Hotel suggestions for a weeks stay in LA before cruise

[lilkrz]

I will be arriving in LA in March and will be spending a week in LA before my cruise on Island Princess out of San Pedro. We are two adults.

 

Looking for a hotel that has either a car rental on the premises or within walking distance from the hotel. I don't want to get a car at the airport because they charge extra when you don't return the car to the airport.

 

I will need to get transportation from the hotel to the port so I need to consider that I stay within an area that has some type of transportation to the port.

[pascalburns]

try crowne plaza or double tree in san pedro.

i believe the enterprise car rental is located in or

near crown plaza.

both hotels will provide a shuttle to the port.:)

[Bruin Steve]

I will be arriving in LA in March and will be spending a week in LA before my cruise on Island Princess out of San Pedro. We are two adults.

 

Looking for a hotel that has either a car rental on the premises or within walking distance from the hotel. I don't want to get a car at the airport because they charge extra when you don't return the car to the airport.

 

I will need to get transportation from the hotel to the port so I need to consider that I stay within an area that has some type of transportation to the port.

 

Frankly, a hotel with a "car rental on the premises" or "transportation to the port" should NOT be your primary criteria in choosing a hotel in Los Angeles....

 

You can get transportation anywhere...the only question is what you pay for it...

Many car rental agencies will pick you up from various locations...Picking up and returning a rental car at LAX may be a valid consideration...picking one up at or near a hotel and returning it near the port may not save you anything...

 

Staying in a hotel near the port just to save you a drop off charge and get a free lift to the pier would be a poor situation for a number of other reasons...

 

You do not want to spend a week in Los Angeles at San Pedro...Everything else you do, other than go the ship the last day, will require a lot of time and long drives...

 

For a one week stay, I REALLY recommend staying in Santa Monica...Why? It is centrally located among the major tourist destinations of the area...The immediate area has lots to do, plenty of shops and restaurants, a number of attractions and more...all very convenient...

 

Depending on how you want to spend your week, there are other possible choices as well--mostly West Side (Beverly Hills/Century City/Westwood) or Hollywood/Universal...

 

I would stay up that way, return your car back at LAX and then shuttle to San Pedro either the morning of the cruise or the night before--and stay that last night at the Crowne Plaza San Pedro and use their free shuttle in the morning...

 

But, somewhere in the equation, you are going to spring for one shuttle trip from wherever you drop the car down to San Pedro...that or a one-way charge...

 

The alternative, as you have it, still requires a shuttle from LAX to a hotel...

[Cruisin' Chick]

You can also check on car rental agencies that will pick you up and take you to their office (does Enterprise still do this?). One scenario: take a shuttle like Super shuttle (which you'll have to pay for, but they will go everywhere in LA) to your hotel from the airport, pick up the rental. Return the rental on the day of the cruise (make sure of their hours if it's a weekend) and take a taxi to the port. Or, you can take a shuttle to the car rental agency (if you get into LA during the day). Usually airport car rentals cost more anyway, but you'll have to consider the extra costs of getting around if you don't get your rental at the airport. Also find out any extra costs if you do not return the car at the same location you've picked it up.

 

One thing you didn't mention is what do you want to do in the week before the cruise. Are there specific places you want to see, things you want to do? That might help narrow down where you would want to stay.

[lilkrz]

Thanks for giving me a start on how to figure this out.

 

I will be arriving in March on a Tuesday around 4 p.m. to LAX. The ship sails the following Wed.

 

I wanted to go to Warner Bros., CBS, Universal and then over the weekend take a drive up the coast going North for about a two hour ride each way. Does anyone have any suggestions on a Route and what I might see doing this? I really hate driving the freeway so what area should I stay in that would require the least amount of freeway driving? I can get a senior discount on hotel stays so I hoping to get a hotel for around $160 a night would be my price range.

 

I will have to price out the car rental. If they have a car rental near the Port of San Pedro, will need to find out what car companies are in San Pedro first, I can then price out what the cost of picking the car at LAX and then dropping it at the Port would be. Or take the shuttle to the hotel and pick up a car near the hotel and drop that car at the Port and see what the price difference is between the two senerios.

[Bruin Steve]

Thanks for giving me a start on how to figure this out.

 

I will be arriving in March on a Tuesday around 4 p.m. to LAX. The ship sails the following Wed.

