Where to stay pre cruise Los Angeles?

[Cyclospora]

We have 2 nights pre cruise from LA so will only have 1 full day for sight seeing as we get in quite late on the first day. Should we stay in in Long Beach or San Pedro? 

 

Thanks

[CruiserBruce]

Depends what you want to do. The Los Angeles area is incredibly diverse, but spread out, so where you stay might be important.

 

First, who are you sailing on? You might be sailing from Long Beach or San Pedro. There isn't a lot to see at San Pedro. Much more to see in Long Beach.

[Bruin Steve]

20 hours ago, Cyclospora said:

We have 2 nights pre cruise from LA so will only have 1 full day for sight seeing as we get in quite late on the first day. Should we stay in in Long Beach or San Pedro? 

 

Thanks

Lots of questions:

Have you ever been to LA before?

Do you want to go sightseeing?  Any specific sights you want to see?

Do you want to do active things or merely recover from travel fatigue?

What sort of budget do you have?

 

Also, be aware that the port is pretty far from most of the typical tourist sites...

 

I usually recommend staying at the port ONLY if:

Getting in just the day before your cruise...or...

If you've been to LA enough in the past and don't really need to see anything...

 

For anyone with considerable time to spend and the desire to actually see places of note, my first recommendation is to stay in Santa Monica...in the area near the Santa Monica Pier and Third Street Promenade...It's about ten miles north of LAX...and about 30 miles back to the pier (I assume you are cruising out of San Pedro, not Long Beach--which is only Carnival).  Santa Monica and the area surrounding it is one of the more iconic parts of Los Angeles--with lots to see and do...and easy to get around even without a car.  Palisades Park has tremendous ocean and beach views--especially at sunset.  The Promenade has fun and interesting shopping, street entertainers and restaurants.  The Santa Monica Pier has rides and attractions.  It is a short Uber ride to the famous Venice Boardwalk or to the outstanding Getty Center Museum or the Getty Villa Museum.  The HOHO buses use Santa Monica as a hub and so do most tour companies--so, if you wanted to do a tour to Hollywood and elsewhere, it is easy from there.  If there's a negative for some, it's that Santa Monica hotels can be a bit pricey...

 

An alternative to Santa Monica is the Marina Del Rey/Venice Beach area--much closer to LAX...and walkable to the Venice Boardwalk...and a short Uber up to Santa Monica.

 

The other iconic LA areas include Hollywood...Walk of Fame, Chinese Theater, Hollywood Sign...but I usually don't recommend staying there--it can be a little scuzzy...and some won't want to go out at night...Universal Studios is close--but, it's become more of an amusement park than a real studio--don't bother with only one day to spend...

 

If you stay in Santa Monica or Marina del Rey, I'd recommend getting an Uber from the airport and an Uber the morning of the cruise down to San Pedro...

 

San Pedro is nice enough if you're just there for the night before--we did that in January 2020--our last pre-pandemic cruise--stayed at the Doubletree...and we're planning the same--but staying at the Crowne Plaza--for our October 2021 cruise...but we just go down the day before and don't do much more than go out for dinner and relax...(and those are the only two hotels I highly recommend)

 

There's a little bit more in Long Beach--more shopping, more restaurants and two attractions of note--the Queen Mary and the Aquarium of the Pacific...But it's also a fairly longer ride than you'd expect to the San Pedro pier--it's a VERY large harbor and the two cruise piers are on extreme opposite edges of the port.  If you decide to stay in Long Beach, choose from these hotels:  Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Centric at the Pike, Renaissance or Westin--those are the nicest and most convenient...The Hilton is slightly less well-located and the Maya Doubletree and Residence Inn Downtown are across the channel from the Aquarium and all the restaurants--but close to the Queen Mary and Carnival pier...Other than those, don't go looking for cheaper hotels--many are in not-so-good neighborhoods and far from the tourist areas...

 

Good luck...

 

Good luck...

[KeepCalmBearOn]

On 3/10/2021 at 5:09 PM, Cyclospora said:

We have 2 nights pre cruise from LA so will only have 1 full day for sight seeing as we get in quite late on the first day. Should we stay in in Long Beach or San Pedro?

 

Neither.

