advice on where to stay in San Pedro Area 3/20/10 cruise

[dennis46]

I just booked with Priceline and got Crown Plaza for $95.00 per night for Feb. 20th..and also booked super shuttle from Airport to hotel for 23.00 per person. I put in 85.00 but did not get it. Good luck!

 

Super Shuttle is not $23 a person if you have more than one person!! My wife and I just uised Shuper Shuttle from LAX to San Pedro and paid $34 for both of us!

 

We used Prime Time Shuttle from the pier to LAX and it only cost $32 for both of us!

 

Dennis

[Tina G]

I just booked with Priceline and got Crown Plaza for $95.00 per night for Feb. 20th..and also booked super shuttle from Airport to hotel for 23.00 per person. I put in 85.00 but did not get it. Good luck!

This is your price for the room only. It is not the price which includes the Park and Sail package, allowing "free" parking.:( fmhealth would need the package if he expects to park at the Crown for the duration of the cruise! You need to book directly with the hotel, and they want about $200.

[Tina G]

fmhealth, I don't know how tight your finances are, but we are staying at the Vagabond Inn, San Pedro, which has a Park and Sail package for $120. It's not fancy, but it is highly recommended for us simple folk. They have a free shuttle to the ship. Be careful! Do NOT confuse the Vagabond Inn, San Pedro with the Vagabond Inn, Longbeach! The latter has terrible reviews!:eek: Check it out on Trip Advisor.

[dennis46]

fmhealth, I don't know how tight your finances are, but we are staying at the Vagabond Inn, San Pedro, which has a Park and Sail package for $120. It's not fancy, but it is highly recommended for us simple folk. They have a free shuttle to the ship. Be careful! Do NOT confuse the Vagabond Inn, San Pedro with the Vagabond Inn, Longbeach! The latter has terrible reviews!:eek: Check it out on Trip Advisor.

 

I agree, We just stayed there and it is not fancy but fine. We found that you are better off with a room in the back due to the traffic noise in the front. Our first night was in front and we changed to a back room. I talked to others though who stayed in front and it did not bother them. They also have complimentary donuts, juice and coffee in the morning. Very friendly staff.

[Bruin Steve]

Seriously...I do NOT recommend the Vagabond Inn...

This is a VERY low-end motel in a rather poor location in San Pedro...

It is right where the 110 freeway terminates and dumps all of its lanes of traffic onto Gaffey Street...Traffic is heavy and continuous 24 hours per day...

The area is dominated by trashy commercial properties...Burger King is right next door, Wienerschnitzel and 7/11 across the street, a scuzzy liquor store down the block...and, I'll repeat, lots of traffic...

Most of the good restaurants and areas of tourist interest are quite far away...

The motel itself is of cheap construction--poor insulated, thin walls, loud...and it is certainly not desirable in any way...other than maybe for those trying to save a few dollars and willing to compromise location, comfort, quiet, etc. Yes, you do get a bed and a bathroom...I guess you get parking, but I, for one, would not prefer to leave my car there for a week...

A prior poster called it "highly recommended"...

My question is "By who?"...

Certainly nobody I know...

 

There are ONLY two hotels I would recommend in San Pedro--the Doubletree and the Crowne Plaza...I would only feel safe leaving my car at one of those two or at the pier ($12 per day)...Those two are hotels with quality construction, nice hotel amenities, clean and comfortable rooms and desirable locations...Stay at the Doubetree and you are at a serene, upscale, pleasant scenic location...Stay at the Crowne Plaza and you are in a nice downtown hotel close to restaurants and shops and with nice views of the harbor...IMHO, it is well worth paying a few dollars more to stay there...You get what you pay for...

 

You are on vacation...You've chosen a nice cruise on a nice ship...Why not extend the experience with a decent hotel?

 

For me, there is no amount of savings worth compromising the quality of my overall vacation...

 

JMHO...

[dennis46]

In response to the Vagabond Inn,

 

Would I want to live there-No Way;

 

But I did not find a problem with the area and for one night there are certainly places to eat and you can even go to the grocery store.

 

As I stated we stayed in one of the rooms that face the street and it was noisy. We moved to the back of the Motel and did not have any problem.

 

If you can go on Priceline and get the Doubletree or Crowne Plaza for the same price as the Vagabond then by all means take it!!! They are truly nice hotels.

 

However if you are budget shopping I think the Vagabond is fine and I just stayed there for 2 nights in December.

 

Have you ever stayed there Steve???

 

Dennis

[Bruin Steve]

In response to the Vagabond Inn,...

Have you ever stayed there Steve???

 

No...

I wouldn't...

...and I have never allowed any of my friends or family to stay there either...

And, no, I haven't had too many reasons ever to stay at hotels in the harbor area since I live just over an hour away--but I have stayed in a couple for various reasons...

 

I also started my career, many years back, working as a real estate lawyer in the hotel industry...for Motel 6, Inc., believe it or not...I was very much involved with the construction end of the motel business...So, I do know a little bit about the business--including stuff about what makes a hotel "cheap" other than just the price...I also spent a lot of time dealing with location...