 

I wanted to go to Warner Bros., CBS, Universal and then over the weekend take a drive up the coast going North for about a two hour ride each way. Does anyone have any suggestions on a Route and what I might see doing this? I really hate driving the freeway so what area should I stay in that would require the least amount of freeway driving? I can get a senior discount on hotel stays so I hoping to get a hotel for around $160 a night would be my price range.

 

I will have to price out the car rental. If they have a car rental near the Port of San Pedro, will need to find out what car companies are in San Pedro first, I can then price out what the cost of picking the car at LAX and then dropping it at the Port would be. Or take the shuttle to the hotel and pick up a car near the hotel and drop that car at the Port and see what the price difference is between the two senerios.

 

Okay...let me try to explain this once more...

 

There is absolutely ZERO advantage in heading to San Pedro at the beginning of your trip just to rent a car...

 

You would be heading through the worst of LA rush hour traffic--through the South Bay Curve--at around 5-6 pm on a Tuesday just to pick up a rental car in an area you won't want to stay in a week ahead of embarkation, then drive the car back north through rush hour traffic on a Tuesday evening...You would be paying for a shuttle or taxi just to get there...a waste of time and effort...and very little difference than if you just rented at LAX and headed straight to a hotel in a more desired area and dropped the car back at LAX the day before embarkation and took that same shuttle on the back end...It makes NO SENSE...

 

Do not get hung up on the relatively minor differences in cost depending on where you pick up or drop off the car...Know that most times here in LA when you pick up in one location and drop off in another, there is a charge...Picking up and dropping off at LAX at least saves with some logistics and extra cab or shuttle costs...

 

Here is what I would do:

 

Pick up a car upon your arrival at LAX...

 

Based on the things you've said you want to see, I would head immediately Tuesday upon arrival to the Hollywood/Universal area and stay there...

 

Based on your budget and what discounts you can get, take a good look at the Hilton or Sheraton in Universal City, the Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City or the Beverly Garland in North Hollywood...Do not go looking for "bargain" hotels...these often end up being in undesirable areas...Stick to hotels recommended by the locals...

 

I would stay there Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night...maybe Friday night depending on your quantity and intensity of touring...

 

Then, I would check out Friday or Saturday, and head "up the coast"...I would make a 2 or 3 day weekend out of this part, not just a day trip...On the way up, I would just take the Freeway--the 101 through Ventura...At Ventura, you hit the coast...and I would continue up through Santa Barbara...a lovely town...maybe stay there or continue up into the Southern California Wine Region of the Santa Ynez Valley...I would stay overnight either one or two nights in Solvang/Buellton...Solvang is an old Danish tourist town with shopping and bakeries...the surrounding area has a lot of winery tours--this is where the movie "Sideways" was filmed...On Sunday, I'd head back down the coast, this time sticking to the Pacific Coast Highway after leaving Ventura and following the scenic drive down through Malibu into Santa Monica...maybe stopping at the Getty Villa depending on time...I'd stay Sunday and Monday nights in Santa Monica...enjoy the Pier, Palisades Park, the Third Stree Promenade and the venice Boardwalk...Then on Tuesday afternoon, I'd head back to LAX, return the rental car and take a shuttle to the Crowne Plaza in San Pedro--Spend the last night there, enjoy a nice dinner in one of the local, walkable eateries--San Pedro Brewing Company, J Trani's, Green Onion, etc., get a good night's sleep and use the hotel shuttle to get tho the pier in the morning...

 

Freeways are a little hard to avoid in LA...But, if you stay at one of those Universal area hotels I recommended, you can pretty much get to everything--including Hollywood--by surface streets or even walking or subway...The last couple of Days I've laid out--in Santa Monica, most everything is local...getting from Universal to the Santa Barbara area, it's unavoidable to drive some freeways...From LAX to Universal, you CAN take surface streets (La Cienega to Slauson to La Brea to Highland to Cahuenga)...but it's a little complicated... Santa Monica to LAX may be best done on surface streets--Ocean/Nielson to the Marina, swing over to Lincoln and down into LAX...Then your one unavoidable shuttle to San Pedro...

 

Good luck...

[lilkrz]

Steve,

 

I think you suggestions are exactly what I should do. I will start researching hotels in the areas you recommened and staying at several places instead one hotel makes a lot more sense.

