Beverly Hills hotels pre-cruise on Star- help

[andreakul]

We are needing a good hotel not too far from San Pedro pier pre cruise on the Star. The Star NCL brochure recommends two Beverly Hills hotels. This sounds great because my kids have never been there. So many recommend Long Beach or San Pedro hotels though. How far is Beverly Hills from the port? Why does NCL recommend these hotels vs. the others everyone else say are ideal.

 

Any info appreciated. I think we would prefer to stay in Bev. Hills if it is not too far. Or, how about Marina del Ray hotels? How far are they?

 

Any info would be appreciated.

 

Andreakul

[newmexicoNita]

iam taking a wild guess, I think Beverly Hills is about 40 miles from the pier in San Pedro. I was raised in So Calif, but am not quite sure of the distance. I don't know why they would recommend Beverly Hills, but it would be fun for your kids. Try staying at the Beverly Hils Hilton? The Beverly Hills hotel is also a good bet, but very pricey!! if you choose to stay in San Pedro try the Sheridan or the Hilton; both are nice and have transfers to the ship.

 

NMNita

[karfest]

I am having the same dilemma and have spent hours scouring the internet. I was all set to book the Magic Castle hotel in Hollywood, but then when we looked at time constraints, I think we will end up at the Sheraton in San Pedro. We don't arrrive at LAX until 3:30 and by the time we get baggage, rental car, and drive to Hollywood, we wouldn't have much time to look around. If we were getting in earlier in the day, I would definitely stay in the Hollywood area- we love it there! (a little seedy at night, but I love all the crazy shoe stores, Kodak theater, walk of fame,etc.)

 

 

Try Tripadvisor.com for some excellent LA area reviews- prices range from $60-$500 per night, but location is very important to look at, Oh--such decisions! Hopefully, we'll get some more ideas from other posters.

 

Happy Hotel Hunting :)

[critterchick]

It can take over an hour to get from Beverly Hills to San Pedro, depending on traffic. If it's raining, plan on 2. There are lots of wonderful, pricey places: The Peninsula, Regent Beverly Wilshire, BH Hotel. The Hilton is OK. Also in nearby Century City, you have the Century Plaza & the St. Regis plus a boffo shopping mall:D . But if time is a factor (not to mention transportation - you'll really want a car if you're schlepping from BH), I'd recommend staying closer to the ship, as in San Pedro.

 

The Hilton isn't the Hilton anymore, BTW, it's the Marina Hotel. There is also a Best Western that some folks like & some don't. The Sheraton & Marina are very nice, although the Marina is away from the pier, so you'll need a cab (5-10 minutes away) to get to the pier. The Sheraton has a free shuttle.

Marina del Rey is a little north of LAX, maybe 15 minutes. It will take you 45 minutes or so to get to the pier from there. There's a Ritz Carlton and either a Marriott or a Courtyard by Marriott there.

[dog]

the Beverly Hills Hilton is currently under renovation, if you are considering it, check it out first....I heard restaurant and pool areas are beening renovated Nov. Dec. Jan.

[SHayesShip]

I live in Venice area between Marina Del Rey and Santa Monica. To answer your questions:

Beverly Hills is about 32-37 miles from the port depending on which hotel you stay at, however once you get off the I-405 you will be on surface streets with total travelling time of at least 1 1/4 hours from the port.

 

If you do not want to stay in San Pedro or Long Beach then I would highly recommend Marina Del Rey. MDR is about 25 miles from the port (6 miles north of LAX). There are several good hotels that front the 6,000 berth marina. The 3*Best Western, 4*Marriott and 5*Ritz Carlton would be my picks with varying price ranges. The Best Western fronts Mother's Beach and the Marriott is across the street. The higher floors of the Ritz and Marriott have ocean views. There are bicycle rentals, boat charters and a wonderful variety of restaurants. From the Marriott you are about 1/2 mile from the famous or infamous <g> Venice boardwalk. C&O Trattoria is a fun Italian restaurant that is family friendly and great prices with solid good food. It is located at the Venice boardwalk and Washington Blvd.

There are other hotels/motels in the area as the Holiday Inn Express and Ramada Inn but they are further inland about 2 miles from the ocean with no views or water front amenities.

 

Steve Hayes

 

We are needing a good hotel not too far from San Pedro pier pre cruise on the Star. The Star NCL brochure recommends two Beverly Hills hotels. This sounds great because my kids have never been there. So many recommend Long Beach or San Pedro hotels though. How far is Beverly Hills from the port? Why does NCL recommend these hotels vs. the others everyone else say are ideal.