 

Depending on what you want to see and experience, I'd spend the night in either Santa Monica or Hollywood and then use an Uber or shuttle the day you leave on your cruise.

[CruiserBruce]

Notice the OP has not come back with any additional info to help us help them.

[hawkesbaynz]

He’s probably crying over the rugby but will appreciate the advice when he recovers. Thanks from me anyway! 

[Cyclospora]

On 3/20/2021 at 11:35 PM, hawkesbaynz said:

He’s probably crying over the rugby but will appreciate the advice when he recovers. Thanks from me anyway! 

Actually - "he" is a "she" ........ but yes you're right about crying over the rugby! 😂

 

Thank you for your replies and apologies for not getting back sooner with answers. 

 

So - yes we've stayed in Hollywood before and have had day trips to Santa Monica and Venice Beach. Our friends have not been to California at all and we gave them the choice of where to stay and they decided near to the port which is why we were looking at Long Beach area. We've had a look at some hotels in the area and are thinking of booking the Best Western Plus at the Convention Center. It has good reviews and apparently a good location. 

 

On another note - I just saved £300 by cancelling and rebooking - also got the 4 perks instead of the 2 that were on offer when we booked initially 🙂

 

[Bruin Steve]

22 minutes ago, Cyclospora said:

So - yes we've stayed in Hollywood before and have had day trips to Santa Monica and Venice Beach. Our friends have not been to California at all and we gave them the choice of where to stay and they decided near to the port which is why we were looking at Long Beach area. We've had a look at some hotels in the area and are thinking of booking the Best Western Plus at the Convention Center. It has good reviews and apparently a good location. 

 

On another note - I just saved £300 by cancelling and rebooking - also got the 4 perks instead of the 2 that were on offer when we booked initially 🙂

 

That Best Western is nice enough...not in as much a good location as one of the Hyatts, so you will walk a few blocks to most of the Long Beach attractions or restaurants.  With two nights, will your friends be content to visit only the Long Beach attractions (Queen Mary and Aquarium)?  If they haven't been to LA before, do they know that they will be nowhere near the major attractions?

 

Also, which cruise are you on?  The 4 perk thing sounds like Celebrity or Princess (or did I notice you were on NCL?) rather than Carnival (the only cruise line that actually sails out of Long Beach).  If your friends want to sightsee and want to be very close to the pier, they may find they are near neither...The San Pedro World Cruise Center--where lines other than Carnival sail from--is about 7 miles from that hotel--on the other side of the very large harbor...

Edited March 24, 2021 by Bruin Steve

[KeepCalmBearOn]

1 hour ago, Cyclospora said:

Our friends have not been to California at all and we gave them the choice of where to stay and they decided near to the port which is why we were looking at Long Beach area. 

 

I would help your friends understand that Long Beach is not what leaps to mind when most tourists plan trips to see the LA area, especially if you are not cruising out of Long Beach.

 

I'll still recommend Santa Monica, followed by Hollywood as the areas to stay.

[missy2662]

Has anyone stayed at the Beverly Hills Hilton?  

 

[Bruin Steve]

20 minutes ago, missy2662 said:

Has anyone stayed at the Beverly Hills Hilton?  

 

I've never stayed there...but I have attended a lot of events there over the years (and my sister used to teach Kindergarten at El Rodeo Elementary School across the street...and the Beverly Hills School District often held fundraisers in the ballroom there)...The Ballroom is also the site for the annual Golden Globe Awards...And, on a darker note, Whitney Houston died at the Beverly Hilton--drowned in the bathtub in her room  (Okay, not quite as legendary as another local hotel--the Chateau Marmont--where John Belushi died).  The hotel was also owned for a long time by Merv Griffin.

 

Yes, it has a history--which should indicate to you that it is, in Los Angeles terms, an older hotel--opened by Conrad Hilton about 65 years ago.  It was once the "standard" of hotels in Beverly Hills.  Of course, OTOH, it has been well maintained over the years...but, it has also been "passed up" by several other nearby hotels over the years...the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire, the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Peninsula and the new Waldorf Astoria...

