Nicest Suite Hotel near LA Port

[MsMot]

We have a fairly large group that will be sailing on the Miracle next year and a few of us want to fly down a few days before we sail, rent a car and do some sight seeing. I would appreciate hotel recommendations, must see attractions and and any do's and don'ts. This is my first West Coast sailing so I feel like a true newbie:p.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Bruin Steve]

We have a fairly large group that will be sailing on the Miracle next year and a few of us want to fly down a few days before we sail, rent a car and do some sight seeing. I would appreciate hotel recommendations, must see attractions and and any do's and don'ts. This is my first West Coast sailing so I feel like a true newbie:p.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

If you are here for a few days and want to do sightseeing, you do NOT want to stay near the port...

Carnival sails out of Long Beach...and though there are a lot of nice hotels in Long Beach (I'd recommend the Hyatt Regency, Hyatt at the Pike or the Renaissance as the top three), the problem is that most of the major tourist sights most want to see are a LONG ride from Long Beach...

 

My prime recommendation for a multi-night stay in the LA area is to stay in Santa Monica...Specifically, the area around the Santa Monica Pier and the Third Street Promenade...best weather, upscale neighborhood, near the beach...lots of attractions right in the area...HOHO bus uses this as a hub and all major tour companies pick up from hotels here...or, if you have a car, it's a short easy ride to Beverly Hills, Malibu, both Getty Museums, UCLA and more...

 

Hotels here can be a bit pricey...but worth it. Best Santa Monica hotels are Loews, Marriott Le Merigot, Shutters on the Beach, Fairmont Miramar, Casa Del Mar...Also consider Wyndham, Huntley...a little less convenient (but you have a car anyway) are the Doubletree, Le Meridien Delfina...There's also the Shangri-La and the Georgian...

 

A little bit down the coast from Santa Monica is Venice/Marina Del Rey...also some good choices here--close to the Venice Beach Boardwalk (a must see)...Look at the Hotel Erwin, Inn at Venice Beach, Hilton Garden Inn Marina Del Rey, Jamaica Bay Inn and Ritz Carlton...there is a Doubletree in the Marina, but across Lincoln Blvd--not the best location in the area--but you'll have a car, right?

 

If not at the beach, there are a lot of hotels in Beverly Hills, Westwood, Century City and West Hollywood which would put you close to tourist stuff. I'd stay out of Hollywood proper, for the most part--except maybe the Loews Hollywood at Hollywood and Highland...but the area is a bit too urban and not as glamorous as it sounds.

 

If you want to visit a lot of Movie/TV studio stuff, the Universal City area might be a choice--specifically the Universal Hilton or the Sheraton Universal...

 

Lots of other choices out there, but, before you cement any hotel, come back here and ask us about it--some hotels SOUND like a bargain--but you would not want to be there...

 

Good luck...

[MsMot]

If you are here for a few days and want to do sightseeing, you do NOT want to stay near the port...

Carnival sails out of Long Beach...and though there are a lot of nice hotels in Long Beach (I'd recommend the Hyatt Regency, Hyatt at the Pike or the Renaissance as the top three), the problem is that most of the major tourist sights most want to see are a LONG ride from Long Beach...

 

My prime recommendation for a multi-night stay in the LA area is to stay in Santa Monica...Specifically, the area around the Santa Monica Pier and the Third Street Promenade...best weather, upscale neighborhood, near the beach...lots of attractions right in the area...HOHO bus uses this as a hub and all major tour companies pick up from hotels here...or, if you have a car, it's a short easy ride to Beverly Hills, Malibu, both Getty Museums, UCLA and more...

 

Hotels here can be a bit pricey...but worth it. Best Santa Monica hotels are Loews, Marriott Le Merigot, Shutters on the Beach, Fairmont Miramar, Casa Del Mar...Also consider Wyndham, Huntley...a little less convenient (but you have a car anyway) are the Doubletree, Le Meridien Delfina...There's also the Shangri-La and the Georgian...

 

A little bit down the coast from Santa Monica is Venice/Marina Del Rey...also some good choices here--close to the Venice Beach Boardwalk (a must see)...Look at the Hotel Erwin, Inn at Venice Beach, Hilton Garden Inn Marina Del Rey, Jamaica Bay Inn and Ritz Carlton...there is a Doubletree in the Marina, but across Lincoln Blvd--not the best location in the area--but you'll have a car, right?

 

If not at the beach, there are a lot of hotels in Beverly Hills, Westwood, Century City and West Hollywood which would put you close to tourist stuff. I'd stay out of Hollywood proper, for the most part--except maybe the Loews Hollywood at Hollywood and Highland...but the area is a bit too urban and not as glamorous as it sounds.

 

If you want to visit a lot of Movie/TV studio stuff, the Universal City area might be a choice--specifically the Universal Hilton or the Sheraton Universal...

 

Lots of other choices out there, but, before you cement any hotel, come back here and ask us about it--some hotels SOUND like a bargain--but you would not want to be there...

 

Good luck...

 

Wow!! Thanks a bunch for all of the great information!

[Donray]

We have a fairly large group that will be sailing on the Miracle next year and a few of us want to fly down a few days before we sail, rent a car and do some sight seeing. I would appreciate hotel recommendations, must see attractions and and any do's and don'ts. This is my first West Coast sailing so I feel like a true newbie:p.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Carnival does not go out of the LA port. They use the Long Beach port.

[Cruisin' Chick]

We have a fairly large group that will be sailing on the Miracle next year and a few of us want to fly down a few days before we sail, rent a car and do some sight seeing. I would appreciate hotel recommendations, must see attractions and and any do's and don'ts. This is my first West Coast sailing so I feel like a true newbie:p.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

As Steve said above, a good idea is to figure out what you might want to do and see to help you narrow down where to stay. Come back and let us know what will interest your group: museums, Hollywood, beaches (at least you'll be here in September which is prime beach time), other sites...

 

You won't want to stay by the airport or in downtown LA. If you were just coming one day prior to your cruise and didn't mind just Long Beach sites (like the excellent Aquarium), you can check out Steve's hotel recommendations. For other hotels it is a good idea to post your choices and let the locals guide you away from the less desirable areas.

 

On the day of your cruise, make sure to tell your taxi or shuttle driver that you want to go to the Port of Long Beach and NOT the Port of Los Angeles (where the non-Carnival ships leave from).

[SadieN]

Decide what's important for you to see and do. Disney or other theme parks, roller coasters, Hollywood, museums, beaches, movie locations, hiking, stagecoach trails, presidential libraries, etc

 

Look on Trip Advisor or get a guidebook to figure out what's important to you.