Holiday Inn Santa Monica Beach

[zippy294]

Has anyone ever stayed at the Holiday Inn Santa Monica Beach? We are looking to stay there for 3 nights before our cruise in July on the Carnival Pride. We want to explore La and Santa Monica seemed like the good place to stay.If not, are there any other reasonably priced hotels in the area, or even ones a little cheaper.I dont need it to be a luxary hotel, We are just looking for a reasonably priced Hotel in a nice area. Also, how far away is Santa Monica from Hollywood, Downtown La, the cruise port, and the airport?

[Curt Jerome Wild]

First of all...

Check this previous thread/link on that hotel:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=570900

See if that helps with some specifics...

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Then check on this thread/link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=517205

For other hotels and ideas in and around Santa Monica, and Marina Del Ray, Venice areas...

Then are you renting a car?

Driving?

What exactly do you want to do and see more of (activitiy-wise)?

Lots of good options, so give us a bit more info and we can help you out a bit better!;)

[zippy294]

We are going to rent a car. we are looking to go to the santa monica pier and explore downtown la and rodeo drive and hollywood and vine and stuff like that

[Cruisin' Chick]

Was there any specific place you wanted to see? Rodeo (in Beverly Hills) is basically expensive stores. Not really a sightseeing place. Hollywood is interesting...you can walk up and down and look at the Walk of Stars and visit the area around the Kodak theater I guess. Downtown LA really doesn't have much to recommend, unless you plan to go to the more culturally diverse locales such as Chinatown and Olvera Street.

[gusandgidgetsmom]

We just cruised on the Pride last month and did the sightseeing thing the day before we cruised. Curt Jerome Wild gave us directions to Hollywood, Beverky Hills,etc. Would not go to Rodeo drive(just a shopping thing and not interesting in my book)again, but did the walk of fame and really enjoyed that. We rented a car at LAX then dropped it at Long Beach airport on Sunday. We stayed at the Coast in Long Beach and really worked out well.