 

Any info appreciated. I think we would prefer to stay in Bev. Hills if it is not too far. Or, how about Marina del Ray hotels? How far are they?

 

Any info would be appreciated.

 

Andreakul

[Happy ks]

Just another suggestion if you are flying in the day before, the Queen Mary is a fun place to stay. We are local and go to the QM at least once a year and have stayed ther pre-cruise. They have some family staterooms that are actually two connecting staterooms. The ship itself is a whole day event, they have a Ghosts and Legends tour and a Russian submarine tour. If you have a Sunday departure, QM has a wonderful Sunday Brunch. The Queen Mary is only about a 15 minute ride away from the San Pedro, I'm sure you could catch a cab easily from QM.

[hadleys9538]

I live in Venice area between Marina Del Rey and Santa Monica. To answer your questions:

Beverly Hills is about 32-37 miles from the port depending on which hotel you stay at, however once you get off the I-405 you will be on surface streets with total travelling time of at least 1 1/4 hours from the port.

 

If you do not want to stay in San Pedro or Long Beach then I would highly recommend Marina Del Rey. MDR is about 25 miles from the port (6 miles north of LAX). There are several good hotels that front the 6,000 berth marina. The 3*Best Western, 4*Marriott and 5*Ritz Carlton would be my picks with varying price ranges. The Best Western fronts Mother's Beach and the Marriott is across the street. The higher floors of the Ritz and Marriott have ocean views. There are bicycle rentals, boat charters and a wonderful variety of restaurants. From the Marriott you are about 1/2 mile from the famous or infamous <g> Venice boardwalk. C&O Trattoria is a fun Italian restaurant that is family friendly and great prices with solid good food. It is located at the Venice boardwalk and Washington Blvd.

There are other hotels/motels in the area as the Holiday Inn Express and Ramada Inn but they are further inland about 2 miles from the ocean with no views or water front amenities.

 

Steve Hayes

We are coming into L.A. two nights before our cruise departure with our 17-year-old son and 8-going-on-17-year-old daughter. We are currently booked at the Inn at Venice Beach because we thought the kids would love that area, and it seemed a good base for some sightseeing as well (plus its proximity to LAX). My question is this: Would I be better off at the Marriott you are talking about? The Inn at Venice Beach is supposed to be two blocks from the Venice boardwalk, but maybe the Marriott would be a nicer hotel to stay in. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Cheryl

[SHayesShip]

Cheryl,

The Inn at Venice Beach has an EXCELLENT location being ON the boardwalk and in the middle. From the Inn part of the boardwalk you either go south to the Marina channel or north to Santa Monica. The Marriott is located about a 15 minute walk from the southern part of the boardwalk and not as convenient.

Comparing these two hotels is like apples and oranges and it depends on what your personal preferences are. I will give you some basics.

Marriott - Upper quality sophisticated highrise building with excellent services

and more country-club type clientle. Generally a more mature

clientle and some families. Prices are high along with food costs.

More of the modern 80's & 90's architecture. Location fronting

marina is very posh and modern.

Inn - A good service oriented hotel. Lots of younger couples, families and

Europeans. In a much older building that has great character but was

completely remodeled a few years ago. Much more intimate style with

a funky, laid back atmosphere. The area has buildings that are not

cookie cutter that are from the 1910's forward and show wear but do

have their own style. The boardwalk is more of a carnival feeling with

street people, average people and a few movie stars thrown in.

Restaurants range from street vendors with Hot Dogs, Pizza joints up to

high quality restaurants.

 

Depending on your comfort level the right hotel depends on your preferences. Either hotel is excellent for what they are.

 

Steve Hayes

[hadleys9538]

Thanks for the advice, Steve. I think I will keep my reservation at the Inn. I think the kids will like being as close to the carnival atmosphere as possible, and they enjoy being around different types of people and having different experiences. I got a really good deal there, including breakfast, and parking is only $4.50, so I think it will work out really well. Again, I really appreciate your advice. I've been a little undecided about where we were booked, but it sounds like it will be great for us. Thanks again. Cheryl

[SHayesShip]

Cheryl,

Have a great time. Not a whole lot of people know about the Inn compared to the big hotel chains. I personally think it is a great place. But I am a 49 year old (but young in mind) person who likes things that are not just cookie cutter and have character.

