Pre cruise hotel recommendations for Los Angeles

[Swalsh80]

Any recommendations for a pre cruise hotel in LA? We're on Biss out of LA Nov 13. We'll be flying in on the 11th (2 day deviation....I don't trust the airlines to get us and the bags there together....built in extra time)

[debenson0723]

5 minutes ago, Swalsh80 said:

Any recommendations for a pre cruise hotel in LA? We're on Biss out of LA Nov 13. We'll be flying in on the 11th (2 day deviation....I don't trust the airlines to get us and the bags there together....built in extra time)

Check out the West Coast departures board on this forum. Lots of hotel recommendations there.

[ColeThornton]

10 minutes ago, Swalsh80 said:

Any recommendations for a pre cruise hotel in LA? We're on Biss out of LA Nov 13. We'll be flying in on the 11th (2 day deviation....I don't trust the airlines to get us and the bags there together....built in extra time)

 

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/315-west-coast-departures/

[purplecow15]

Stayed here . Lovely place to spend time. Shuttle to port available. https://www.guestreservations.com/doubletree-by-hilton-san-pedro-port-of-los-angeles/booking?gclid=Cj0KCQjwuO6WBhDLARIsAIdeyDLz1UPvAZ8HRXo56kXrODoJj1YXC0dn10QEBURfg6T8nbuLNGJy5rgaAtF1EALw_wcB

[BirdTravels]

8 hours ago, Swalsh80 said:

Any recommendations for a pre cruise hotel in LA? We're on Biss out of LA Nov 13. We'll be flying in on the 11th (2 day deviation....I don't trust the airlines to get us and the bags there together....built in extra time)

We stay at the Doubletree by Hilton San Pedro  just down the street from the cruise terminal. They have a shuttle over to the port. 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

Two days before I'd stay in Santa Monica, maybe Redondo Beach, maybe Downtown LA. Maybe even Downtown Long Beach. I would not spend two days in San Pedro.

[Bruin Steve]

The real question is one of what you want to do with your time.  You will have whatever is left of the 11th (a Friday) and all day Saturday before you need to get to the pier Sunday morning.

 

If you just want to hang around at your hotel, read and nap and maybe see some local sights, you could just stay in San Pedro (Only two hotels there I've stayed in or would stay in are the Crowne Plaza and the Doubletree).  You could go tour the USS Iowa and there are a few good restaurants...but that might still leave you with a lot of empty time on your hands.  You could grab an Uber over to Downtown Long Beach--where you could see the Queen Mary and the Aquarium of the Pacific...or, alternatively, you could stay in Long Beach (Hyatt Centric at the Pike, Hyatt Regency, Renaissance, Westin would be my choices, in that order, to get you a nice hotel and close to sites and restaurants)...then you'd Uber from there to the pier in Pedro Sunday morning.

 

But, if you really want to see more of the major sites of LA during that day to day and a half you have...and be near a lot of nightlife and places to stroll around and enjoy day and night...and be on the HOHO bus route if you want to do that...Stay in Santa Monica--10 miles north of LAX and 30 miles north of San Pedro...but the best place to be--especially if you are a tourist without a car.  Lots to do and see and stroll around at the Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica Pier, Palisades Park...and a short ride to the Venice Boardwalk, the Getty Center, the Getty Villa, Rodeo Drive-Beverly Hills or anything else you might want to do and see while here.  Get a hotel near the Third Street Promenade/Ocean Blvd./Pier.

 

If you find it a bit pricy, my first alternate would be Marina Del Rey/Venice...near Washingron Blvd./Beach to be near the Veniuce Boardwalk and a short Uber or public bus to Downtown Santa Monica.

 

Good luck...

Edited July 25, 2022 by Bruin Steve

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

Stayed two weeks ago at the Doubletree and wouldn't stay there again.  The hotel is worn and in need of a serious renovation.  You can't reserve the shuttle in advance so it's first come first serve when you check in.  It was booked when we checked in and I had paid for the cruise/park stay.  We ended up taking an UBER to/from the port.  If there's a next time I will stay at another hotel and park at the port as there were plenty of spots a short walk from the ship.  

[KeepCalmBearOn]

19 hours ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

If there's a next time I will stay at another hotel and park at the port as there were plenty of spots a short walk from the ship.  

 

Which hotel? San Pedro only has two decent ones left, the DoubleTree and the Crowne Plaza.

