LA Departure question

[Dem920]

We are looking to spend 4 days in CA prioir to our July Cruise to the Mexican Riviera. We have a bunch of people going with us and looking for a good hotel for 1 or 2 nights in Anaheim, 1 or 2 nights by the beach and one night near the pier. I know this is a lot to ask for but what hotels are good for a group of extended family.

[Curt Jerome Wild]

We are looking to spend 4 days in CA prioir to our July Cruise to the Mexican Riviera. We have a bunch of people going with us and looking for a good hotel for 1 or 2 nights in Anaheim, 1 or 2 nights by the beach and one night near the pier. I know this is a lot to ask for but what hotels are good for a group of extended family.

What are the general budgets, and ages?

 

In Anaheim, you're obviously going to Disneyland (?) so for sheer history and convenience you can't beat the Disneyland Hotel (especially if there are kids) or The Californian.

Other than that Candy Cane Inn is the next best thing to being in Disneyland.

http://www.candycaneinn.net/

 

By the beach, you get what you pay for...

So here's recommendations that are budget friendly, safe, and good locations...

If you have smaller kids:

Cal Mar Hotel and Suites

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=423818

Jamaica Bay Inn

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=679886

Foghorn Inn

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=13581085

 

If you have older kids to teens:

Hotel California

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=451075

Inn at Venice Beach

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

 

As far as the night before the cruise...

What cruiseline are you sailing?

Carnival leaves from Long Beach.

All others leave from San Pedro.

 

Hope that helps or gives you a starting point.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

 

[slidergirl]

Do you have a preference on what beach area you stay at? Since you're starting out in Anaheim, you can also do the beach area of Orange County - Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, Sunset Beach. You don't necessarily have to go up to the beaches in Los Angeles (Manhattan, Redondo, Hermosa, Venice, Santa Monica, Malibu). Some people on the board may have some suggestions for hotels in these areas, too. I grew up in Newport and spent a ton of time on the beaches there and Huntington. After college, I spent weekends with friends down in Seal and Sunset. But, that was years ago and I don't know of any hotels down there.

[Bruin Steve]

Do you have a preference on what beach area you stay at? Since you're starting out in Anaheim, you can also do the beach area of Orange County - Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, Sunset Beach. You don't necessarily have to go up to the beaches in Los Angeles (Manhattan, Redondo, Hermosa, Venice, Santa Monica, Malibu). Some people on the board may have some suggestions for hotels in these areas, too. I grew up in Newport and spent a ton of time on the beaches there and Huntington. After college, I spent weekends with friends down in Seal and Sunset. But, that was years ago and I don't know of any hotels down there.

 

I'd go with Curt's suggestions...

 

But, on the issue of "which beach?", it's really a case of WHY you're staying at the "beach"...For "tourists", I think once you've spent a couple of days at Disney, you're not really going to just move to a hotel by the beach in Orange County--unless you have a specific motive for doing so...If you are moving FROM Disneyland in order to see other different attractions of the Los Angeles area, I'd definitely skip the OC beaches and head to Santa Monica/Venice...otherwise, you are blowing off a lot of the more interesting LA attractions...Santa Monica Pier, Palisades Park, the Third Street Promenade and the Venice Beach Boardwalk are all prime tourist destinations...and if you are in the LA area for 4-5 days and don't visit, folks will wonder if you really went to LA at all...This area is far more than just a beach...

 

Venice Beach is what you see in all the travel footage on LA--the girls roller blading in bikinis, the weightlifters working out on Muscle Beach, the bicycles, the skateboarders, the street artists and performers, the cafes and hot dog stands and boutiques...

 

Santa Monica Pier has the thrill rides and carousel...Note: Remember the movie "The Sting" with Newman and Redford--that Carousel that was supposed to be somewhere in Chicago? It was shot here on Santa Monica Pier...Remember the movie "Falling Down" with Michael Douglas? The ending on the pier? That was here...You will recognize this site from countless movie and TV shows...

 

Palisades Park stretches across the cliffs ABOVE the Beach...

 

Third Street Promenade comes alive with nightlife every night...

 

And, of course, you have that WIDE white beach...

 

And it's a great area to use as a base to go visit Beverly Hills/Rodeo Drive...or the Getty Center or Getty Villa or other sites not far away...

 

Those OC beaches, except maybe Laguna, are more generic, less interesting...

[Cruisin' Chick]

It looks like you're going on the Mariner next summer, so that means you're leaving from the Port of LA, in San Pedro.

 

Be aware that beaches here, even in July, could still be a lot cooler than one would think. That's why hurricanes don't come up here.

 

Santa Monica will give you a great idea of LA. The Third Street Promenade has restaurants, interesting stores, even street performers. Hollywood is also uniquely LA, but you would have to be careful where you would stay.

 

Check out the various hotel threads that many locals have contributed to as it will help you avoid the scuzzy or undesirable places. The key to remember is if the rate is low, there's a good reason. Also avoid Downtown LA. Seriously.