The building started life as a private beach club in the 1920s before it was converted into a hotel, and the original structure still shapes the footprint of the meeting space today.
Casa del Mar sits next to Shutters on the Beach under related ownership, and planners weighing the two are usually choosing between similar oceanfront settings with different room configurations.
Programs here tend toward executive retreats, milestone dinners, and hospitality suites tied to a nearby larger event rather than a stand-alone trade show.
The two properties do coordinate on some shared logistics, but each maintains its own booking calendar and its own rates.
Execution priorities
- A single primary ballroom plus smaller adjoining meeting rooms, built inside a 1920s beach-club shell rather than a purpose-built expo hall.
- Oceanfront lounge and terrace areas that work for pre-function receptions ahead of a dinner program.
- Guest-room blocks on site, useful for programs that want lodging and meeting space under one roof.
- A service entrance shared with hotel operations, sized for banquet equipment rather than freight trucks.
- A beachfront terrace and lounge that work for a pre-dinner reception before guests move indoors to the ballroom.
The 1926 building on the sand
Casa del Mar's structure predates almost every other venue on this list, and the age of the building is not incidental. Doorways, service corridors, and ceiling heights were laid out for a beach club, not for staging trusses or rigging points.
That history is also the draw. The ballroom's ocean-facing windows and the building's original architecture give a program a setting that a newer hotel simply cannot replicate.
Planners who need heavy rigging, projection mapping, or large freestanding sets should scout the room in person before committing; what fits on paper does not always fit inside a nine-decade-old shell.
Ocean Avenue and the service entrance
Vehicle access runs off Ocean Avenue and the beachfront frontage road, both of which see heavy pedestrian and cyclist traffic along the adjacent bike path. Drivers unfamiliar with the corridor should build in extra time.
As with its sister property, there is no dedicated loading dock. Deliveries move through a service entrance on hotel-controlled timing, and larger loads need to be scheduled rather than dropped off same day.
Coordinating vendors next door to Shutters
Because Casa del Mar and Shutters on the Beach sit steps apart, some vendors serve both properties in the same day, which can help or hurt a schedule depending on how a crew books its time.
The hotel's own events team runs banquet operations and expects any outside AV or production vendor to check in and confirm timing before arriving, rather than showing up unannounced to a shared service area.
A quieter alternative for late strike windows
Programs that need a later teardown sometimes find more flexibility here than at a busier convention hotel, simply because the property runs fewer simultaneous events on a given night.
Even so, strike still has to close before the hotel resets guest-facing spaces for the morning. Confirm the exact cutoff with the events office rather than assuming it matches a neighboring property's rules.
Choosing between Casa del Mar and its sister hotel
Planners often shortlist both properties together, and the deciding factor is usually the room itself rather than price. Casa del Mar's ballroom has an older, more intimate character; Shutters' spaces feel slightly more contemporary.
Site visits to both, scheduled back to back given how close they sit, tend to resolve the choice faster than comparing floor plans on paper.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hotel Casa del Mar the same as Shutters on the Beach?
No, they are separate, adjacent oceanfront properties under related ownership. Casa del Mar is the older 1926 building; Shutters opened in 1993.
Can Casa del Mar handle a large staged general session?
The ballroom sits inside an older beach-club structure, so heavy rigging or large freestanding sets should be scouted in person before booking.
How does freight get onto the property?
Through a service entrance off Ocean Avenue shared with hotel operations, on scheduled timing rather than open dock access.
Does the hotel offer on-site lodging for attendees?
Yes, guest rooms are available on site, which some planners use to keep meeting space and lodging under one roof.
Can a single program use both Casa del Mar and Shutters on the Beach?
Some clients do split a program across both properties, but each hotel books and staffs separately, so the two bookings need to be coordinated as distinct events.
Does the hotel allow outside floral or decor vendors?
Outside floral and decor vendors are generally welcome with advance notice to the events team, though any structural changes to the room still need sign-off given the building's age.