Quality Inn or Best Western

Quality Inn Near Long Beach Airport

3201 E Pacific Coast Hwy PCH and Obispo Ave, Long Beach, CA, US, 90755

or

Best Western of Long Beach

1725 Long Beach Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90813

Same price. Which would you choose?

Quality Inn Near Long Beach Airport

3201 E Pacific Coast Hwy PCH and Obispo Ave, Long Beach, CA, US, 90755

 

or

 

Best Western of Long Beach

1725 Long Beach Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90813

 

Same price. Which would you choose?

Never stayed in either place, but I wouldn't stay at the Best Western. It is not in a good neighborhood, especially at night.

Assuming you are going on a Carnival cruise, here are some other options if you don't have a car, I would suggest either staying at the Maya or the Queen Mary. There is a shuttle to the pier or you can walk it (it's about 1 mile). The Queen Mary is next to the port.

The Hyatt at the Pike is another hotel to look at. All three are on the Passport route.

http://www.lbtransit.com/Services/Passport.aspx

Long Beach is a huge city with some very bad areas. Read the tripadvisor reviews carefully.

Sorry, I know you didn't ask anything beyond this simple question, but local member Bruin Steve has a "short list" and recommends only the hotels in his post, which I will link you to below. Long Beach is a large place and there are some unsavory neighborhoods so you have to be careful. We have stayed at two of the hotels on his list (Renaissance and Hyatt) and both were excellent and safe.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=38551020&postcount=12 <--click here

.

Stayed at the Quality Inn several years ago and it was okay. Room was clean, but very basic. If I remember correctly, the room included a mini fridge and microwave. A pizza restaurant was next door and another (I think Thai) across the street. Many others within driving distance. Served a limited continental breakfast in the morning. The Park N Cruise rate allowed us to leave the car during the duration of the cruise and the hotel shuttle transported us to and from the Long Beach terminal.

Quality Inn Near Long Beach Airport

3201 E Pacific Coast Hwy PCH and Obispo Ave, Long Beach, CA, US, 90755

 

or

 

Best Western of Long Beach

1725 Long Beach Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90813

 

Same price. Which would you choose?

For gosh sakes...NEITHER!!!

Both of these are in pretty tacky neighborhoods...sketchy, sleazy, call them what you will...

It's not staying a night to kick off a pleasant vacation...it's a "sentence" you'd be serving...

Do yourself a BIG favor...

Pay a little more...Maybe try Priceline if you need a "bargain" (But keep to 4 stars, Downtown LB only)...or see if you can find that Carnival "code" for the Maya Doubletree...

But...Stay at one of these: Hyatt, Westin, Renaissance, Hyatt at the Pike, Maya Doubletree, Hilton, Residence Inn Downtown...THOSE hotels put you in safe, pleasant surroundings, close to shops and restaurants and attractions...with a free local shuttle bus...in a nice walking area...And those hotels are NICER...You will be staying with other classy clientele--vacationers, convention-goers, professional business people, etc. Your room will be nicer, cleaner, more up-to-date...it will smell better and the walls will be more sound-proof...And so on...and so on...and so on...

In this area do not look for that rock-bottom bargain priced hotel...There is a reason for the cheap price...

Long Beach is a large city of over half a million people...There are good areas and there are bad areas...Safe areas and unsafe areas...Areas that are close and convenient and other areas that are near nothing you'd want to be near...

Again, I would stay at NEITHER of these hotels...

Bruin Steve, you are always so helpful!! Do you know which of your recommended hotels has a park and sail rate???

Bruin Steve, you are always so helpful!! Do you know which of your recommended hotels has a park and sail rate???

Both the Hyatt at the Pike and the Hyatt Regency do...I believe this is the rate code: 78448

Includes up to 8 nights of parking...

For the Renaisance, it's PROMOTIONAL CODE: TRS

Includes 7 nights parking while on cruise...

Hilton calls theirs the "Park, Stay and Go"...includes 7 nights parking and shuttle to the pier...

Maya Doubletree has a "Park 'n' Cruise" rate...

You can actually find all of the above on the hotel websites--sometimes you have to click on "Offers" or "Special rates"...

