Report - Radisson Hotel Los Angeles Westside (LAX area) by CJW

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Here is a hotel that I think is a good option for those looking for a place near LAX (pre or post cruise), where staying near LAX is a preference or requirement.

 

Yes, there are a lot of hotels on Century Blvd. right near LAX.

They have shuttles to and from LAX, there is not much regarding anything else there.

Mostly industrial area, not a lot of good restaurants or sights around or within walking distance.

 

So, if you are looking for an "LAX hotel", and you have time or want things to do in walking distance in the area, and want a good hotel for the area and budget - this is a great option!

 

Here's the basic info to start:

Radisson Hotel Los Angeles Westside

http://www.radisson.com/culvercityca

6161 W. Centinela Ave., Culver City, CA 90230

(310) 649-1776

 

Free shuttle to and from LAX. About 3 miles away, so really close without being stuck on the main airport street that has nothing around it if you don't have a car.

[Curt Jerome Wild]

So let's start with some basic pictures of the hotel in general...

(click on any of the thumbnail pictures to get full sized pictures)

 

Here are the outside grounds...

 

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Here are pictures of a standard room...

 

Please note that one thing that is a super bonus for this hotel (at the price range in Los Angeles)...

They have Sleep Number beds!

Totally awesome!

Internet access, and mini fridge next to the TV in the cabinets!

 

[Curt Jerome Wild]

basic bathroom views:

 

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Look very carefully here:

Free gourmet coffee in the lobby.

 

Nice pool area.

 

Shuttles (about 4 or 5) are waiting 24/7 to take you to and from LAX.

 

Checked out all of the rooms (so you know what to request when you get there)...

 

All the rooms on each floor end in "01" to "34"...

Quieter rooms are those in the lower numbers (ending in 01, 02, 03, etc.)

 

Rooms that are higher numbers (ending in 32, 33, 34) will be close to the freeway side of the building. Slight freeway noise 24/7, so be very aware of that.

;)

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Now here are a couple of things right nearby, that are much, much better than anything nearby the Century Blvd. main LAX hotels...

 

For afternoon/evening before and dinner:

http://www.hhpromenade.com/

5 minutes walk (up a little hill).

Restaurants, shopping, the best theater in Los Angeles!

 

Fantastic for those of you who are looking for an LAX hotel, where there will be restaurants, shopping, things to do, within a reasonable walking distance...

 

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Then you also have one of the classic restaurants in LA right across the street...

http://www.dinahsrestaurant.com/

 

Dinah's

6521 S Sepulveda Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90045

(310) 645-0456

 

Great for breakfast, and old, old school, diner feel...

[pjs9876]

Here is a hotel that I think is a good option for those looking for a place near LAX (pre or post cruise), where staying near LAX is a preference or requirement.

 

Yes, there are a lot of hotels on Century Blvd. right near LAX.

They have shuttles to and from LAX, there is not much regarding anything else there.

Mostly industrial area, not a lot of good restaurants or sights around or within walking distance.

 

So, if you are looking for an "LAX hotel", and you have time or want things to do in walking distance in the area, and want a good hotel for the area and budget - this is a great option!

 

Here's the basic info to start:

Radisson Hotel Los Angeles Westside

http://www.radisson.com/culvercityca

6161 W. Centinela Ave., Culver City, CA 90230

(310) 649-1776

 

Free shuttle to and from LAX. About 3 miles away, so really close without being stuck on the main airport street that has nothing around it if you don't have a car.

 

Post cruise we will visit relatives in Brentwood near the VA Medical Center. Having a shuttle to LAX would be lovely and room rates are fine if it looks like the pictures. Since you recc. it-I'm sure it is lovely. My question is-Is this close enough to relatives without driving everyone crazy? There are some high priced options, like Luxe but in addition to the cost we would have to take a taxi. The map seems to put it at about 6 miles and I drive that just for a cup of coffee but these boards send the tone that an extra mile is a big deal. This is for May 9 (Sat) and flying out on May 10 (Sun).

Option 2 in Priceline 4 1/2 stars Culver City and that might work but there is still the taxi issue.

I followed your advice for DT in San Pedro-so I need your help again please. Thank you!!!

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Post cruise we will visit relatives in Brentwood near the VA Medical Center. Having a shuttle to LAX would be lovely and room rates are fine if it looks like the pictures. Since you recc. it-I'm sure it is lovely. My question is-Is this close enough to relatives without driving everyone crazy?

