OK, 5 Irish couples (late 40-early 50s)going to LA in early February for just two days, after Vegas. Need advice.
Probably avoiding theme parks. Advice on Doubletree hotel at El Segundo.. is it well placed for beaches, city, nightlife, Safe?

Any chance of attending a gospel brunch or similar on Sunday morning?

What to see/do for two days.. given we are a group? Is February the ice hockey season? What sports on Saturday 4th Feb?

El Segundo is most definitely safe. Unfortunately, it isn't very well situated. Your closest bet for beach and nightlife is Manhattan Beach, which is just immediately south of El Segundo. Hopefully you'll have a car? If so, you'll have no problems whatsoever. Manhattan is great for a day at the beach with a pier, lots of people watching, a strand to walk up and down, and shops, cafes, and restaurants.

Yes, Feb is hockey season. Unfortunately, the Kings are away that weekend, as are the Anaheim Ducks. Lakers basketball will be away, as well.

I think El Segundo is a great place to stay. If you want to be close to the beach, you're very close to 2 of the best beaches in L.A.: Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach.

The only thing about El Segundo is you're not very close to some of the other tourist spots that you might want to check out, such as Hollywood, Beverly Hills, the museums, etc.

El Segundo is fine for just a 2-day stop. That Doubletree is in the midst of the El Segundo office buildings, but it is close to LAX and the 405 freeway for access to the other LA sites.

The only gospel brunch I know of is at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood (www.hob.com). You can buy tickets in advance, and maybe combine it with a tour of the Hollywood sites.

Although none of the LA pro teams seem to be in town that weekend, the Long Beach Ice Dogs are playing on the 4th. They are a minor league hockey team affiliated with the Montreal Canadians.(www.icedogs.com) Tickets are always available and cheap, but I'm not sure you want to spend (waste?) several hours of your short trip on that. You could, however, combine it with a little tour of Long Beach, Queen Mary, etc.