Hotel recommandations San Pedro

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

59 minutes ago, loungelady55 said:

I guess being shut down for Covid they may take a while and of course $ to get back

That is a reason I really hadn't considered, but it's probably a factor.  Being the cruise industry and tourism in general collapsed.  We did still land travel to visit family and stayed at several Hilton properties across the west and southwest.  During COVID Hilton clearly scaled back a lot of services and I'm sure maintenance.  Several we routinely stay at still aren't back to where they were.   

[lgonquin]

Based on feedback in this thread, it doesn't appear there are too many recommendations beyond the Doubletree and Crowne Plaza.

 

Aside from the high price of these two options (~$400/night), it appears the CP requires a 3 night minimum stay.  I got that result on Hotels.com and the CP website.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

5 minutes ago, lgonquin said:

Based on feedback in this thread, it doesn't appear there are too many recommendations beyond the Doubletree and Crowne Plaza. Aside from the high price of these two options (~$400/night), it appears the CP requires a 3 night minimum stay.  I got that result on Hotels.com and the CP website.

 

No way does the Crowne Plaza require a 3 night minimum. I just did a dummy booking for one night,  12-6-22 that includes 15 days parking (for those on the 12-7-22 Princess Hawaii cruise).

 

But yes, CP and DoubleTree are the only hotels in San Pedro I would book. Other than that I'd choose Downtown Long Beach.

 

 

[ruready]

1 hour ago, scottca075 said:

 

No way does the Crowne Plaza require a 3 night minimum. I just did a dummy booking for one night,  12-6-22 that includes 15 days parking (for those on the 12-7-22 Princess Hawaii cruise).

 

But yes, CP and DoubleTree are the only hotels in San Pedro I would book. Other than that I'd choose Downtown Long Beach.

 

 

I thought the original poster was looking at a holiday weekend.  Maybe that weekend requires a minimum # of days?  

[disneyochem]

The CP does not require a three night minimum stay.  I’ve stayed there numerous times and on holiday weekends.

 

$400/night seems very high!  I’m staying two nights in January 2023 for a total of $415 (tax included).  My stay in April includes one night with 8 days of parking—$300.96.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

3 hours ago, ruready said:

I thought the original poster was looking at a holiday weekend.  Maybe that weekend requires a minimum # of days?  

 

I cannot imagine any circumstance or time where a hotel in San Pedro would have a 3 night minimum.... or even two night for that matter.

[lgonquin]

Appreciate the pointers and confirmation. I browsed the hotel site and what do you know….success. One night, ~$200, April 14-15. 
 

Perhaps the 3 night mandate is unique to the hotels.com booking engine. See screen shot below. 
 

Thanks!

[IRMO12HD]

If you are a CostCo member, you may also want to check their travel site -- IHG is one of their featured chains, and I got a really good rate (in January 2022) when I booked through them.  I think it was about $170/night

[claireruth]

We actually stayed at an Airbnb for the night before our cruise out of San Pedro this past July.  It was a lot cheaper than any of the hotels nearby.  It looks like it's not available until March, but it was within walking distance of a lot of bars and restaurants, and it was a quick Uber ride to the cruise terminal the morning of our cruise.  This is where we stayed:

 

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/54226127?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=7cd4274c-07cd-466b-af7e-475ea905c739

[New2cruise2022]

On 9/30/2022 at 9:51 PM, IRMO12HD said:

I stayed at the Crowne Plaza as a solo traveler, and it was perfect.  I got a really good rate, ordered and picked up a takeout dinner at the Green Onion restaurant right next door (this was January 2022), and walked my big suitcase over to the port early the next morning with no issues (about a 20 minute walk, dragging my 2-wheeled suitcase); then walked back to the hotel for a leisurely breakfast before heading back over to the port with my carry on to check in and board.  Hotel was clean and accessible; room had a great view of the harbor (10th floor)

Follow-up for a noob here: can you help me understand how boarding works — dropping off luggage and then going back with carryon? I assume this means you got an early check in at the port but couldn’t board until later? (I have no idea how this works. 

