Hotel help while staying in LA
 

Hello all,
This is my first post and I am quite excited :)

I will be traveling to the Los Angeles area this June and need advice on a hotel. I will be traveling with two teenage girls so safety is priority. I do prefer a suite style hotel and I am looking at the Embassy suites in El Segundo LAS South. I will be renting a car so I'm not that concerned about being detached from major LA attractions. Just want to know if anybody has stayed here.

Correction....El Segundo LAX

I wouldn't want to stay near the airport. Not so much because of being detached from attractions, but El Segundo there isn't exactly the most scenic part of the city.

Welcome to FDodors - you will get lots of help here.

You need to give us a bit more info. What is your budget? And what major sites/activities do you plan? Even w/ a car you really do need to worry about the location since it can take hours to get places at the wrong time of day or from the wrong neighborhood.

El Segundo would not be my 1st choice (nor 7th for that matter)

oops - that should be "Welcome to Fodors"

L.A. isn't like other cities where you can stay 20 miles from your planned attractions without driving hassles. Universal Studios Tour can be a 90 min ordeal from El Segundo, both ways. If you state what you want to see and do in Los Angeles, you'll get better responses...but "suite" type hotels are mostly only out near the airport except for Doubletree Suites in Santa Monica and Residence Inn Beverly Hills and a couple of others.

Thanks for the the helpful comments so far.

Regarding my budget. I am willing to spend up to $150 per room/per night on two rooms (five of us actually traveling). It is important to be able to book rooms that are either connecting or side by side (if not all in one suite). staying in a room with an ocean view would be ideal.

As for attactions...Disney, walk of fame, universal, venice beach. Thanks for the help!

We've stayed a couple times at this Embassy suites, even though we live here, and it's nice. It's great to be near the beach. Manhattan Beach is just 3 miles south and your teen girls will love walking around the pier, shops, etc. The 105 Freeway is just down the street from the hotel, easy to get anywhere in LA, as all the traffic is coming toward the airport and you will be going in the opposite direction in the mornings to sight see.
Ask more questions, I'll be happy to answer them.

Thank you MB...Is the El Segundo area safe. The teen girls I am traveling with are not my children (younger cousins) and I want to assure their moms that we will be in a safe area

Holli, El Segundo is very safe, rest assured. We have many friends who live there. The hotel has an interior courtyard, which is very pleasant with water features, and swimming pool enclosed. The free breakfast and social hour each evening are a nice extra.

I understand your feelings of wanting a safe place for someone else's children who you are in charge of. The whole SoBay area is considered very safe.

If you are doing two days at Disney, I would stay over at least one night in Anaheim.

We stayed at the Howard Johnson, we had two queen beds and a pull-out bed we requested. It was about $80 a night two years ago, and we were very happy with it. Good value. Warm pool. Microwave and small fridge in the room too. We walked to Disneyland, very close.

I personally would not stay in El Segundo. It is a long way from Disney, and a long way from Universal.

I agree you should stay one night at least in Anaheim - and almost all of the hotel/motels near the park have family suites w/ two rooms, kitchenettes etc.

The I'd stay somewhere north closer to Universal, Hollywood, etc.

Is there a reason you are looking only at El Segundo? I don't understand that as a choice for what you want to see and do. That said, I don't have any recommendation for hotel rooms at $150 with an ocean view, I kind of doubt you are going to find that in that price range. There's a current thread about hotels in that price range in Santa Monica, which would be a much more ideal area to situate yourself... imo.

see thread titled "Santa Monica hotel with cheap/free parking"

Thanks for the all of the help so far. It's not that I want to stay in El Segundo, that is where the embassy suites is located and can accomodate the amount of people. As mentioned I am traveling with teens that are not mine and I would prefer to be in a suite since booking through an online booking agent (expedia........) does not allow you the option of booking roooms that are side by side or connecting. I might take the advice of spending two nights in the Disney area since this is on our list.

Do you think it would be wise to stay in the Disney area the entire trip?

"The I'd stay somewhere north closer to Universal, Hollywood, etc."

any suggestions on a specific area. I have not booked any hotels yet and would be willing to explore a different area. What about Downey? There is an emabassy suites there as well.

Are you a member of AAA? (or have a friend or relative who is) If so pick up a copy of their Southern Calif tour book. It lists almost every hotel/motel by neighborhood w/ maps. Plus display ads from many properties. I don't see any benefit trying to squeeze your special needs into the parameters of the expedia booking engine.

Look up the listings - and then call the hotel or log on to their website - you will get just as good or maybe better rates than on expedia.

Most of the Anaheim area places advertise in the book and even include floor cplans of their family rooms.

You're right, I would not go thru Expedia for your situation. Rather figure out where you want to be and contact the hotels directly. It seems ashame to be tied to Embassy Suites in El Segundo or Downey.

I don't have specific suggestions for hotels, but am hoping to guide you to a more scenic and memorable part of Los Angeles than what you've mentioned so far.

Oops, other than Anaheim for your Disney part of the stay, I think that's a good idea.

If you are doing 2 days at Disney then staying nearby for your whole trip would definitely be a better idea than staying in El Segundo....especially if you can do your hike to universal on a Sat or Sun when traffic is manageable. You can do walk of fame in about 90 minutes same day as Universal...in fact a walk down Universal hill to the subway (5 min ride to WOF) is a nice afternoon break from the park.

If it's mid to late June, accomodations near the water will be pricey. But you could find something in Costa Mesa or something between Disneyland and the ocean (Newport Beach) that would be convenient to both.

Consider the Residence Inns in Costa Mesa or Fountain Valley. Easy drive to Disney, very safe areas, not far from the ocean (Orange County beaches as the teens have seen on TV)..shopping & dining everywhere. An hour's drive to Universal but a good day-trip on a weekend.

As for Venice beach...you could make a quick stop there after you arrive at LAX, but with your concerns, you might want to avoid. The teens might see some goings-on that you'd rather they didn't, making for some crazy stories to tell their parents about where you took them. Usually it's safe and harmless but why risk it as a chaperone?