I highly recommend that you take your family to C&O Trattoria for brunch, lunch or dinner. It is between the Inn and the boardwalk. It is a very lively "California" type laid back Italian restaurant. There is a great outdoor eating area or inside dining.

Because several movie and TV stars live along the Venice canals you might even see a star or two.

 

This time of year is on the cool side so make sure to have light jackets or sweaters. High 40's to low 50's at night. High 60's low 70's during day.

 

Steve Hayes

[hadleys9538]

Our cruise actually departs March 27th. (I know - I'm a neurotic early planner.) How will the weather be then? I know my son thinks he's going to be surfing, but I'm pretty sure the end of March will be much too cold for that, right?

 

I will definitely take your advice on the restaurant. It sounds great! I was wondering where we would go for dinner on Friday night - now that's taken care of. There's some sidewalk cafe right on the boardwalk that I was considering for lunch (can't remember the name offhand). Then on Saturday, we were going to spend the day sightseeing Hollywood, etc. On Sunday, we board our ship. Thanks again for all of your help. Cheryl

[karfest]

Steve & Cheryl-

I've been following your conversation with great interest! We are going to be in the LA are on March 28 so we will almost cross paths. I 've decided no to Hollywood (traffic) and the San Pedro(yuk) areas, hubby used to live in Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach so he wants to stay there but we think we might spend most of our time in traffic. The Inn looks great- our 17 & 20 yr old daughters like funky and different so that may be our choice.

 

How long do you think the drive to San Pedro (LA Harbor) will be on a Tuesday morning? I don't want to miss the boat

[hadleys9538]

Hey, Karen. I'm curious about the driving time from Venice Beach to San Pedro as well. We'll have a rental car that we either have to return to LAX or drive to another drop-off spot near Long Beach (I haven't decided which route to go on that yet). I'd like to know how much time to allow as well. We board on Sunday, so I don't think there should be too many traffic issues, but I'm not sure about that either. So, Steve, your thoughts on this???

[SHayesShip]

From the Inn to the San Pedro port it will be about 31 miles or so. From my home to the port it is 30 miles. I drive this once a week either on a Wednesday or Thursday for business I conduct in San Pedro.

The driving time will be between 1 hour to 1 hr 15 min.

FYI - From the Inn on Washington Avenue to the I-405 it will take about 15-20 minutes. Once you get on I-405 south you can pick-up the lane for 3 pass or more at about LAX. This speeds things up somewhat. There is usually a bottleneck on I-405 for the approx 6 miles from Washington to LAX. Once you get past LAX it generally opens up until you take I-110 south. Then you only have about 9 miles to go.

 

Steve Hayes

[SHayesShip]

You will be arriving toward the end of our rainy season. The temps are Spring-like in March and temps here in Venice will be in the 50's at night and 70's during the day. Inland such as Hollywood will be 5-10 degrees warmer.

 

The water temps along Venice are never warm compared to the Caribbean or even Mexico. In March I would hazard to guess in the 60's. There WILL be surfers out but they will be using wetsuits. Many use them year round.

 

When you walk the 2 blocks west on Washington Blvd toward the boardwalk from the Inn you will probably pass at least 5 larger restaurants (Mexican, Italian, Californian and French) and at least 3-5 smaller take-out type places. Once you are at the boardwalk if you turn left there will only be homes facing the beach until it deadends at the Marina Del Rey channel. If you turn right that is where all the action is. There will be many food establishments along with Muscle Beach and the street vendors. The area will look kind of unsavory BUT do not let this deter you. Crime on the Boardwalk is almost non-existent and actually only second to Hollywood as having more visitors then anywhere else in Los Angeles. This is L.A.'s answer to Pier 29 in San Francisco or Mallory Square in Key West

 

Also ask the Inn how to get to the last remaining Venice canals. They are only about a 15 minute walk from the Inn. You will see many of the original cottages along these canals with little rowboats and duck crossings. Several of us have homes here. It is serenity in the big city.

 

Who knows, if you walk along the canals you may pass my home.

 

Steve Hayes

 

 

Our cruise actually departs March 27th. (I know - I'm a neurotic early planner.) How will the weather be then? I know my son thinks he's going to be surfing, but I'm pretty sure the end of March will be much too cold for that, right?