 

I will be retiring in January at 62 and this will be my first of many trips to come.

 

Thanks for all you input.

[burrma]

Okay...let me try to explain this once more...

 

THought you might be willing to give us some advice since you know the area so well.

We (four 60 year old ladies)are flying into LAX on a Thurs. at midnight; plan to rent a car and drive to hotel which we haven't booked yet (any advice.. area on hotwire would be appreciated); then take city tour next day from hotel (again suggestions are welcomed); then return to hotel about 6 p.m. and drive to our time share in Palm Springs; stay a week; then return to LAX early on Friday and spend the day (another tour); stay the night; then board the ship the next day.

Any advice on tours, hotels, traffic, etc. would be appreciated.

Sincere thanks

Do not know the area at all but have our beloved GPS. Did check and many tours will pick you up at your hotel; we want to avoid driving as much as possible in LAX.

Sincere thanks

[Bruin Steve]

THought you might be willing to give us some advice since you know the area so well.

We (four 60 year old ladies)are flying into LAX on a Thurs. at midnight; plan to rent a car and drive to hotel which we haven't booked yet (any advice.. area on hotwire would be appreciated); then take city tour next day from hotel (again suggestions are welcomed); then return to hotel about 6 p.m. and drive to our time share in Palm Springs; stay a week; then return to LAX early on Friday and spend the day (another tour); stay the night; then board the ship the next day.

Any advice on tours, hotels, traffic, etc. would be appreciated.

Sincere thanks

Do not know the area at all but have our beloved GPS. Did check and many tours will pick you up at your hotel; we want to avoid driving as much as possible in LAX.

Sincere thanks

 

Okay...where to start?

First, you are coming in from the East, so, remember that "midnight" our time is 3 am YOUR time...You will likely be dead tired...

And, since you really aren't doing anything at your first night hotel other than spending the night, this is one of those rare exceptions when I would actually recommend staying near LAX...You may even want to NOT pick up that rental car right away...just get an LAX area hotel with a free shuttle, retrieve your luggage and take the shuttle right to the hotel...Any of the big chain hotels on Century Blvd just east of the airport, but West of the 405 will do...Radisson, Courtyard, Marriott, Crowne Plaza, Embassy Suites North, Renaissance, Hilton, Four Points...

 

There are several tour companies that will pick up at these LAX area hotels...I am not of much help in choosing a company since I have nrever personally taken one of these tours...but these guys are one of the larger companies and I know they pick up from all of the above LAX area hotels...

 

http://www.starlinetours.com/S-los-angeles-tours.asp

 

You can wait until AFTER your tour the next day to pick up your rental car...The rental car offices are, for the most part, right near these hotels--(Hertz is at the Marriott and Hilton, Budget and Avis are at the Sheraton)...You might want to coordinate which rental car company you use with which hotel...but, try calling the hotels and asking them which is most convenient...

 

The drive from LAX area to Palm Springs will not be quick...120 miles plus (depending on where in Palm Springs you are going)...Without traffic, it would take a little over two hours...but you can count on traffic...It sounds like you are planning on leaving around 6 pm (let's call it 7:00 pm after you pick up the rental car...maybe sooner with everything pre arranged)...In either event, you are heading across one of the world's largest metropolises toward a popular weekend resort area on a FRIDAY evening...This drive could take you up to four hours...There are a lot of people who work in Los Angeles and live in what we call "The Inland Empire" who will be commuting home from their jobs...and add to them all of the folks heading out for weekend visits to the desert or mountain areas...You will be sharing the freeways with all of them... Consider having dinner and leaving a little later...In any event, you'll want to take the 105 East out of LAX to the 605 North to the 60 East--which merges into the 10 East around Banning/Beaumont and takes you into the Palm Springs area...

 

Getting back to LAX early the next Friday will be no picnic either...Those same commuters will be sharing those return freeways with you...And, to get there in time for a tour? I'd suppose it might have to be a later or half day tour...I would return my rental car when I got to LAX (or late at night if you wanted to keep it to go somewhere for a dinner after the tour...There are few realistic places to eat right near the LAX hotels--I'd consider driving up to Santa Monica for dinner--lots of choices there and a nice area to walk around (Third Street Promenade) afterwards...

 

Which ship will you be cruising on? Remeber, if it's Carnival, you are heading to Long Beach...anyone else, San Pedro...

