calwatch

Remember Long Beach has the Flyaway bus direct from LAX. It doesn't make sense to stay there for a day trip that leaves out of LAX, but there are day trips that leave out of Downtown Long Beach.

gkrnjlr

If we were to do the sightseeing tour after the cruise (Sunseekers picks up from the port, my understanding....and then returns us to the airport at the end of the 8 hour tour) we could fly in the day before.

If we are only there the night before the cruise would you still recommend going to Long Beach? We're two females traveling and don't want to stay near LAX if it's not a great place!

The Crowne Plaza LA Harbor was mentioned in a thread looks pretty good.

carlosdca

For IHG around LAX, you really have only three options:
*Holiday Inn Express LAX (8620 Airport Boulevard )
*Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Airport (5985 W. Century Blvd)
*Holiday Inn LAX (9901 S La Cienega)

The location for the three above is fine, they are close to the airport. Of course you can not expect much in terms of location for LAX. You will be stuck at the hotel no matter which LAX hotel you choose and the only way in and out is with a car. Despite that some can tell you here that you can "walk to In&Out". None walk is pleasant around LAX.

The Candlewood suites is definitely in a rough looking area, same for the next door Holiday Inn LAX Hawthorne.

I think your major constraint here is your LA full day tour. I would call the tour operator and ask if they pick up from Redondo Beach or Hermosa Hotels. (I agree Redondo/Hermosa are far superior places to be at than LAX)

Also, Long Beach is not bad at all. If you were not doing the LA tour, I would recommend just staying at Long Beach. There is plenty of stuff to do in Long Beach to keep you busy a full day and more without the hassle of getting around Los Angeles (consider that 50% of the time of your Los Angeles day tour will probably be sitting on the bus tour in traffic) and if you stay in Long Beach you will be 10-15 minutes away from the cruise port. No need to stress out Sat morning to head to Long Beach from LAX or wherever.

From LAX to Long Beach just take a Lyft or shuttle, no need to rent a car nowadays.

azepine00

there is nothing wrong with staying next to lax its just that you cant really walk anywhere from hotel - there is nothing interesting nearby.. you can however easily uber to nearby areas (eg santa monica, manhattan beach etc) if staying at lax saves money and/or more practical for othrr reasons

Mike Rivers

I don't know where else to ask this, so I'll try here. In the past year or so, "Me Too" has taken over all of the places I have been staying in the LAX airport vicinity and now charge for parking. For years, I've been staying in one of the hotels on or near Mariposa Ave off Sepulveda Blvd - Courtyard, Hilton Garden, Doubletree, even Extended Stay. The area feels safe for walking, there are decent inexpensive places to eat nearby, and it's a convenient starting place for places I go where I need to go by car. I think the Hilton Garden was first to charge for parking, and it's sort of understandable there since it's adjacent to a Metro station and I'll bet people were using the lot as a park-and-ride. But shortly thereafter, they all added a charge for parking. It's spread, too, to the Marriott SpringHill and TownePlace Suites near Aviation and Rosecrans, another area I like to stay when I'll be there for a few days.

I've reluctantly switched to hotels in the complex in Hawthorne near Hawthorne Blvd and Imperial Hwy (Comfort Inn Cockatoo, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Candlewood Suites) which still offer free parking but it's garage parking a bit of a walk from the hotels (other than the Hampton Inn), and it's a bit of a dumpy area to walk in, with few pleasant places for an inexpensive and decent dinner.

I realize that I'm just being grumpy - if they need more money, they should just raise rates. And if they don't want commuters to park in spaces intended for the hotel guests, they should just enforce non-guest parking better. But what's a cheapskate who wants to remain a cheapskate to do? If all I wanted was a place to stay before taking an early flight the next morning - and indeed this is sometimes the case - I could turn in the rental car after dinner and use the hotel's shuttle service (which isn't usually frequent enough to avoid a long wait at the airport). But when I'm staying for a few days, who doesn't need a car in the LA area?



The complex in .

fozziedoggie

Just a thought, but if you have Gold or Diamond status with HHonors program, it's worth asking (phoning) HGI to inquire if they comp parking for elite levels. If you're not Gold/Diamond, can always get it instantly with one of their co-branded credit cards.

BenSenise

I stayed at the hampton inn in hawthorne late last year and IIRC, the parking was free.
(Hampton Inn Los Angeles Int'l Airport/Hawthorne 11430 South Acacia Ave)

KathyWdrf

He (Mike Rivers) already mentioned that in his post, as follows:

Mike Rivers

I had the same thought (this is Flyer Talk, after all) but now that I'm not working for someone else paying for my travel, it's rare these days that I hit even the 2nd level of any of the hotels' loyalty programs. I have indeed inquired about free parking as an Honors member and it was nixed.

I have to shop for price, and while I'm flexible within about a $10-15 range, for example, a room tomorrow tonight at the Hilton Garden on Mariposa is $263 plus $15 for parking and, if I want to have the hotel breakfast buffet, another $16 or so. At the Comfort Inn Cockatoo (Acacia Ave), it's $148 with free parking and free breakfast. The Hampton Inn at the other end of the block (also free parking and free breakfast) is $195. Believe it or not, the rooms are equally spacious, clean and comfortable. The difference is the neighborhood, and I haven't been mugged walking in the area of either place . . yet.

KathyWdrf

I'm in the same boat (paying for all my own travel out of pocket), but there are various different ways to get status in hotel programs.... This is FlyerTalk, after all!

Mike Rivers

I had asked the Hilton Garden I mentioned in my post whether higher-ups in the HHonors program got free parking, and the answer (at least from the one desk clerk I asked) was that they didn't.

And, sure, I know this is FlyerTalk, but not all of us old, retired, former high-flyers stay 50 nights a year at the same hotel chain, or have a credit card with a $100/year fee. I wonder if this is to encourage travelers who are staying only one night before a flight to take advantage of their free airport shuttle and leave a parking space for locals attending a meeting at the hotel (which could justify a charge for parking). I've thought about doing that, but that would mean returning my rental car the night before, and then getting back to the hotel. That could easily take an hour, when I'm tired.

gkrnjlr

We are not retired and we do not travel and stay at a hotel very often. However, we have the Chase IHG Rewards credit card. We have a fee of $49 per year and with that $49 we are given one anniversary night per year (free night). We use that card for all of our expenses (electric bill, auto insurance, etc. etc.) and earn enough points that we were able to stay 4 nights in London on point nights alone. We are Platinum Elite - all because of paying our bills through the IHG credit card. IMHO it's worth looking into.

Mike Rivers

For anyone starting near the beginning of this thread, all of the properties in that neighborhood (including even the budget Extended Stay) now charge for parking, as do those in the Manhattan Beach off-beach area around Roesecranz and Aviation Blvd (Marriott Spring Hill Suites and Towne Place, and there's an Ayres nearby).

YVR Cockroach

Have a 24+ layover in LAX coming up in a couple of months and am looking for suggestions as to where to stay.

Arriving ~2300 and leaving just before midnight next day.

Have no hotel status so am indifferent to accommodation but prefer safe and value-for-money (and free breakfast). Car rental cost is the same whether picked up that night or the next morning. I understand free hotel parking in the vicinity is very limited? Should we just get a hotel shuttle and get the car the next day? Anything towards Marina del Rey?

FlyinHawaiian

The hotels near the airport with shuttle service and free parking tend to be the ones south of the airport in El Segundo. I have status with Hertz, so I like to pick up my cars during daylight hours and get a better selection of cars to choose from. I normally stay at the Renaissance which is walking distance from the Hertz (and Avis) lot. The Four Points is pretty close as well.