[Bruin Steve]

16 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

Follow-up for a noob here: can you help me understand how boarding works — dropping off luggage and then going back with carryon? I assume this means you got an early check in at the port but couldn’t board until later? (I have no idea how this works. 

First, I'm not really sure how much they enforce boarding appointment times at most ports.

I take everything with me at once no matter what time I'm arriving at the terminal.  When you get there, you will find a lot of porters milling around outside.  I'll hand my bags over to one and give him a couple of bucks as a tip...If. in the odd chance you don't get a porter, there's a door where they bring in the checked luggage and you can just bring your bags there.  They start taking in luggage well before anyone's check-in time.  Keep any carry-ons that you don't want to check for soe reason with you.

 

BTW, you can print luggage tags on the cruise line website as you get close to the sail date.   There are complicated fold and staple directions--but better to go to amazon.com and buy plastic cruise luggage tag holders...easier--just cut to size,  fold and insert...and they won't get ripped off easy.  The tags let the crew match your bags to your cabin and deliver your luggage to the room.

 

After dropping the luggage, there's a second door where you enter to check in and board.  Have your cruise documents (boarding pass) and passport ready and in hand when you enter.  If it's early, they'll direct you to a waiting area with chairs and give you a card with your boarding group. 

[New2cruise2022]

6 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:

First, I'm not really sure how much they enforce boarding appointment times at most ports.

I take everything with me at once no matter what time I'm arriving at the terminal.  When you get there, you will find a lot of porters milling around outside.  I'll hand my bags over to one and give him a couple of bucks as a tip...If. in the odd chance you don't get a porter, there's a door where they bring in the checked luggage and you can just bring your bags there.  They start taking in luggage well before anyone's check-in time.  Keep any carry-ons that you don't want to check for soe reason with you.

 

BTW, you can print luggage tags on the cruise line website as you get close to the sail date.   There are complicated fold and staple directions--but better to go to amazon.com and buy plastic cruise luggage tag holders...easier--just cut to size,  fold and insert...and they won't get ripped off easy.  The tags let the crew match your bags to your cabin and deliver your luggage to the room.

 

After dropping the luggage, there's a second door where you enter to check in and board.  Have your cruise documents (boarding pass) and passport ready and in hand when you enter.  If it's early, they'll direct you to a waiting area with chairs and give you a card with your boarding group. 

Thanks. I assume it will make more sense after online check in so I know when it is reasonable I will be able to get there and on the ship. On the one hand I don’t want to be in a waiting room for hours and hours on end, on the other hand I am willing to do whatever to get on the ship ASAP. 

[Bruin Steve]

14 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

On the one hand I don’t want to be in a waiting room for hours and hours on end...

Trust me, you won't...I've cruised on seven cruises on three different lines since the pandemic hiatus and they put in all those new boarding rules.  I try to check in online early as possible to get an early time...but, even when I haven't, I show up early anyway...and have yet to have anyone check my boarding appointment time.   I don't think they want to be holding a lot of people at the terminal.  When I talk about the holding area, it's only really when you get there before they are ready to start bringing anyone onboard.  As soon as it's cleared, they start movbing everyone on pretty efficiently.

[IRMO12HD]

On 10/31/2022 at 8:10 PM, New2cruise2022 said:

Follow-up for a noob here: can you help me understand how boarding works — dropping off luggage and then going back with carryon? I assume this means you got an early check in at the port but couldn’t board until later? (I have no idea how this works. 

@New2cruise2022I'm sorry I took so long to reply -- I was on a cruise!  I have done the "drag and drop" routine several times now, and it has worked well for me (by Drag and Drop I mean dropping off my "big" luggage well before my embarkation time).  In one case, I walked my bag over about 8:30 a.m., left it with the porters, and walked back to my hotel for breakfast; collected my carryon bag, checked out of the hotel (the Crown Plaza in San Pedro), and walked back to the port for my "scheduled" embarkation time.  In Copenhagen, I did the same thing but taking the Metro from my AirBnB to the port and back.

In Port Canaveral last week, used our rental car to drop off my husband and our bags, took the rental car back and returned to the port.

 

In all three of these, the advantage for me was getting rid of my/our heavy luggage early -- and then coming back at a later / more convenient time with my carryon to check myself in.