 

But, if you have some reason to want to stay in Beverly Hills, it's a reasonable choice.  It is located on one of the most high-trafficked intersections in the Los Angeles area--Wilshire Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard.  If you want to go shopping (and have a lot of money to spend), it does put you within reasonable walking distance of Beverly Hill's "Golden Triangle" (with Rodeo Drive) as well as Century City.  It's also a very short ride to UCLA and to the Getty Center Museum to the West...or to the LA County Art Museums and the soon to open new Academy of Motion Pictures Museum to the East--as well as the Farmers' Market, CBS Studios and West Hollywood to the East...But you will either need a car (and expensive parking) or to take a lot of taxis or Ubers to see many of those things...And a lot of nearby restaurants are trendy and pricey...but nice.  If you can afford Beverly Hills, it's not bad...sort of centrally located between a lot of LA area sights...

[KeepCalmBearOn]

On 3/27/2021 at 5:40 PM, missy2662 said:

Has anyone stayed at the Beverly Hills Hilton? 

 

I haven't stayed st the Beverly Hilton for a very long time, but it is fine; it just wouldn't be my first pick in Beverly Hills or LA, for that matter.

[missy2662]

Suggestions on where to stay if you want to do the Hop On Hop Off Bus before cruise out of San Padre?

[KeepCalmBearOn]

2 minutes ago, missy2662 said:

Suggestions on where to stay if you want to do the Hop On Hop Off Bus before cruise out of San Padre?

 

This brings up lots of other questions.Do you mean to do the Hop On Hop Off Bus the morning of the day of the cruise or the day before? What sights do you want to see? The HOHO bus has three or four loops, which loop were you wanting to do? What time does your flight arrive? When is this for? The HOHO Bus has limited days and hours currently

 

I don't find Hollywood particularly appealing, but a lot of people stay there. I'd prefer to be in Santa Monica or even the area around the Beverly Center and The Grove, over Hollywood.

[missy2662]

We will be arriving 2 days before our cruise.  We will not be renting a car just relying on uber and tours.  We would like to see the Hollywood attractions ie, Hollywood sign, Chinese Theatre, Beverly Hills etc.

[Bruin Steve]

To build off what Scott said (and I agree):

 

Not only are there multiple loops, they also take considerable time to complete...You are dealing with large distances...There's a yellow loop, a red loop, a purple loop...plus some different green shuttle lines.  You'd really need to be on the yellow or red loops in order not to waste a lot of extra time.  Beverly Hills may be the most optimal for using the HOHO...if you can get near one of the stops where the Yellow and Red lines intersect...but it is otherwise very pricey and pretty much not as exciting as it sounds--lots of traffic, not vacation-like...Hollywood puts you on the Red line...but, as Scott noted, a bit scuzzy.  Santa Monica is on the Yellow line--which, to me, covers most of the best sits...and the Santa Monica area is VERY nice...it is where I would stay...

...

[Bruin Steve]

9 minutes ago, missy2662 said:

We will be arriving 2 days before our cruise.  We will not be renting a car just relying on uber and tours.  We would like to see the Hollywood attractions ie, Hollywood sign, Chinese Theatre, Beverly Hills etc.

Without a car, Santa Monica is the best place to be...(Make sure to find a hotel near the Third Street Promenade/Santa Monica Pier/Palisades Park)...There is a LOT there that is all very walkable...and lots of restaurants and attractions that work for your evenings...You may not want to walk around Hollywood late at night (I do, but I know where I am and feel comfortable)...So, when you finish your day of heading out to Hollywood on the HOHO, you'll have plenty to do in Santa Monica staying safe and close to your hotel...

[missy2662]

5 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:

Without a car, Santa Monica is the best place to be...(Make sure to find a hotel near the Third Street Promenade/Santa Monica Pier/Palisades Park)...There is a LOT there that is all very walkable...and lots of restaurants and attractions that work for your evenings...You may not want to walk around Hollywood late at night (I do, but I know where I am and feel comfortable)...So, when you finish your day of heading out to Hollywood on the HOHO, you'll have plenty to do in Santa Monica staying safe and close to your hotel...

 

[missy2662]

Thank you for all the help!  Santa Monica it is. 

[vacationlover_mn]

Any specific hotels that you recommend in Santa Monica?  We prefer to spend $400 a night or less, but since I've never stayed in the LA area before, I have no idea what is reasonable for a clean hotel in a safe-ish area.