 

So you are saying you'd pay for a room at hotel further away and then drive yourself to the port and park there? If the DoubleTree isn't acceptable, nothing really close to San Pedro is nicer, so maybe you have to stay in Torrance or Downtown Long Beach, or maybe by Long Beach airport. Nice hotels do not come cheaply in So Cal, especially near the coast, so you are talking about spending close to $200 for a hotel (rate, taxes & parking), maybe more and then spending another $200 to park at the port?

 

I guess everyone has their own tolerance levels of what is acceptable in a hotel room, but I'd be okay with a little dated to save the better part of $200 on an overnight stay.

 

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

5 hours ago, scottca075 said:

 

Which hotel? San Pedro only has two decent ones left, the DoubleTree and the Crowne Plaza.

 

 

Actually, if "we" sail from there again we will just drive in that day and park at the port.  Only reason we came in the day before was because we came from northern CA and not our home two hours away from the port.  As for the hotel that's my opinion.  Your mileage may vary, but I personally know of several within a 30-45 min drive to the port that we have stayed at prior that are much nicer, cleaner, and newer than that DT.  There's a very nice DT in Carson 30 min away I have stayed at several times for work that's the same rate as the DT San Pedro.  I'm a Hilton Diamond member and this DT just wasn't up to the standards I expect from a Hilton property.  Not to mention the booked up "free" shuttle to the port that cost me another $150 for an UBER and the indifferent front desk staff who at first couldn't give me eye contact, until they saw I was a diamond.  Others may find this hotel works for them, I didn't.        

[KeepCalmBearOn]

1 hour ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

and not our home two hours away from the port.

 

So you don't live in Stockton then?

 

1 hour ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

Not to mention the booked up "free" shuttle to the port that cost me another $150 for an UBER

 

Surely you are not saying an Uber from the DoubleTree San Pedro to the cruise berth, 2.5 miles away cost $75 each way.

[Bruin Steve]

From January 2020 to today, we have cruised out of San Pedro 5 times...Twice, we Ubered from LAX to the port because it was a one way cruise--leaving our car parked at LAX...and one time, we just Ubered from home and back...That last time, the combined price of the two Uber trips--Calabasas to San Pedro AND the return TOTALED LESS THAN $150--including generous tips!

 

The other two cruises, we did Park and Cruise stays at BOTH the Doubletree and the Crowne Plaza.

When we stayed at the CP, we took their shuttle TO the pier--making sure to reserve our spots with the front desk at check-in...NO problem.  I walked back after the cruise, got the car and picked up my wife and luggage at the pier.  Easy.

 

When we stayed at the Doubletree, we merely made sure to reserve our spot at check-in and the transfer to the pier was EASY.  For the return, they told us to call when we were ready...which we did...There was a short wait--around 20 minutes--since the shuttle was already heading back to the hotel with another group when we got there.

 

Either time, we were prepared to call Uber as well, if necessary.  UberX between the Doubletree and the pier runs LESS THAN $10!!!

 

As to the Doubletree itself, we stay in a lot of Hilton products...and we found NOTHING "substandard" about it at all.  In fact, we were quite impressed with our accomodations...Here is our room at the Doubetree and the view from the room:

 

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

22 hours ago, scottca075 said:

 

So you don't live in Stockton then?

No not any longer, moved to San Diego area. 

 

22 hours ago, scottca075 said:

 

 

Surely you are not saying an Uber from the DoubleTree San Pedro to the cruise berth, 2.5 miles away cost $75 each way.

That's exactly what I'm saying.  An UBER XL black to hold five of us and all the luggage was $78 each way.  Since the hotel flaked on us for the shuttle and we had an appointment for the two grandkids who had to test again at the pier and a schedule boarding time there wasn't much alternative at the last minute.  

[KeepCalmBearOn]

9 hours ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

No not any longer, moved to San Diego area. 

 

Well no slight meant to Stockton, but San Diego seems a nice step up 😁

 

9 hours ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

That's exactly what I'm saying.  An UBER XL black to hold five of us and all the luggage was $78 each way.  Since the hotel flaked on us for the shuttle and we had an appointment for the two grandkids who had to test again at the pier and a schedule boarding time there wasn't much alternative at the last minute.  

 

Did you look at what two regular Ubers would cost or was there just no time? $78 is outrageous for a trip less than three miles.

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

12 hours ago, scottca075 said:

 

Well no slight meant to Stockton, but San Diego seems a nice step up 😁

 

True

12 hours ago, scottca075 said:

Did you look at what two regular Ubers would cost or was there just no time? $78 is outrageous for a trip less than three miles.

It was outrageous, but with a seven and nine year old who needed to pass pier side Covid tests it was just time to suck it up.  Plus, now if you miss you boarding you have to wait until they can fit you in or so they said, it didn't seem like that was the case once we got there.