California Dream

The Surfrider hotel epitomizes the Malibu experience, and has become the perfect weekend getaway for travelers and locals.

The Surfrider Malibu is much more than a hotel. Originally built in 1953, it was recently transformed by its current owners. When it went on the market, Matthew Goodwin—a design architect who grew up in Malibu but was living in New York at that time—realized it was the perfect opportunity to create a new hospitality experience and capture the soul of a place that was dear to his heart. With his spouse and creative director Emma Crowther, and his business partner Alessandro Zampedri, Goodwin imagined a new concept.

“With The Surfrider, we took a 360-degree approach to hospitality, from the design vision, architecture and interiors, all the way through to guest experience”, Goodwin says. “Our internal brief was to celebrate its iconic past while still honoring the future, and to deliver it all in a design-forward boutique hotel. The opportunity to be able to do this—to create a local experience in a design conscious way—is the reason why The Surfrider stuck with me from my childhood and was love at first sight for Alessandro and Emma. It was an opportunity to epitomize the California dream once again.”

The intention was to create an environment where people would immediately feel good and alive, where they would be inspired and relaxed. At the Surfrider Malibu, “Make yourself at home” is not just something guests might hear in passing; it’s the hotel’s motto.

“The Surfrider has been designed to feel like your very own Californian beach house complete with staff, complimentary surf boards, stand-up paddleboards and a guest-only roof deck bar and restaurant which overlooks one of the most iconic waves in the world”, says Emma Goodwin, co-owner of the hotel. “It’s been amazing to see how many LA locals have been using it as just that—their own beach house. We have guests from as close as the Pacific Palisades or further east who have standing reservations once a month!”

Natural materials such as reclaimed wood, stone, ceramic tiles and linen combine with soft tonesin the public areas and inside of the 18 rooms and suites—all of which feature private terraces. Books and photographs complement the charming atmosphere. The hotel’s common area is also home to a library.

Facing the Pacific Ocean and iconic Surfrider Beach, made famous in the classic movie “The Endless Summer”, The Surfrider Malibu invites visitors closer to nature, to admire the endless horizon, combine relaxation and adventure, enjoy the sunshine, fresh air, healthy food, good wine, music and some fun. Here, life is better.

Photographers: Nicole Franzen & M. K. Sadler

(Published in DIGS Magazine - Westside Issue - September 28, 2018