For the other hotels, you might have to call and ask...

Good luck...

Please folks who are coming to our area for a cruise: we locals want you to be safe. If you find a really low rate in Los Angeles or Long Beach, it's usually for a reason, as Steve says above. There are really nice areas and really dicey areas and often some of these areas are within a few miles from each other. (where I live in the North San Fernando Valley...I can go one and a half miles one way, and the homes cost in the upper six digits in gated communities....I can go one and a half miles another way, and the apartments are in a "video" zone to cut down on drug buys)

For Long Beach, please consult Steve's list. For Los Angeles, stick to San Pedro's Doubletree or Crown Plaza; some hotels in Santa Monica, Hollywood, Studio City/North Hollywood, Beverly Hills/Century City (but check with us as there's good and not so good). Avoid the LAX area (unless you have an early morning flight the next day) or downtown Los Angeles.

Please folks who are coming to our area for a cruise: we locals want you to be safe. If you find a really low rate in Los Angeles or Long Beach' date=' it's usually for a reason, as Steve says above. There are really nice areas and really dicey areas and often some of these areas are within a few miles from each other. (where I live in the North San Fernando Valley...I can go one and a half miles one way, and the homes cost in the upper six digits in gated communities....I can go one and a half miles another way, and the apartments are in a "video" zone to cut down on drug buys)

 

For Long Beach, please consult Steve's list. For Los Angeles, stick to San Pedro's Doubletree or Crown Plaza; some hotels in Santa Monica, Hollywood, Studio City/North Hollywood, Beverly Hills/Century City (but check with us as there's good and not so good). Avoid the LAX area (unless you have an early morning flight the next day) or downtown Los Angeles.[/quote']

 

We will be flying into LAX and have never been to LA or Long Beach before. Where can we stay near the port that is near food and maybe a CVS or Walgreens for the items we need to pick up like water and G2? Since we will be there for 2 or 3 days prior to the cruise, we want to be safe, near restaurants as well as sites or at least transportation to something to see. The Queen Mary looks nice but I don't see that, other than her own eateries, there is anything near.

 

Please suggest something for us new to the area folk without cars. THANKS!!

We will be flying into LAX and have never been to LA or Long Beach before. Where can we stay near the port that is near food and maybe a CVS or Walgreens for the items we need to pick up like water and G2? Since we will be there for 2 or 3 days prior to the cruise, we want to be safe, near restaurants as well as sites or at least transportation to something to see. The Queen Mary looks nice but I don't see that, other than her own eateries, there is anything near.

 

Please suggest something for us new to the area folk without cars. THANKS!!

Looks like you are on Carnival...So you cruise out of Long Beach...

With multiple nights and no car, I usually recommend staying near the beach/3rd Street/Ocean Avenue/Pier area of Santa Monica...It's the most accessible area for restaurants, attractions and stuff to do--and to really see LOS ANGELES--or the typical tourist areas of Los Angeles...However, it is 30 miles from the pier...and you would need a shuttle there and back...

Long Beach, OTOH, has plenty to do...and lots of restaurants...but you really won't be visiting "Los Angeles", so to speak...You will be far from most of the usual LA attractions...BUT, with, say, 2 days, there's plenty to see...

Stay in one of my "list" of hotels posted above...The BEST location for you would be one of these: Hyatt, Hyatt at the Pike, Renaissance, Westin...Walking distance to loads of restaurants and to The Aquarium of the Pacific, Shoreline Village and the Pike...The Queen Mary is easily reached for FREE on the free Passport shuttle...

The hotels across the channel, nearer to the pier--Residence Inn, Maya Doubletree and the Queen Mary--aren't in a bad location--you can get to lots of restaurants and attractions going the other way on the Passport Shuttle...But, as I noted, I am not thrilled with the Queen Mary other than as a museum piece...

Good luck...

We will be flying into LAX and have never been to LA or Long Beach before. Where can we stay near the port that is near food and maybe a CVS or Walgreens for the items we need to pick up like water and G2? Since we will be there for 2 or 3 days prior to the cruise, we want to be safe, near restaurants as well as sites or at least transportation to something to see. The Queen Mary looks nice but I don't see that, other than her own eateries, there is anything near.

