows them to inhabit the hotel intuitively. It allows them to feel at home.

At it’s core The Surfrider is a 360 degree approach to hospitality; owner designed, developed and operated. Every piece has been touched by the same vision.

Design: Designed in-house
Photography: Courtesy The Surfrider Hotel