To find hotels it is always a good idea to go directly to the hotel page or call the resort to see what their current offers are.
You should also be flexible in the traveling that you are going to do. The more wiggle room you allow for the time of the year you are willing to travel along with the days of the week you are going to stay will provide you with even lower hotel deals when it comes to booking your room.
Chances are if the hotel has a ton of extra rooms and you are looking at the last minute you are going to get a better rate. However, you can also book hotels in Santa Monica by surfing the internet.
Take advantage of your travel reward points. If you have a credit card, chances are somewhere you have accumulated some reward points, even if you didn't mean to.
Be sure to scour through your invoices and see which hotels will accept your points as part or all of the payment you will be required to pay upon checking in.
By following these tips and ideas individually or through a combination of one or more, you are going to be more likely to find the best hotel rates for your upcoming getaway.