 

You might also consider forgoing that last day tour and driving directly to Long Beach at your leisure, returning the car there (if your rental car company allows) and spending the night in Long Beach or San Pedro...Othewise, best to take a shuttle service from your LAX area hotel to the pier the morning of the cruise...

 

Hope this helps...

[burrma]

Okay...where to start?

Can't thank you enough for taking the time to reply with such valuable info. I'm a strong driver; in large cities in Florida but had no idea LAX was such a busier place.

First, you are coming in from the East, so, remember that "midnight" our time is 3 am YOUR time...You will likely be dead tired...very true

And, since you really aren't doing anything at your first night hotel other than spending the night, this is one of those rare exceptions when I would actually recommend staying near LAX...You may even want to NOT pick up that rental car right away...just get an LAX area hotel with a free shuttle, retrieve your luggage and take the shuttle right to the hotel...Good idea; just thought we were at airport; might as well rent it and get that job out of way and cheaper for a week so was going to give it back THursday night when we came back to LAX and take shuttle on Friday and taxi or shuttle to cruise port.Any of the big chain hotels on Century Blvd just east of the airport, but West of the 405 will do...Radisson, Courtyard, Marriott, Crowne Plaza, Embassy Suites North, Renaissance, Hilton, Four Points...Did find quite a few on hotwire and priceline with shuttle service.

 

There are several tour companies that will pick up at these LAX area hotels...I am not of much help in choosing a company since I have nrever personally taken one of these tours...but these guys are one of the larger companies and I know they pick up from all of the above LAX area hotels...

http://www.starlinetours.com/S-los-angeles-tours.asp

Very interesting; have researched them and this one and VIP tours get great reviews and I called and they do pick up at hotels that I was thinking of bookign at.

 

You can wait until AFTER your tour the next day to pick up your rental car...The rental car offices are, for the most part, right near these hotels--(Hertz is at the Marriott and Hilton, Budget and Avis are at the Sheraton)...You might want to coordinate which rental car company you use with which hotel...but, try calling the hotels and asking them which is most convenient...

 

The drive from LAX area to Palm Springs will not be quick...120 miles plus (depending on where in Palm Springs you are going(Cathedal City which is 4 miles from Palm Springs...Without traffic, it would take a little over two hours...but you can count on traffic...It sounds like you are planning on leaving around 6 pm (let's call it 7:00 pm after you pick up the rental car...maybe sooner with everything pre arranged)...In either event, you are heading across one of the world's largest metropolises toward a popular weekend resort area on a FRIDAY evening...This drive could take you up to four hours...WOW! I had no idea traffic would be that bad; guess I know in Florida and Toronto Canada, the places to avoid during rush hours.There are a lot of people who work in Los Angeles and live in what we call "The Inland Empire" who will be commuting home from their jobs...and add to them all of the folks heading out for weekend visits to the desert or mountain areas...You will be sharing the freeways with all of them... You have no idea how much I appreciate this knowledge Consider having dinner and leaving a little later...excellent idea In any event, you'll want to take the 105 East out of LAX to the 605 North to the 60 East--which merges into the 10 East around Banning/Beaumont and takes you into the Palm Springs area...

 

Getting back to LAX early the next Friday will be no picnic either...Those same commuters will be sharing those return freeways with you...And, to get there in time for a tour?another excellent point; will only book p.m. tour and avoid rush hour commute I'd suppose it might have to be a later or half day tour...I would return my rental car when I got to LAX (or late at night if you wanted to keep it to go somewhere for a dinner after the tour...There are few realistic places to eat right near the LAX hotels--I'd consider driving up to Santa Monica for dinner--lots of choices there and a nice area to walk around (Third Street Promenade) afterwards...good recommendation; wouldn't have know this

 

Which ship will you be cruising on? Sailing on Saphire Princess out of San Pedro Remeber, if it's Carnival, you are heading to Long Beach...anyone else, San Pedro...

 

You might also consider forgoing that last day tour and driving directly to Long Beach at your leisure, returning the car there (if your rental car company allows) and spending the night in Long Beach or San Pedro...another great idea; hadn't even considered hotels near san Pedro Othewise, best to take a shuttle service from your LAX area hotel to the pier the morning of the cruise...

 

Hope this helps...

You have no idea how much it helped. Sincere thanks