[Bruin Steve]

17 minutes ago, vacationlover_mn said:

Any specific hotels that you recommend in Santa Monica?  We prefer to spend $400 a night or less, but since I've never stayed in the LA area before, I have no idea what is reasonable for a clean hotel in a safe-ish area.

Though I've lived in the area most of my life, I've had the occasion to actually stay in two Santa Monica hotels for some reason or another in recent years--the Loews and the Marriott LeMerigot...Both are excellent and in a great location...and, depending on dates and other factors, should usually make it under your $400 budget--which, even for pricey Santa Monica is reasonably adequate...

 

The key to Santa Monica as a tourist is to be in close walking distance to the Third Street Promenade, Palisades Park and the Santa Monica Pier.  There are a number of very nice hotel in this area.

 

The Loews and LeMerigot are both just south of the pier along the beach...Slightly further down the beach are Shutters and Casa del Mar...both very nice as well...The Wyndham is virtually across from the pier, a block or so inland--in a great location, though one knock on it is that it is on the freeway...you just don't want a room on a low floor on the side of the hotel over the freeway...As you get west of the pier (and closer to the Third Street Promenade), the hotels move off the beach and up onto the cliffs along Ocean Avenue (this is prime Santa Monica real estate--and extremely convenient).  Several hotels along this row...most notably the Biltmore Miramar, the Grande Dame of Santa Monica hotels.  But also consider the Huntley, the Georgian and the Shangri La.  A little longer walk from the coast, but still a reasonable location are the fairly new Courtyard and Hampton Inn at Fifth and Colorado (a couple of blocks the inland side of the Third Street Promenade)--both built in conjunction with the terminus of the new Metro Line.

 

Those would be the better choices that come to mind...but there are a few others in the immediate area that I am not as familiar with...but be very careful to check out reviews--some smaller, older ones may not be great...  Good luck...

[KeepCalmBearOn]

The Miramar is a Fairmont Hotel. Also nice in Santa Monica (in addition to those named) is The Shore Hotel; a newer hotel.

[Bruin Steve]

6 minutes ago, scottca075 said:

The Miramar is a Fairmont Hotel. Also nice in Santa Monica (in addition to those named) is The Shore Hotel; a newer hotel.

Whoops...Yeah, I know that well...just suffered a momentary brain #%&!

[cabarche]

I've been reading this thread with great interest. We have already been to many of the places suggested in and around Hollywood, santa Monica etc. We are coming in 2 nights before a Jan 2022 cruise on NCL. It appears they sail from San Pedro not Long Beach. Can anyone confirm this...and would staying at a hotel on long Beach versus San pedro work?  I assume most hotels offer shuttle service to the pier?We would do all the touristy things in that area instead. Thanks for letting my jump into the conversation.

[Bruin Steve]

48 minutes ago, cabarche said:

I've been reading this thread with great interest. We have already been to many of the places suggested in and around Hollywood, santa Monica etc. We are coming in 2 nights before a Jan 2022 cruise on NCL. It appears they sail from San Pedro not Long Beach. Can anyone confirm this...and would staying at a hotel on long Beach versus San pedro work?  I assume most hotels offer shuttle service to the pier?We would do all the touristy things in that area instead. Thanks for letting my jump into the conversation.

Basically, Carnival sails out of Long Beach...everyone else sails out of San Pedro.  The two are on opposite edges of the very large harbor.  Staying in a Long Beach hotel will, generally, put you about 6-8 miles from the cruise center in San Pedro...and, no, nobody in Long Beach will shuttle you to the pier in San Pedro.  The San Pedro hotels--at least the Doubletree, Crowne Plaza and Best Western will.

 

That said, it is not unreasonable to stay in Long Beach for a cruise out of San Pedro...just be prepared to grab an Uber to the pier for your cruise.  I'd recommend the following Long Beach hotels for the nicest hotels in the best location and easy walking distance to restaurants, the Aquarium, Shoreline Village, etc.:  Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Centric at the Pike, Renaissance, Westin...in that approximate order.  You can pick up the free Passport shuttle to go over the bridge to see the Queen Mary.  The Maya Doubletree and Residence Inn Downtown are across the channel near the Queen Mary...but you'll need to grab the Passport to get to most restaurants and shopping and to the Aquarium...