Gosh, I can't believe people are recommending El Segundo for a place to stay near the beach in LA area. Alpine, there's a reason is it cheap! Seriously. I don't mean to get personal or insulting but this is NOT a very scenic place or anything I'd consider for a vacation.

Is there a reason you're not trying for something in Santa Monica or Venice?

Close to the beach, kitchenette, around $100/night. The OP cannot find anything in SM or Venice for that amount (big surprise!). On her budget, the properties in El Segundo will work. The ones I mentioned border Manhattan Beach and the Rosecrans restaurant and shopping corridor. They are also only 2 miles from the actual beach and very close to the 405 freeway.

This may come as a shock, but there are other beach towns in Southern California besides Santa Monica and Venice. I would chose El Segundo over Venice any day.

Alpinemccain, the closest beach to those El Segundo hotels is Manhattan Beach and is very family friendly. They can just drive west on Rosecrans until they hit the ocean. They can also head just a few miles farther south to downtown MB. www.downtownmanhattanbeach.com

I would advise them to stay away from Dockweiler Beach in El Segundo.

My El Segundo experience is around the LAX hotels along that one busy strip. I simply can't imagine staying in the area gives a very good impression of Los Angeles. But I will humbly bow to a local for their better suggestions.

Suze, you may be thinking about Century Blvd., which is more in Inglewood and definitely not the place to recommend to tourists.

Have you been to El Segundo lately? Since the building of the new Raleigh Studios in Manhattan Beach, the surrounding areas have been built up

hit post by accident.

The areas surrounding the Raleigh Studios, which include parts of El Segundo and Hawthorne have been cleaned up quite nicely.

But I guess using priceline, I wouldnt know exactly where I would end up in that area....I will keep trying Santa Monica..I guess

Ivk, Obviously I am not much help here. I have been back recently but to visit friends so am no expert on hotels. I just keep thinking of some of the ugly industrial areas of LA where a tourist could end up by accident that would not be much of a vacation or show off the city at its best. I will bow out to those with better current details for our OP (but still make a plug for Marina del Rey or Santa Monica on my way out -lol!).

Ok,I tried my luck again with Priceline, I bid $111 in the Santa Monica area and it was accepter. I did not obtain the doubletree, however I got the following:

Sheraton Delfina Santa Monica Hotel

Any comments? I looked at the website and it seems $111 is a good deal for this hotel?

I haven't stayed there - but that is a GREAT location for that price. I'd say it's about 1/4 mile from the 3rd St. Promenade.

Yeah! I don't know the hotel but the price and general location is fantastic.

You should grab the Delfina at that price. Have been to several events there - It's a stylish makeover of a standard Sheraton. Three long blocks to the Promenade, five blocks to the beach, three blocks to Main street. Directly across the street from Samo HS, which is why it's less expensive than other hotels in the area. Friends recently put up guests there for a wedding and their rooms were over $250.

lvk, Sorry, but I have to strongly agree with Suze. I live in the area and would never recommend El Segundo, "renovated" or not, to a tourist looking for a Southern California beach experience. Certainly there are other beach destinations here besides SM and Venice, but the OP said he/she wanted to see Hollywood and Universal - anywhere besides SM would mean too much time in the car.

check out my blog: http://destinationstation.blogspot.c...of-angels.html

i have some great ideas!

crosscheck: "You should grab the Delfina at that price" alpinemccain already "grabbed" it - it was a priceline bid so already booked and paid for.

Sorry, I was multi-tasking and not reading carefully.

THANKS FOR THE INFORMATION EVERYONE!!! I CANT WAIT TO GO!