 

Look, you can stay there if you really want to...It's not like you're in the heart of Compton or Watts...and you may not have derelicts hanging out right in the parking lot...BUT, it really is a far cry from what anyone would call "highly recommended" as one poster here recently did...It is a fairly "bottom-of-the-barrel" motel. It is not in one of the more desirable locations in San Pedro and it is not some place most of us would want to stay...

 

There are much better choices...Yes, they will likely cost a little bit more money--maybe not if you get them on Priceline--but, for me--and you may be different--I like to have an overall enjoyable vacation...I don't spring for a couple of thousand bucks MINIMUM for a cruise then compromise my very nice experience by looking to save fifty or sixty bucks on a hotel. In the greater scheme of things, it is just not worth it...

 

Sure, we all love a bargain...but I think a bargain is only a bargain if you maintain some standard of quality...like if you can get a $200 hotel room for $120...But paying $50 bucks for a $50 hotel room is NOT a bargain...it is not "value", it's just cutting corners for the sake of saving money...

 

How often do you cruise? Why compromise the experience?

 

Also realize that if you leave your car parked at the Vagabond, you are leaving it in an unguarded, unprotected lot...Sure, chances are it will be there when you get back and noone will have vandalized it or broken into it...But, remember, this IS the big city...cars ARE stolen, broken into and vandalized...a small percentage, but why risk it any more than you have to? Yes, it could also happen at the pier or at the Crowne Plaza--but I do think those locations are a bit safer...

 

I do know that we all have different standards and different expectations...and, of course, different budgets...

 

My outlook is likely far different from yours...I have lived in this area virtually all of my life...I cruise out of San Pedro often...and I also find myself there from time to time for many other reasons...I happen to like the town quite a bit...and I often recommend staying there, eating there, etc. But, I also believe that visitors should have the BEST experience San Pedro has to offer...from the time they get here until they leave--not just on the cruise ship but pre- and post cruise as well...

 

JMHO...

[Tina G]

It was highly recommended by many people on Trip Advisor. It was described as clean, basic, safe with a very helpful staff. Not everybody has the budget for the Crowne Plaza. PS. My neice LIVES in Watts, thank you, and I spent 32 years in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC.

[dennis46]

No...

I wouldn't...

...and I have never allowed any of my friends or family to stay there either...

And, no, I haven't had too many reasons ever to stay at hotels in the harbor area since I live just over an hour away--but I have stayed in a couple for various reasons...

 

I also started my career, many years back, working as a real estate lawyer in the hotel industry...for Motel 6, Inc., believe it or not...I was very much involved with the construction end of the motel business...So, I do know a little bit about the business--including stuff about what makes a hotel "cheap" other than just the price...I also spent a lot of time dealing with location...

 

Look, you can stay there if you really want to...It's not like you're in the heart of Compton or Watts...and you may not have derelicts hanging out right in the parking lot...BUT, it really is a far cry from what anyone would call "highly recommended" as one poster here recently did...It is a fairly "bottom-of-the-barrel" motel. It is not in one of the more desirable locations in San Pedro and it is not some place most of us would want to stay...

 

There are much better choices...Yes, they will likely cost a little bit more money--maybe not if you get them on Priceline--but, for me--and you may be different--I like to have an overall enjoyable vacation...I don't spring for a couple of thousand bucks MINIMUM for a cruise then compromise my very nice experience by looking to save fifty or sixty bucks on a hotel. In the greater scheme of things, it is just not worth it...

 

Sure, we all love a bargain...but I think a bargain is only a bargain if you maintain some standard of quality...like if you can get a $200 hotel room for $120...But paying $50 bucks for a $50 hotel room is NOT a bargain...it is not "value", it's just cutting corners for the sake of saving money...

 

How often do you cruise? Why compromise the experience?

 

Also realize that if you leave your car parked at the Vagabond, you are leaving it in an unguarded, unprotected lot...Sure, chances are it will be there when you get back and noone will have vandalized it or broken into it...But, remember, this IS the big city...cars ARE stolen, broken into and vandalized...a small percentage, but why risk it any more than you have to? Yes, it could also happen at the pier or at the Crowne Plaza--but I do think those locations are a bit safer...

 

I do know that we all have different standards and different expectations...and, of course, different budgets...

 

My outlook is likely far different from yours...I have lived in this area virtually all of my life...I cruise out of San Pedro often...and I also find myself there from time to time for many other reasons...I happen to like the town quite a bit...and I often recommend staying there, eating there, etc. But, I also believe that visitors should have the BEST experience San Pedro has to offer...from the time they get here until they leave--not just on the cruise ship but pre- and post cruise as well...

 

JMHO...

 

 

Steve,

 

Your points are well taken and our outlook is not that far apart!!!

 

Dennis

[jccruiser]

does anyone have any info about the Courtyard Long Beach or the Residence Marriott Long Beach? how easy is it to get to the Princess Dock from there?

also - is it quite safe to use the subway system to travel between Long Beach and Hollywood? My teen daughter and I are on a girl's cruise!

