San Pedro Doubletree or Crowne Plaza?

[pokeypoke]

We are driving from Phoenix to San Pedro 2 days prior to our December cruise. We will need a room for Thursday and Friday night that offers parking and shuttle service to the port and it seems that Doubletree and Crowne Plaza are the best choices. Is one hotel better than the other?

 

I notice that Crone Plaza charges $10 a day for parking in a secure lot but is parking at Doubletree secure? Also, what about the hotel views and hotel restaurants?

 

Pokey

[critterchick]

The Doubletree has a surface parking lot, so it's not secure, but I haven't read here of anybody's car being vandalized while they're on a cruise. I think the CP has a Park & Sail program, including the room and up to a week of parking, which may prove to be less expensive than room plus $10/day.

 

As for which hotel is nicer, I haven't stayed in either (I'm a local), but the Doubletree was renovated from head to toe about a year ago. I did go to a promotional lunch & tour right after the refurbishment. The food was great, the common areas were lovely and the rooms that we saw were very nice. The hotel is in a marina, so you can get some lovely views of the water and boats.

 

I haven't been in the CP except for the lobby when it was a Sheraton, and I've never eaten there. I know they were doing some renovation work for a long time, but don't know about the rooms. The CP is more conveniently located to restaurants in the area, but since you'll have a car the hotels aren't more than a mile apart, that's probably not a big issue.

[cruiserbryce]

i have not stayed at the CP but the Doubletree has been great each time we have been there. We have never been worried about our car in the lot, its well lit and have never heard of issues. Its a great way to save a few bucks and not pay at the terminal. The breakfast is good, on the better end of comp breakfasts that I have had. The rooms have been nice, and good Marina views.

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Both are nice for different reasons. Car security is not an issue with either (security at both are always checking and watching the cars).

 

Here's some pics and info of both, if it helps you decide...

 

DoubleTree

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=602015

 

Crowne Plaza

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=601984

 

If you have a car for two days, and like movies and TV shows this is fin for the area...

San Pedro Film and TV Location Tour

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=567043

 

Let us know what you decide!

[Putterdude]

We are driving from Phoenix to San Pedro 2 days prior to our December cruise. We will need a room for Thursday and Friday night that offers parking and shuttle service to the port and it seems that Doubletree and Crowne Plaza are the best choices. Is one hotel better than the other?

 

I notice that Crone Plaza charges $10 a day for parking in a secure lot but is parking at Doubletree secure? Also, what about the hotel views and hotel restaurants?

 

Pokey

 

We drove over from Fort Mohave in December and stayed at the Double Tree on a stay & cruise package that included a king room over looking the marina and LA Yacht club, full breakfast for 2, champaign in the room, parking for 15 days, and shuttle back and forth to the cruise terminal. We were extremely pleased with everything and if you backed out the cost of parking at the terminal, the room was basically free, however that math won't work for a shorter cruise. We are flying down next month from Vancouver and staying at the CP only because it came very highly recommended by some people we met who stay there about 3 times a year pre-cruise. The CP also has a cruise & stay package but you would have to do the math on that. DT's parking is a surface lot, but there are security cameras and I would certainly park there again, it just felt safe. Cruise terminal parking, I believe is $12 per day so depending on the length of your cruise that may be an option for you.

[cruiserbryce]

however that math won't work for a shorter cruise.

 

while the room wont be free the value is certainly still there. We are going on a 4 night cruise in a little over a week...we would pay 4 maybe 5 days of parking at $12 per day and get breakfast and champagne...the room is $179...just the parking alone is a 50-60 value...

[pokeypoke]

A big thanks to everyone for your input. And thank you CJW for the film and tv tour suggestion. Though we haven't made a definate decicion on the hotel, it seems that we are leaning more toward staying at the Doubletree. Again, thanks everyone!

 

Pokey

[FritzG]

In January we weren't too impressed with the Crowne P. It was very near the port, and we got to see the Diamond as she sailed into port in the early morning hours. Other than that, the check-in staff was very unfriendly, our first room was a dump, but the second one was fine. No matter how pleasantly I greeted the check-in staff and tried to make conversation, it was "Give me your credit card, here's your key, don't bother me" and we're Priority Club members. Most other staff we met were fine, but that wasn't a good introduction to the hotel. Luckily we got a good Entertainment Book rate last minute, but I originally booked through CP for $155; I'd have really hated the place for that rate.

[Bucky3]

We have stayed at the Doubletree several times and left the car for a 15-day cruise. We have also stayed at the CP and wouldn't stay there again for exactly what Fritz (above post) had to say about it. We also prefer the low rise of the DT. One difference - friends stayed at the CP and their car was in a covered parking lot. Our car at the DT was out in the open parking lot and it was filfthy dirty when we got back!! We are staying again at the Doubltree in a couple of weeks. Oh, and you can also see your ship coming in from the Doubletree if your room is on the Marina side and you get up really early!!

[Putterdude]

We have stayed at the Doubletree several times and left the car for a 15-day cruise. We have also stayed at the CP and wouldn't stay there again for exactly what Fritz (above post) had to say about it. We also prefer the low rise of the DT. One difference - friends stayed at the CP and their car was in a covered parking lot. Our car at the DT was out in the open parking lot and it was filfthy dirty when we got back!! We are staying again at the Doubltree in a couple of weeks. Oh, and you can also see your ship coming in from the Doubletree if your room is on the Marina side and you get up really early!!

 

I am not surprised by the reaction to the CP judging by pictures I have seen of the rooms, plus the DTI would be awfully hard to improve on. I am sorry that your car was dirty when you returned ours certainly wasn't when we return on January 2nd. The only real advantage that I see that the CP has over the DTI is the fact that it is downtown and will make shopping a little easier if one is flying in; whereas the DTI is off by itself.