I started a separate thread to go over details here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=941849

Click on that, and go there to discuss further.

(I don't want to confuse people reading this thread in the future, with information that won't pertain to this hotel specifically)

See you over there!

;)

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Hey all!

Since Linda just stayed at this specific hotel, I wanted to put her review here from another thread!

CJW,

Just wanted to thank you for all the great info!!

Our stay at the Radisson was wonderful. We walked to the Promenade at Howard Hughes Center and ate dinner at the theater then did some shopping.

Shuttle was smooth and worry free. Got us to the airport quickly.

 

Thanks again!!

I'm glad this hotel worked so well for you Linda!

Thanks for the return report.

:D

[Donna S]

On Priceline is the Radisson in Culver City in the 3 star level the only guaranteed hotel to win??? Now to get to the World Cruise Center from the Radisson, would you use the Super Shuttle? or are there other options. What price should I start my bid for the Radisson? Thanks

[rdenee]

On Priceline is the Radisson in Culver City in the 3 star level the only guaranteed hotel to win??? Now to get to the World Cruise Center from the Radisson, would you use the Super Shuttle? or are there other options. What price should I start my bid for the Radisson? Thanks

 

 

I don't know if it is the only hotel, but I just bid 3*, Culver City for May 3rd for one night and won it for $52. That is the hotel I was hoping for, wanted for the free shuttle to LAX and walking distance to shopping and restaurants.

 

Thanks CJW, your reviews are very helpful. I will return after the trip to leave a review of the hotel.

[rdenee]

I don't know if it is the only hotel, but I just bid 3*, Culver City for May 3rd for one night and won it for $52. That is the hotel I was hoping for, wanted for the free shuttle to LAX and walking distance to shopping and restaurants.

Thanks CJW, your reviews are very helpful. I will return after the trip to leave a review of the hotel.

We just returned from our stay at the Radisson in Culver City on May 3rd.

We took a Shuttle from the Carnival Cruise terminal in Long Beach to the hotel ($52 for two people). We were able to do early check in at 12 noon, (I had called before the cruise left and requested this).

Check in was smooth and quick. We stayed in room 901, which, while overlooked the interstate, we didn't notice the car noise at all. We had a fabulous view of the Los Angeles and the hills.

The room was very clean and large, we had a king size bed, chair, ottoman, desk with chair and dresser that housed a mini-fridge (didn't use and didn't even open to see if anything was in there) and TV.

In the bathroom they provided, bar soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, body wash, shoe polish cloth, and a little kit that had three cotton balls, two q-tip like swaps and a mini emery board.

We dropped off our bags and walked over to the Howard Hughes Center.

We ate at Island Burgers, which we enjoyed, and did some shopping. If anyone is a fellow scrapbooker, there is a scrapbook store in the mall, which I wish I had had more space in my luggage; they had some really cute stuff. :D

We then spent the night in our room, we were going to go down for dinner, but ended up ordering room service, which was great. I think the burger and fries was about $10 and I ordered an appetizer for about $7, so the prices were not bad. They do have a breakfast menu and also a card you can hang on your door to order breakfast for the next morning. We did not do that option.

They offer 2 computers in the lobby (they also have internet service in the rooms and wifi, but I didn't want to unpack my netbook, so I didn't use this service), but I did go down and print out our boarding passes which was easy.

Check out is at noon, so we got up late about 9:30, packed up and were down in the lobby about 11:40, check out was a breeze and then we waited for the shuttle, which we were told different things, when we checked in the lady said the shuttle ran every hour and to come down a little before the top of the hour to grab the shuttle, but when we were leaving, they said that it ran every 30 minutes. We got our shuttle and were dropped off at the airport in about 15 minutes.

Very quick and painless, I would highly recommend this hotel.

The only disappointment we had was the sleep number beds, they were not as great as I wanted them to be, we still got a good night’s sleep, but I no longer dream of getting a sleep number bed. :)

 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Rhea!

Thank you so much for the hotel report.

It is so helpful to future readers, when people remember to give a review when they return.

 

Good info to have on their room service as well.

I'm so happy to hear that this hotel worked out so well for you!

 

[cigal]

Hey everyone!!

 

I just found a really great rate at the Radisson Hotel Los Angeles Westside. They are having a "Free Friday" promotion. You have to stay at least two nights; either a Thursday and Friday, or a Friday and Saturday. Then, they take the value of Friday night off of your total. My 2 night stay works out to $100 plus tax, or about $50 per night.

