The Huntley Hotel, Santa Monica, CA USA

Ordered via Room Service at The Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica, California.

After staying in City of Industry, I felt like a rock star arriving at The Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica. I suppose it wasn’t just the contrast to the manufacturing hub I was previously in, but rather thanks to The Huntley’s emphasis on making me feel like I was in for a high-touch experience.

I loved their “garage style” vehicle entrance, with bellmen attending to me immediately. I loved their overly-furnished lobby that was more visually pleasing than comfort inducing. I was intrigued by their front desk agents, covered in tattoos, greeting me with smiles. And I was impressed with the amount of people who seemingly came to the hotel to solely enjoy the restaurant on the top floor, which had a “hint of Miami” I was told (and would eventually experience).

Taking a step back, I was excited to be in Santa Monica for meetings in Los Angeles, but I didn’t have the highest hopes for The Huntley Hotel. “Why?” you might ask… truth be told, I found a very aggressive deal online when I booked, so I figured I would have been blocked in the smallest room on property.

Luck was with me during this business trip, however, and The Huntley placed me in a corner room at the top of the hotel with gorgeous views spanning the horizon… just a fantastic location.  But while the view was nice, and the room perfect, in all honesty, I only cared about three things during my stay with The Huntley outside of successful meetings: a full night’s rest, a walk on the beach, and a delicious club sandwich.

The beach would come second, the night’s rest would come third… a club sandwich was needed immediately, and I was thrilled when I opened the room service menu to find the Free-Range Smoked Turkey Club waiting for me to order it. As my readership knows, I tend to not dwell on the ingredients of a club sandwich prior to ordering, but the addition of pumpernickel bread to this meal had my curiosity piqued.

In about 15 minutes, my dinner (or was it a late lunch?) arrived, and soon I was dining on a delightful club sandwich… perhaps one of the best in recent memory. Each bite brought a smile to my face. And yes, that pumpernickel bread delivered deliciousness on a whole new level. Soft and flavorful, I was happy this unique ingredient was chosen.

The arugula was also a fantastic choice. Lightly, fresh, and crisp, it perfectly enhanced the rest of the sandwich. The turkey and bacon were both lovely – flavorful, high quality meats cooked perfectly. The Moist tomato, creamy avocado (de rigueur in California), and whole grain aioli pulled the sandwich together, creating delicious bite after bite.

The Huntley Hotel’s Free-Range Smoked Turkey Club was a dish looked well after. Its creator(s) was adventurous and cared about providing unique flavor that didn’t deviate from traditional fare. Kudos to The Huntley Hotel for this fantastic club sandwich.  I will never forget this one, and I will forever recommend it.

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