Report - Jamaica Bay Inn - Marina Del Ray by CJW

Hey all! I'm here again with another hotel report/recommendation...

This is for the Jamaica Bay Inn (Marina Del Ray, but thisclose to walking distance from the south end of the Venice Beach Boardwalk, so you kind of get the best of both worlds).

Here's what I said about it before:

Jamaica Bay Inn

http://www.bestwestern-jamaicabay.com/

This is my personal favorite for the area…

You have the nice quiet "Mother’s Beach" in front of the balcony rooms (I’d recommend a second floor and beach view)…

Then several restaurants in easy walking or taxi distance…

Venice Beach is a few blocks west…

I just think this is a great view/large rooms/balcony/location for the money…

(on this thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=517205)

Pictures and details coming up...

So who is this hotel good for?

People who want to be close to LAX, but not on that airport/industrial strip. You are at the beach (and two if you count Venice a few blocks away), you have several cool Los Angeles sights and activites both in walking distance, and even better driving distance if you have a car.

You have amazing la tours that picks up from the hotel.

www.amazinglatours.com

The rooms are large for the $$ for the area, and all have balconies!

(always a plus for me). Now they are not quite suite sized, but definitely amongst the largest in the area (Marina Del Ray, Santa Monica).

If you have a car, or are taking a cab, it is a quick shot right down Lincoln Blvd. to LAX. No freeways, you are already past most of the worst traffic (which is above here and below LAX)...

So that can be a factor...

Onward!

The humble but quaint entrance...

Bayside rooms with balconies:

This is from the small beach out front, note the Marriott behind it across the street in the background...

Pool, jacuzzi, courtyard area, with beach and marina in the background...

Mother's Beach out front...

The rooms:

that door is going out to the balcony seen in the previous pic from the beach outside...

Sunset...

Giving a secret away. but this is the "best" room...

Then in order of my personal preference, bayside second floor (any second floor ending in an odd number), bayside first floor (any first floor ending in an odd number)...

City views are purely "okay", in the fact that yes, they are the same size, and have balconies, so bigger bang for the buck regardless for the area...

But for $10 or $20 bucks depending on the season, you can wake up to your balcony overlooking the beach/marina, or the city views which look at the Marriott Hotel across the street:o ...

Some good restaurants in the area:

The Cheesecake Factory

4142 Via Marina, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292

(310) 306-3344

This is the second location, only behind the flagship in Beverly Hills.

Walking distance, especially if you just walk up the right side of Mother's Beach, you'll end up at the outdoor seating area...

http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/menu.htm

Islands

404 Washington Blvd.

Marina Del Ray, CA 90292

(310) 822-3939

http://www.islandsrestaurants.com/menu/

There is also the hotel restuarant right there, and especially

Casa Escobar

literally right next door (you can see the beach adjacent in their website picture)...

http://www.casaescobar.com/

Lot's more, but that's it for now on this one...

...I guess I'm going to have to put this into a bunch of my reports...

Please if you have not been to or actually stayed in these areas/hotels recently, please don't bother replying and giving info on what anything was like 2, 5 10, 125 years ago...

I go here regularly, all hours of the day or night (up till 4 PM some nights, so I know what's safe for walkers, and I lurv my job!), and anything that I'm posting for people, is in all context of "safe" for what I'm recommending.

I have lived around here for my entire life, and part of my job is to look and investigate, AND STAY AT hotels in the area for out of town clients and work events. So I recommend based on a "local" expertise, as well as an "out of town expertise"; and have actually stayed at these places (as a local - and get direct thumbs up or down from the out of towners)...

So, unless you are regularly staying around here, at these places - CURRENTLY - then please don't bother with old news or "rumors" from years ago...

Thanks in advance...:D

I think anyone can post whatever they care to, past experiences with staff , last yr, yr before, good or bad, can determine alot of things,some gnrl mngrs stay foreever meking same mistakes; many of us live here with family visiting who stay at thse places as well from time to time, and actually might disagree with you...some of us who read on here may actually own 1 of these places and can try to be helpful as well....

Fantastic!

I look forward to their informative pictures and reviews!

:cool:

what about the foghorn inn next to the cheese factory?

CJW, it sounds like you really know your stuff and all this info is really appreciated.

My question unrelated to cruising is this: My son will graduate from UCLA in June, and with family members and friends coming from No.Cal for this long awaited event, will we be happy with Jamaica Bay Inn? What I mean, will it be too far away from Westwood? Also, I saw another post of your recommendation of Chin Chin. I'm looking for a suitable restaurant for an after graduation party that will not cost me another year's tuition. ( and which location would you suggest?)

Thank you again for all your research and recommendations.

I live in Sta Monica and I went to UCLA, just 15 or 20 minutes away down Wilshire, the Marina is further away....Casa Escobar a Mexican rst in Sta Monica is reasonable and on Fri/ Sat has piano entertainment..its a family type of place Ive gone since a little girl;...there's 1 in Marina del Rey also but I think youre better off staying in Sta Monica. There's a Holiday Inn thats nice , walking distance of the pier, ocean, restaurants etc...also Best Western, Days Inn, Comfort Inn in the city also but Holiday Inn will be nicer and closer to sites...Congratulations toyour famiky, I loved UCLA!!!

I wanted to add the thread/link to Foghorn Inn:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=724713

That way you can compare and contrast.

Both are good for different reasons and expectations...

Another thread/link to compare and contrast...

The Inn at Venice Beach (nearby)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=12754774