This is an excellent price for this hotel, so if you are coming in early for a cruise or want to stay near LAX and can take advantage of this deal, go for it!!

Make sure that it meets your needs based on what CJW outlined earlier though, because if a hotel doesn't meet your needs, then a good price isn't really a deal. I'm coming in on a Friday night and leaving early Sunday and I wanted something close to the airport so I can sleep as long as possible on Sunday morning:D.....

I'm getting a car, because I have a ways to go on Saturday, but when I get in on Friday night I'm going to take that car through the In-N-Out drive-through lane and then head to the hotel!!:) I'm also looking forward to the Starbucks on Saturday morning.

 

As Curt mentioned, this Radisson also has Sleep Number beds. If you want to figure out your personal sleep number ahead of your stay, here is the link:

http://www.selectcomfort.com/sleep_number/sleep_number.cfm

 

When I get back, I'll be sure to pop in and leave my 2 cents worth!!

[cigal]

A week ago, I stayed at the Radisson Westside and was very pleased with this hotel. I chose it because Curt Jerome Wild recommended it and I got a great rate on the room. Here is my review:

 

Last weekend I spent Friday and Saturday nights at the Radisson LAX Westside and it was wonderful!

 

I was flying in late on a Friday night and leaving early Sunday morning. I was there to attend a family event about an hour from LAX, but I had a rental car and the event was in an area where there aren’t any decent hotels. Plus, I didn’t want to have to worry about driving back to LAX early Sunday morning. So I stayed by the airport, drove to the event Saturday morning, and then drove back to the airport late Saturday night and didn’t have to wonder if there would be traffic or some other issue that would cause me to miss my flight on Sunday. I could have stayed in a hotel on Century Blvd and technically been even closer to the airport, but the rate I got at the Radisson was better than anything else nearby and the area and ambiance around the Radisson is SO much better. A couple of miles can really make a difference! :)

 

I arrived at the hotel around 9:00 PM, after picking up my rental car and getting dinner at In-N-Out.:) Check in was complete in less than 5 minutes.

 

When I made the reservation on the website, I booked a non-smoking room and requested a high floor and extra pillows. I ended up in a room on the top floor, and my extra pillows were waiting for me!!! When I checked in, I asked for a room number ending in lower numbers, and got 1202. It faced the road, not the freeway, just like Curt said. There was some road noise, but not enough to keep me awake.

 

If you are sensitive to traffic noise, there are a couple of things you can do to reduce the noise. First of all, the newer A/C systems have an option to run the fan continuously, instead of just setting a temperature and then having the A/C cycle on and off all night. For me, the cycling on and off disturbs my sleep more than a sound that is constant, like the fan. Another thing you can do is turn the TV on to a channel that isn’t programming anything. Turn the volume up just enough to hear the static-y sound that comes with a non-programmed channel, and it acts like white noise. Then, shut the doors to the TV cabinet and voila – a white noise machine!

 

But like I said, the noise from the room I had really wasn’t bad. Definitely try to get a room with lower numbers.

 

Anyway - check in was a breeze, and in 5 - 10 minutes and I was in my room. The person that checked me in was pleasant and efficient.

My room was very clean and pretty spacious too. I knew there was gourmet coffee in the lobby, so I was surprised to find that the in-room coffee maker came with Starbucks coffee as well!! :)

Like rdenee said, they also had shampoo and conditioner, instead of the “conditioning shampoo” that I’m not crazy about but most hotels seem to have these days. See – it’s the little things that make me happy!!

 

The best part for me though was the sleep number bed……I LURV those!! I had gone to the sleep number bed website and figured out my sleep number in advance. I still ended up adjusting it to an even lower number, but when it was done I slept like a baby!! The duvet on the bed was also luxurious!

 

The mini-fridge was also right where Curt said it was – next to the TV. It came in handy for the food a friend gave me for the flight home.;)

I didn’t have time to use the pool or even eat at the restaurant, so I can’t comment on those things…… Maybe next time.

