The Shade Hotel is located a few blocks above the ocean in the hip, oceanfront town of Manhattan Beach. Check in here and you’ll stay in a hotel with the same style as the area in which it resides. Walk out the door of the hotel and in a few steep, downward facing blocks, you’ll find yourself at the beach where you’ll also feel you’ve joined the whole town.

Here in Manhattan Beach, the houses and apartments are neat and compact. The lots fall somewhere between small and non-existent. Luckily the big, wide, public beachfront functions as everyone’s backyard. Stroll on down (and I do mean “down” which didn’t work very well with my wedge sandals) and join the procession of dog walkers, joggers, bicyclists and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and every type. Once you hit the beach, it feels like everyone is outside, happily claiming the spacious walkway, soaring seagulls and bright blue skies as their own.

Back up at the Shade, things are lively, too. Like the town that embraces the outdoors, this hotel has an open-to-the-elements feel. Zinc is the hotel’s sleek bar/restaurant/breakfast area. It’s light and bright during the day and clubby at night. Between the rooms, there’s a big open courtyard used for weddings and parties and the rooftop Skydeck has comfy chaises and cushions, a small pool and open skies. Relax here during the day or join the party after dark.

Guestrooms are as comfortable as they come. Wide beds with goosedown duvets and sleek Mascioni linens beckon. Big 32” TVs and moody lighting (with master panels that make it easy to navigate all the tech) set the stage. Deep woods, rich greens and warm beiges give rooms the feel of outdoors. No pillow mints here. Instead, I found a box with two tasty little cupcakes from a local bakery. Nice.

Baths featur fab amenities from Molton Brown, a perfect shower and a luxe soaking tub with a menu of chromatherapy lighting choices to fit the mood while bathing. Egyptian cotton towels and plush bathrobes add to the pleasures.

By night, we joined the crowd at Zinc for stylish snacks like salty marcona almonds, crispy calamari and treats like a sweet and savory brie and pear grilled cheese. Crafted cocktails, many martinis, a unique selection of beers and a great California wine list offered plenty of options for drinks.

In the bright light of morning, the room felt completely different, set up for the hotel’s generous complementary breakfast, including bagels and lox, parfaits, excellent oatmeal and rich, welcome coffee. Guests came and went, talking with family and friends in the comfortable room that now had the feel of living room rather than a lounge. Outside on the deck, additional drinks and breakfast choices were available — at an additional cost.

Wi-fi is free at the Shade and so are the sky-colored Beach Cruise Bicycles available for exploring the town and riding along the ocean path that spans not only Manhattan Beach, but the many beach towns up and down the coast.

The hotel borders an outdoor plaza with lots of restaurants and stores right outside the door. The whole area is alive with small shops, lots of pedestrians and of course, everyone’s big collective backyard: The Pacific Ocean.

The Shade also has something I haven’t yet seen in NY — a woman valet parking manager who could not have been nicer or more helpful when delivering my car and sending me on my way to my next destination down the California coast.