After a hefty $150 million renovation of the former Loews hotel, in its newest venture, IHG has harmoniously blended California charm, bespoke hospitality, and luxury as Regent flagship in the Americas region comes to Santa Monica Beach, opening its doors to guests this past October.
I had an opportunity to do a hard-hat tour of Regent Santa Monica during an event in Los Angeles earlier this summer. Admittedly, I have left very few tours anticipating a hotel’s grand opening. However, before I had even seen the guest rooms (There are 143 and 24 suites, all incredibly spacious and starting at 720 square feet), I was texting my friends that we needed to make a reservation to return to the area. Hello, girls’ trip!
One of the offerings that I was most excited about was that Regent is introducing Ayesha Curry’s Sweet July to the area through a chic café, the brand’s second location following its flagship in Oakland.
Curry’s culinary career began in 2014 with cooking demonstrations on YouTube. She has since established herself as a New York Times best-selling author, television host, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and restauranteur, teaming up with Michael Mina (Regent’s main restaurant will be Mina’s Orla, with a Mediterranean-style menu) to create International Smoke, now in San Francisco and Las Vegas. She received a Michelin Plate recognition by Michelin Guide in the first-ever California edition in 2019 and International Smoke was named one of the “100 Best Restaurants in America for a Big Night Out.”
As for Sweet July’s café, it will combine Curry’s Jamaican heritage and love of California-style cuisines, offering unique coffee and tea blends plus a new menu curated for the location. In a quick Q&A, we chatted with her about this remarkable endeavor.
ESSENCE: What has been your favorite part about bringing Sweet July to Santa Monica?
Ayesha Curry: Developing a menu has always been so much fun for me, and this café was no different. It has been amazing to reinvent our Sweet July offerings to be appropriate for our new beach location. I love pairing deep, bold flavors with fresh, bright ingredients—it tends to be how I eat, so it was really about mapping out my dream menu and letting our amazing culinary team bring it to life.
Can you share any details on how this partnership came to fruition?
Chef Michael Mina and I have been restaurant partners on our first concept, International Smoke, which has locations in San Francisco and Las Vegas. Chef is like family, so the opportunity to team up at the new Regent property was a no-brainer.
What can guests expect at this location, and how will it differ from your flagship location?
The hero of our breakfast menu is our best-selling Sweet July coffee, with tons of fantastic breakfast options, including a super delicious Breakfast Sando. Other menu items highlight my heritage, with some of my favorite Jamaican flavors reinterpreted into fresh California dishes. There are fresh fruit smoothies and tons of amazing desserts – there is really something for everyone.
Our new space in Santa Monica has a much larger kitchen, allowing us to expand our café menu! But to pay homage to Oakland, we’ll be including a few favorites from our Oakland menu, such as our coffee and signature bread pudding.
What are some signature dishes we can look forward to on the menu?
We’re serving a Jamaican Jerk Chicken Sandwich with Mango-Cabbage Slaw, which I’m really excited for people to try. We’ve also developed a pretty insane sundae menu with sauces and toppings that take them over the top, like an Island Rum Coffee Caramel and a Coconut Macaroon crumble.
Are you particularly excited to work with any local ingredients or suppliers?
We’re excited to feature produce from local farms, using unique producers like Weiser Family Farms, Tutti Frutti, and Reiger Family Farms.
What Sweet July products will be available for guests to purchase in the retail space?
We’ll feature a curated selection of our bestselling Sweet July products, including handmade ceramics and delicious House Blend Coffee. The entire Sweet July Skincare line will also be available for purchase.
What are your plans for Sweet July? Can we look forward to more locations?
Lots in store for Sweet July and Sweet July Skin, including new skincare products launching in the coming months! We also have our first titles releasing in the new year for Sweet July Books, kicking things off with Honeysuckle and Bone by author Trisha Tobias.
Regent boasts that Sweet July’s newly curated menu featuring grab-and-go items will be an excellent option for guests who want to enjoy the perks of being beachside as well as those who may be on the move in the city.
As someone who has had Sweet July’s signature bread pudding and house-blend coffee, I assure you that both items will be fan favorites among guests, residents, and those who may be casually passing by.
Reservations to check out Regent Santa Monica are open now and can be booked through the website or IHG One Rewards app.