 

Please suggest something for us new to the area folk without cars. THANKS!!

In front of the Queen Mary or the Hotel Maya, there is a bus stop for the Passport bus which is free (http://www.lbtransit.com/Services/Passport.aspx). Get off at 6th street and there is a WalMart and a RiteAid across the street from each other. Walgreens and CVS are 1 block down.

You can also take the bus to the Pike and the Aquarium of the Pacific where there are many chain restaurants in the surrounding area.

The Hyatt at the Pike is also on the Passport route.

Shoreline Village is also on the passport (free) shuttle route. The last time we were there (when going to the Aquarium, which I do recommend visiting -- if you have an auto club card, you might be able to get a discount on tickets), we got our hands stamped at the Aquarium, got on the shuttle, went to Shoreline and walked around, had lunch and then returned to the Aquarium. Later on, we walked along the waterfront back to Shoreline (we felt safe and it was a nice evening) and had another meal there.

Thanks for all the info. I am looking at the Hyatt at the Pike but may change my mind :). I want to be close to restaurants and stores so I may just split my stay and do two days at the Hyatt and the last day before the cruise at the Queen Mary (for convenience sake). OR are these locations close enough that a quick taxi would do??

Thanks for all the info. I am looking at the Hyatt at the Pike but may change my mind :). I want to be close to restaurants and stores so I may just split my stay and do two days at the Hyatt and the last day before the cruise at the Queen Mary (for convenience sake). OR are these locations close enough that a quick taxi would do??

Not worth packing up and moving...even at the Hyatt at the Pike, you are really only a mile and a half from the ship...If you weren't schlepping luggage, you could walk it...Ask the hotel if they have a shuttle...otherwise, you could possibly even just take the Passport...Worst case, it's a very cheap, short taxi ride...

And you are going to make that ride one way or another...either the morning of the cruise or the day before...so, what would be the point?

Not worth packing up and moving...even at the Hyatt at the Pike, you are really only a mile and a half from the ship...If you weren't schlepping luggage, you could walk it...Ask the hotel if they have a shuttle...otherwise, you could possibly even just take the Passport...Worst case, it's a very cheap, short taxi ride...

 

And you are going to make that ride one way or another...either the morning of the cruise or the day before...so, what would be the point?

I see. A mile and a half is good. Is it true that you can check in on the Queen Mary if you get to the port early? How early is early? DH has knee problems and I really don't want to be standing in line for a long time (get there early enough and get a seat inside) I want to time it right (my thought behind moving to the QM on the last day). So if it is the same either way, it will be the Hyatt for the stay. Thanks for your thoughts on my many questions.

Early check in starts at 9:30. IIRC all EC is now done in front of the Dome.

After early check in the only place to wait is outside, with some seating on the planters. Inside there are, literally, two benches.

We usually get to port around 11:30 and practically walk right thru. The doors open around 11:00

You can ask for wheelchair assistance, if needed.

We decided to stay at the Hyatt and just go to the Port after checkout. I hope by then the ship will be boarding and we can go right in. Thanks everyone for your help in trying to figure this out.

Wish I had read your recommendations before booking this nightmare, Bruin Steve! Live and learn. Last October 2013, I made a Park & Cruise reservation for early December directly with the Best Western of Long Beach on Long Beach Blvd. near Pacific Coast Highway for 15 days parking and one night hotel for $221.75. I canceled in early November, 30 days in advance for a more favorable rate with the wonderful Hotel Maya, received a cancellation number from the desk clerk, which they claimed was "not valid" and submits a fake invoice to my credit card bank when disputed, and tells everyone from Best Western corporate to the BBB that MY credit card company found it in "his" favor because he said so. Thankfully, they both copied me his correspondence, but, to what avail? So much for our credit cards protecting us. This has now been going on for a year, now, and I will never stop trying. That manager never returned any calls, or correspondence, online website emails, nor answered his phone during the dispute process when VISA tried several days and attempted to conference myself and the hotel together. Lesson learned. NEVER get a verbal cancellation without email confirmation.