 

thanks for the info:)

[Wineaux]

Some insight from someone who actually LIVES in San Pedro and has a business in the downtown area. Here is how I would rank the hotels:

 

1) Crowne Plaza: Closest to downtown businesses and restaurants

2) Doubletree: Nice hotel on the Marina but a bit secluded

3) Sunrise: Nothing fancy but close to downtown businesses and restaurants

4) Vagabond: Nothing fancy but not bad for one night and it's relatively inexpensive

5) Holiday Inn / Clarion Hotel: Last choice and really not recommended

 

None of these hotels is in an "unsafe" area. The Vagabond and Clarion locations are just not as desirable due to traffic, aesthetics and lack of surrounding amenities. My folks come in from Ohio yearly and have stayed numerous times at the Vagabond due to price concerns. Their review of the hotel is: It has a bed and the price is right. :)

[Bruin Steve]

does anyone have any info about the Courtyard Long Beach or the Residence Marriott Long Beach? how easy is it to get to the Princess Dock from there?

also - is it quite safe to use the subway system to travel between Long Beach and Hollywood? My teen daughter and I are on a girl's cruise!

 

thanks for the info:)

 

I assume you are talking about the new Residence Inn DOWNTOWN on Queensway and NOT the Residence Inn off the 405 near the LGB Airport and the Courtyard on 1st? Are you considering these because you have "points" with Marriott?

 

Both are in decent locations for Long Beach...not quite as convenient to Long Beach attractions as the Westin, Hyatt or Avia, but just a few blocks away...But Long Beach becomes somewhat irrelevant if your intent is to tour Hollywood and to cruise with Princess from San Pedro...

 

The dock in San Pedro is about 6 to 8 miles from these hotels across Terminal Island, the harbor and the Vincent Thomas Bridge...You will need a taxi for the trip to the pier as I do not believe either hotel will shuttle you to the terminal...

 

The subway system (or rather fixed rail from Long Beach) is relatively safe...So long as you do not get confused and get off in the wrong neighborhood...It is quite a distance from Long Beach to Hollywood and the rail line goes through some pretty bad neighborhoods--North Long Beach, Compton, Watts, South Central LA...then you need to switch lines in Downtown LA to the line that goes up to Hollywood...And it does make a large number of stops in all of these neighborhoods as the primary use of the system is as a commuter line for people who lack cars (pretty much everyone in LA who can afford a car drives one)...You really don't hear of too much crime or gang activity ON the train, but for some easily frightened or intimidated, it is not necessarily the best way to travel...

 

How many nights are you staying? Have you considered, instead, staying in the Hollywood area or on the West Side and then just getting a shuttle to the pier to catch the ship?

 

Ps: My ranking of the San Pedro hotels is actually identical to Michael's (Wineaux's)...I just draw the line a little higher as to where I'd stay...After working in the budget motel business, I've found that I just like a little nicer experience...Were my parents staying at the Vagabond, I would pay, myself, to upgrade them to the Crowne Plaza...but that's me...I just think it's well worth paying for the Crowne Plaza's location and the quality of the hotel...Heck, it's an easy walk to Michael's shop from there!!!

[Tina G]

Some insight from someone who actually LIVES in San Pedro and has a business in the downtown area. Here is how I would rank the hotels:

 

1) Crowne Plaza: Closest to downtown businesses and restaurants

2) Doubletree: Nice hotel on the Marina but a bit secluded

3) Sunrise: Nothing fancy but close to downtown businesses and restaurants

4) Vagabond: Nothing fancy but not bad for one night and it's relatively inexpensive

5) Holiday Inn / Clarion Hotel: Last choice and really not recommended

 

None of these hotels is in an "unsafe" area. The Vagabond and Clarion locations are just not as desirable due to traffic, aesthetics and lack of surrounding amenities. My folks come in from Ohio yearly and have stayed numerous times at the Vagabond due to price concerns. Their review of the hotel is: It has a bed and the price is right. :)

Thank you, Wineaux (Love your name!). This is just what I wanted to see. I think we made the right decision.:)

[nannieof11]

I went to Priceline.com and bid on a 3-1/2 star motel and got Crown Plaza for 95.00/night. I think either Doubletree and Crown Plaza would be the place to stay. We are staying there Feb. 19th and also Feb. 28th. Thought that was a good deal.

[dennis46]

I went to Priceline.com and bid on a 3-1/2 star motel and got Crown Plaza for 95.00/night. I think either Doubletree and Crown Plaza would be the place to stay. We are staying there Feb. 19th and also Feb. 28th. Thought that was a good deal.

 

No Question!!! If you can get the Crowne Plaza for $95 take it, great place and price.

We recently stayed at the Vagabond and paid $90 per night and while it was OK the Crowne Plaza is much better.

 

Dennis & Angie

[Puffinater]

Seems the PL price for the CP is jumping up. Not many reports of the $65 a night anymore.

[KAWS]

Seems the PL price for the CP is jumping up. Not many reports of the $65 a night anymore.

 

I just bid $102 for CP for March 13 and got denied. The advance rate is $144 and I think I'm just going to book that to be sure I have my reservation.