ARTFUL PROCUREMENT MEETS COASTAL DESIGN AT SANDBOURNE SANTA MONICA

Just steps from the Pacific, Sandbourne Santa Monica—a striking new addition to the Marriott Autograph Collection—welcomes guests into a landscape of sculptural forms, sun-washed textures, and poetic restraint. Designed by Atelier Gulla Jonsdottir, with FF&E and OS&E procurement by Canoe Hospitality, the 175-key hotel blurs the line between art and architecture, channeling the rhythm of coastal California through curated materials and softened silhouettes.

“When guests enter the hotel, it is as though they are embarking upon a journey to an urban oasis, where tranquility unfolds with a relaxed and sensuous grace.”

— Gulla Jonsdottir

Where EARTH Meets Sky: Inside Sandbourne Santa Monica

In Santa Monica, where palm trees tilt languidly toward the Pacific and golden-hour light slips between art deco facades, a new hotel has quietly redefined the coastal vernacular. Sandbourne Santa Monica, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, is not so much a place to stay as it is a place to feel—a sensorial experience shaped by sea, salt, and sublime intention. Behind its organic silhouettes and sun-softened palette lies a complex choreography of design and detail—one that Canoe Hospitality had the distinct privilege of translating from concept to form through expert FF&E and OS&E procurement.

The 175-key hotel—developed by Stockdale Capital Partners and operated by Crescent Hotels & Resorts—is a rarefied collaboration between Atelier Gulla Jonsdottir, Dakota Development, and Finn Wijanto Architects. Together, they’ve crafted a space that eschews the overwrought in favor of the elemental. It is this sense of editorial restraint, of quiet luxury rendered tactile, that informed every piece sourced by Canoe’s team—from the softly curved sofas to the tambour-clad casework.

Tactile Minimalism, Material Poetry

To describe the interiors as “minimalist” would be to miss the point. Sandbourne’s design language is less about simplicity and more about emotive restraint. Gulla Jonsdottir’s signature is everywhere: in the sensual curvature of archways, the sun-washed tones that evoke dune grass and driftwood, and the reverent use of raw materials—plaster, stone, wood—that seem to breathe with the ocean just blocks away.

Canoe Hospitality was brought in to procure every object that guests would see, touch, and inhabit. The scope spanned custom FF&E and OS&E procurement, a process requiring both precision and intuition. Every element had to belong—not just visually, but emotionally.

Beds appear sculpted rather than built. Lounge chairs offer the easy geometry of wind-shaped rock. In the lobby, light dances across curved surfaces, catching the brass accents just so. The overall effect is one of atmosphere—not “decor,” but the subtle setting of a tone.

Sourced by Sea and Hand: A Global Pursuit

Of particular note was the challenge—and triumph—of the hotel’s exterior furnishings. These pieces, some of the most intricate in the entire property, required specialized sourcing in Indonesia. Canoe worked closely with Indonesian craftsmen to bring the designs to life, bridging time zones and traditions to ensure each item honored the designer’s vision and withstood Southern California’s coastal climate.

In a revealing gesture of commitment, the interior design team traveled to the factory themselves. There, they evaluated samples firsthand, testing not only aesthetics but ergonomics, durability, and texture. The result: outdoor environments that feel as considered as the rooms themselves—more like private sanctuaries than transitional spaces.

A Dialogue Between Visionaries

Canoe’s role in the Sandbourne story is not just that of a service provider—it is that of an interpreter, a bridge between vision and realization. Our long-standing relationships with Stockdale Capital Partners and Dakota Development, combined with our deep experience with Marriott-branded properties, enabled a seamless process from early budget planning to final installation.

In projects of this scale and sensitivity, trust becomes as important as expertise. Designers must know their vision won’t be diluted. Owners need confidence that the numbers will hold. And operators depend on procurement that accounts not just for aesthetics, but also for functionality, longevity, and compliance. At Canoe, we live in that intersection—where creativity meets pragmatism, and where every chair, sconce, and textile has a purpose.

Coastal Stillness, Executed with Precision

As Sandbourne welcomes its guests, it does so with the quiet confidence of a space that knows exactly what it is: not loud, not trendy, but timeless and transportive. Every surface and silhouette tells a story—not just of design intent, but of the hands and minds that made it happen.

For Canoe Hospitality, it’s another chapter in our ongoing mission: to support design at its highest level, with precision, nuance, and a deep respect for the craft of experience. This is procurement not as process, but as creative stewardship. And in the case of Sandbourne Santa Monica, the results are nothing short of poetry.

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