Stayed here in Oct. Room was a really good size, nice quality furniture. We had a view of the Pier. Totally silent. The comp breakfast we got as gold was a cold breakfast, but had a good selection of juices / porridge / fruit / cereals and some pastries. We were initially told at check-in that our vouchers could be used to as part payment for full breakfast, but it appears this had changed in the last day or two, and the front desk wasn't up to date. To be fair the breakfast staff offered to honour what we'd been told.
Staff were all very friendly, although the main doorman/bellman seemed to be a little bit too full of his own trip advisor reputation of being fantastic.
Good location, Chez Jay, a dive bar once frequented by "known" people is 5 mins walk away. The pier is 15 mins walk. Pool area is indeed a little small and often in the shade.
Not having been to Santa Monica before, I was surprised by the number of homeless people, my partner described it as like a scene from the walking dead. The odd one could be found having an argument with a lamppost.