My husband and I are traveling with my 17 year old son to LAX in April for 4 nights. Doing college tours for 2 days-USC and Claremont Mckenna (near Ontario-east on I-10). We will probably do some sight seeing and will want to visit the beach. We will have a car and don't mind driving. Looking for hotel ideas. Would love a suites type place if possible so my son can have some of his own space. Thoughts?

I would stay in the Pasadena area.....in between USC and Claremont. Plus there are a lot more options for hotels and restaurants. Not sure about a suites type place...sorry can't help there.

I agree with Monica...Pasadena is a good in the middle spot for both colleges. Lots of places to stay and eat. Look for an embassy suites or a renaissance hotel (they usually have great rooms for a great deal)

Can your son spend a night on each campus with a student in the dorm? We found that was the best way for our son and daughter to get a real feel for the campus. It's an invaluable experience. Some schools allow it and some don't.

My daughter spent the night on campus at Pomona College, for instance. This was before she was accepted, in 2003. I stayed at a nice little hotel in Claremont for two nights.

I'm not sure about USC. We stay in the Marina del Rey area when we visit our son at Loyola Marymount U.

Thanks to everyone for their replies. We did stay in Pasadena at a beautiful hotel-Langham Huntington and just got 2 rooms since my daughter ended up tagging along.