I did use the free WiFi! It was easy to connect to and had a pretty decent speed. I surfed for a while, and then realized I forgot to bring my laptop power cord….:rolleyes:

 

The one thing that was a slight negative was that the computers didn't seem to be programmed to automatically deduct Friday night from the final bill. I asked about it at check-in, just to verify, and the clerk kind of brushed me off. I didn’t think anything about it at the time, and just let it go. When I got the bill under the door Sunday morning, it still had both nights charged. When I checked out, I asked about it and although they took the price of Friday off promptly, I felt that it should have been removed before I got the final bill. I had all the papers printed out and with me just in case I had to argue, but I didn’t need them. The clerk just looked up my reservation, typed in a few things, printed out a corrected invoice, and I was out the door! It must be a glitch in the computer system, but they need to fix that. I did get a survey from the hotel following my stay, and did address this issue, but my advice to anyone using this special would be to print out the price and the promotion rules and take them with you when you travel. You probably won't need them, but it's better to have info and not need it than to wish you had it.

 

All in all it was a great hotel for an awesome price!! I would definitely stay there again and recommend it to others.

 

I don’t have any pictures with new or different views of this hotel, but the pictures Curt posted at the beginning of this thread are excellent and thorough, so just look at his......:D

 

In closing, trust Curt's word on hotels. He really knows his stuff!!

[dirtgirl]

I would love to know what is in the gym, if anyone knows.;)

[bakechef]

Thank you thank you thank you Curt for this recommendation!

 

After flying into LAX and renting a car, I really was glad to have the reservation at the Radisson Culver city, I didn't like the area around the airport.:eek:

 

After debarking the ship we took supershuttle to LAX and called the Hotel, they sent the shuttle promptly, although we were in the wrong spot, I told them that we were in the American Airlines hotel shuttle stop, but we were in the next one over in the international stop, oops my bad!:D Well the driver found us and we were on our way. When I called the hotel for the shuttle, I asked about early check in and they happily informed me that they had a room ready for us when we got there!

 

Well on the shuttle ride, the landscape changed for the better, I liked the way this area looked much better.

 

We found the room to be very nice, the bathroom was small but functional with nice toiletries. The beds were nice, with nice linens and tons of pillows.

 

My partner was sick with a cold, so I went on a mission to find him some good cold medicine, I ended up walking to the Howard Hughes Mall area, and found that there wasn't a single store that sold the stuff, but if you are up for a 15 minute walk, this would be a great place to have dinner, lots of choices. So while I was refueling with a soft pretzel, I spotted a Target on the other side of the freeway, so I set off for that. There is a nice sized mall with lots of stuff and if I had gone there first I could have avoided many street crossings, but oh well! If you go to this mall from the hotel, just hang a left out of the hotel and another left at the intersection, go under the overpass and cross the street, this route has only one crossing.

 

We walked to Dinah's for dinner and had a nice comfort food meal. This place has been in business for 50 years and most of the place is original, it is really a 50's throwback. Don't expect gourmet grub here, but the food was good as was the price, we both had chicken dinners with 2 breasts and wing, cup of soup, 2 sides, bread and banana bread and a beverage, the grand total was around $27 including tax and it was a lot of food, we couldn't eat it all. There is a donut store right near dinah's that opens at 4:30am if you want a quick breakfast, didn't get a chance to try it, but heck, how bad could donuts be!

 

If you have to take a shuttle to your hotel, why not ride 5 minutes more and stay in a nice area with lots of stuff within walking distance? I felt very safe in this area.

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Thank you thank you thank you Curt for this recommendation!

You are so very welcome! Thanks for reporting back, so future cruisers can read about your experience there.

 

Isn't it absolutely amazing how just a few minutes further from LAX the area is SOO much nicer?

Glad you had a good time, and for future reference if you are ever there again...

If you walk the opposite way (from Howard Hughes Center and Fox Hills Mall) much closer (almost right behind the hotel) is a CVS Pharmacy and an Albertson's Grocery Store. Both of those would have had what you needed.;)

 

Thanks again for the return report.:D

[bakechef]

You are so very welcome! Thanks for reporting back, so future cruisers can read about your experience there.

 

Isn't it absolutely amazing how just a few minutes further from LAX the area is SOO much nicer?

Glad you had a good time, and for future reference if you are ever there again...

If you walk the opposite way (from Howard Hughes Center and Fox Hills Mall) much closer (almost right behind the hotel) is a CVS Pharmacy and an Albertson's Grocery Store. Both of those would have had what you needed.;)

 

Thanks again for the return report.:D

 

LOL, that would have been handy! I really need to start asking the front desk where things are! To be honest after the eating that I did on the Splendor, all of the walking did me some good!