Will be in Laguna Beach the end of December (before New Years) & need a recommendation of a hotel. Would like a place where we can leave the car & walk to restaurants, galleries, etc. Thanks.

I stayed at the La Casa Del Camino twice last year and enjoyed it very much both times. There's free parking (across the street) and continental breakfast (there's also a restaurant in the hotel). It's a block to the beach and you can use it as a base to walk all over town.

The only downside is that the less expensive rooms are very small.

For some photos they have a website or you can find more info on the major travel sites.

We've stayed a couple times at the La Casa del Camino, but in the summer when the beach location is great. Parking is good too. However, it is a tad on the outskirts of walking to town, just so you know. We got rooms on the third floor to have a view of the ocean.
8-)

We just returned from Laguna. Stay at the Inn at Laguna - just beautiful and you can walk anywhere in town. Don't even consider anyplace else. All the other hotels are away from the town. See their website.

donnap-
The Hotel Laguna is right in main beach (on the beach). Check out their website:
www.hotellaguna.com
IMHO this hotel has the best location for shops, galleries and restaurants. Everything is within walking distance. I've stayed here several times because the location is the best! To get their best price call the hotel direct and ask for the LagunaBeach.com rate.
Laguna Beach has a really good website for checking hotel rates and locations.
www.lagunabeach.com

As GLM Designs states
>Don't even consider anyplace else. All the other hotels are away from the town.<
Not true- Hotel Laguna is right in main beach and it's considered a moderate priced hotel compared to the Inn at Laguna which is considered a luxury priced hotel.
Good luck!

Yes the Hotel Laguna is in town, but not as nice, very old. Probably less expensive

Yes the Hotel Laguna is old but far from neglected. The property is beautiful. They have a restaurant with a beautiful ocean view and outdoor seating. Nice bar with a lounge area that has TV's for news or sport fans. The have a private area set up on the beach with bar service. The amenities at this place are great. Don't let the fact that it is old sway you from staying here. The Wyland Gallery is right next door and you will see a famous Wyland wall from the parking lot. All these things make for a pleasurable stay at the Hotel Laguna which looks like it belongs on the beach with it's mission style decor and architecture. As you can tell I really like this place
Either way you can't go wrong. It's all nice in Laguna

Not sure if this hotel is within walking distance of restaur./shops because it hasn't been mentioned, but we stayed at the Surf & Sand a few years ago, and as far as I was concerned then I couldn't imagine having stayed anywhere else. We ate at the hotel restaurants (which were fabulous) and were there for a wedding in Dana Point so didn't really explore Laguna Beach.

It's right on the beach and though it's a highrise, every room has sliding glass doors/windows/balcony facing the beach, and the rooms are gorgeous. We slept to the sound of the crashing surf at night w/sliding glass doors open and on the 8th floor. The sound was quite loud even up there, but we loved it. You'd have to look at a map of the area to see if this hotel was within walking distance of other interesting places.

Check it out on the web, it's gorgeous: www.surfandsandresort.com