 

I will definitely take your advice on the restaurant. It sounds great! I was wondering where we would go for dinner on Friday night - now that's taken care of. There's some sidewalk cafe right on the boardwalk that I was considering for lunch (can't remember the name offhand). Then on Saturday, we were going to spend the day sightseeing Hollywood, etc. On Sunday, we board our ship. Thanks again for all of your help. Cheryl

[hadleys9538]

Wow! It sounds great! - We aren't going to want to come home. It sounds like the weather will be excellent, as long as we have some jackets along. Thanks so much for all of your advice. It's great to meet someone who really knows the area. I can read my guidebooks, but it's nothing like hearing about everything first-hand. -- Cheryl:)

[karfest]

I love this board!! How did I ever plan anything before the internet and cruise critic?

Unfortunately, the Inn is fully booked for March 28- any other suggestions in the Venice Beach area? Hubby still wants Laguna Beach but I worry about the traffic from LAX at 3pm and then back to San pedro in the morning.

Since I am the Planner, I think we'll go with Venice or Marina del Rey, maybe Santa Monica.

 

Thanks for all your help :)

 

PS- Steve, I recently saw a TV show about a cottage on the canals--very small but*wow* I would LOVE living there. You are very fortunate.

[SHayesShip]

karfest,

I actually bought one about 10 years ago and just last year bought the one next to me. I have kept the integrity of the exterior but have "joined" the two homes by way of an enclosed trellis covered with plantings. The one house is now 2 bedrooms, 2 baths and an office while the adjacent home is used for entertaining with a guest bedroom, bathroom and living area with media room and kitchen.

I now have three rowboats on the canals . But one is partially sunk and is used by the ducks as "their home".

 

Steve Hayes

[SHayesShip]

karfest,

When I want to stay close to home but "getaway" I go to Laguna Beach. You know the saying "The grass is always greener on the other side".

 

The hotels below are not the standard cookie cutter hotels. They have a uniqueness and charm that separate them from the humdrum.

 

Santa Monica Hotels - All on Ocean Avenue.

Georgian Hotel. This is an older well maintained (intentionally a little worn around the edges) hotel facing the bluffs overlooking the Santa Monica pier. It is unique and has a bed and breakfast atmosphere in which breakfast is served on their verandah-porch. It has a strong English feel. It is in the middle of everything. This is a pricey hotel but they do sometimes have specials. You are paying for location, location, location. Fronts Palisades Park which is a bluff overlooking the ocean.

 

The Hotel California

A two-story motel with no elevator BUT is very well decorated and has a great look. Next to the big boys as the Loew's and Le Merigot but for less. It is primarily a room and the food and entertainment surrounds it.

 

Shangri-La Hotel

A charming 3 star hotel with art deco and ship architectural influences. Complimentary continental breakfast and afternoon tea served. Fronts Palisades Park overlooking the ocean.

 

Venice Beach

Best Western Marina Pacific Hotel. It was just remodeled a couple years back and is in the "downtown" circle area fronting the boardwalk. Several rooms have ocean views. This hotel is on the beach. This is about a 4 story, 3 star property. I believe they have a free continental breakfast and secure parking- don't know what the fee is. The smallest rooms have a fridge and coffee maker while suites have full kitchens, fireplaces and balconies. Great staff.

 

Steve Hayes

[SHayesShip]

bump

[karfest]

A few posts back I mentioned that there was no room at the Inn. I e-mailed them and asked to be put on a waiting list if anything opened up. Well, they called me yesterday and confirmed a reservation for for my family on March 28th. I am very pleased so far with their customer service and am aticipating a great stay! Thanks for all your help.

[SHayesShip]

karfest,

Fantastic. Enjoy the anticipation.

 

Steve Hayes

[hadleys9538]

Hey Karfest! We're booked at the Inn at Venice Beach also. It sounds great! We're coming in on the 27th, and then leaving L.A. on the Vision of the Seas. Are we on the same cruise as well? Have you decided how you're getting down to the pier on Sunday? Cheryl

[karfest]

Cheryl-

We are on the NCL Star leaving Tuesday the 29th. We're going to rent a car at LAX and return it to the Budget office near the pier. They will shuttle us to the ship. I will probably set up a van ride with express shuttle to get us back to LAX, we had a towncar from them last year and it worked out well.

 

I looked at changing our flight to spend 2 nights in Venice, but the Easter Sunday flights are booked and it would cost me 100/pp to make the changes even if I could find a seat!

 

Have a great time--we'll be following you :)