Heavens

I would choose one hotel and make that my base and tour LA from there.

The Fairmont is lovely. We have even stayed at the Best Western there and had a wonderful time. You don't really spend, or we don't anyway, that much time in the room. Everything is right there and you can walk around to the ocean, the pier, down Ocean Ave for shops and restaurants, Third Street Promenade...lots to do right there.

Ocean Seafoods is one of our favorite restaurants anywhere...and we love the Del on Third Street. Have spotted some of the rich and famous in there. Sit at the counter, it is a trip.

Also try Tops, at least that used to be the name of it. Top of the Doubletree Hotel I think it is, just across from the Fairmont. There is a bar/restaurant up there on the 32 or so floor with the most amazing views south and north coastline. Great for happy hour.

clarkgriswold

Santa Monica is lots of shopping and dining. I think you're getting plenty of better beach time earlier in your trip and you might want to stay at the Bel Air Hotel both nights. It's a true Hollywood hideway and will have a different feel than the rest of your trip. whereas anything in SM will be just "more of the same"(but with a more polluted beach). And you can easily visit Santa Monica from Bel Air if you desire more shopping. Westwood & Bev Hills Restaurant Row will be all the dining options that you need, along with the great pub at the Bel Air Hotel or the coffee shop & Polo Lounge
at the nearby Beverly Hills Hotel

moneygirl

Are you still considering Santa Barbara? If so, the upham hotel has some great specials running that you may be able to take advantage of... I also echo the sentiment that Solvang isn't worth it.Plenty to see in SB for a few nights without the extra drive.

Songdoc

I'll chime in with some of my faves ...
There are two things I ALWAYS do when I visit L.A.

I LOVE having breakfast at Gladstone's right on the beach in Pacific Palisades. (It's between SM and Malibu). It's the most beautiful setting; wonderful food -- and after eating, you can walk on the beach. It's very special -- and very "L.A."

The Self-Realization center (a religious retreat open to the public) is only a few minutes from Gladstone's and is a lovely place to walk for 30 minutes if you're already in that area.

If it's a weekend, I'd then head to Venice Beach. It's a fun, pure L.A. experience with street vendors, roller skaters, entertainers, and more -- right along the ocean.

One of my fave spots in the world is Glen Ivy Spa in Corona -- about an hour from L.A. WITHOUT traffic. It's an inexpensive day spa (no where to spend the night right there) with mud baths and pools to soak away your stress. It's GORGEOUS and I leave there feeling like a million bucks. But don't even think of driving either way in anything resembling rush hour.

Happy 50th. Being 50 was much less painful than turning 50 ;-)

arewethereyet

For Laguna, you might want to try Best Western Laguna Las Brisas. It's about a 5-10 minute walk from the main beach, and across the street from the beach. Nothing is cheap there, but this was under $200. We told the manager that it was our anniversary, and he upgraded our room to an upper floor with an ocean view and large indoor jacuzzi. It's not a typical Best Western - it was very nice.
http://www.lagunabrisas.com/

tracys2cents

Oh my, if my DH took me to the Bel Air for my 50th he'd be well rewarded!
Santa Monica? Bleh...been there done that...buncha trendies out shopping after surgery to have their cellphones permanently attached.

Donna1185

So Santa Monica is just the beach,Pier and shopping?

clarkgriswold

I would pick Santa Barbara over Santa Monica. The Harbor View Inn.

clarkgriswold

Since it's a Thurs & Fri, Santa Barbara won't be overcrowded...and you can hop on a great whale watching boat, the Blue Whales are still in the channel in September.
Not sure what time you need to drive back to LAX for a flight out however.

Donna1185

Thanks for the Santa Barbara suggestion, we were stayed in Santa Barbara 2 years ago, during our trip up the PCH to Montery/Carmel.
Were actually flying out of Long Beach on Saturday morning.

Donna1185

Well, I booked (1) night at the Hotel Belair and the last night at the Loews in Santa Monica. Couldn't decide where to stay and could only afford the 1 night at the Belair. LOL Hoping its something special.
Figured we'll do the Hollywood/Beverly Hills scene while staying at the Belair.
Then do the Pier, Venice Beach, 3rd street Promenade and Malibu the last night.
Any suggestions on where to eat in Beverly Hills/Belair or Santa Monica?

Also, how do we get onto the beach in Malibu? Is the beach open to the public where you can walk on the beach in front of all the lovely homes?

Any must see's that we shouldn't miss while in the area?
Thanks everyone for all your help planning this trip!

smartcookie

if you only have 2 nights in LA, it is too much of a hassle to split the nights. Bel Air and SM are not that far away (15-20 mins). If you're staying on the beach in SD, then there is not reason to stay in SM. Also, BelAir is central, but you can't really walk around there. I would advise you to stay in West Hollywood instead. Check out West Hollywood Chamberlain, highly recommended. Best Western Sunset Plaza can be a good choice as well. I would stay both nights there and drive to Santa Monica and Venice beach boardwalk one day and do the Hollywood/West Hollywood and the Getty the other day. There are tons of cute outdoor cafes in West Hollywood. You can visit the Grove if you want as well.

For your other destination, I would stay in San Diego proper since you need at least 2 days to explore all he gorgeous areas of SD (Coronado, Gaslamp, Old Town, La Jolla etc). You can stop in Laguna on your drive to LA since it's half-way in between SD and LA.

Donna1185

Hi,
We will be in LaJolla for 3 nights, checkin out all of the sites in San Diego and Coronado and then heading to Laguna Beach for 2 nights then up to LA/Santa Monica area.
Staying at the Bel Air more as a treat for my 50th, not really worried about the location and having to drive to Beverly Hills and Hollywood. They have a car service that will drive us which will be fun.
We like to run so thought staying in Santa Monica, it would be nice to be right near the boardwalk so we can run.
I can change my mind up to 48 hours before check in..

dmlove

http://tinyurl.com/2onevx

smartcookie

Ok. I don't really see the point of staying in Laguna for 2 nights after SD. You can leave SD in the morning and see Laguna for that day on your way to LA. It's only 1 hr from SD and 1 hr from LA, and it's very small. I would add those two nights to LA since LA is huge and there are so many things to do and see, including mountains, beaches, museums, etc. I think you would feel very rushed in LA especially when you have to pack and check in and out of the hotel for 3 days in a row.

mlgb

The beach and setting in Laguna Beach are much nicer than Santa Monica (whoever said SM is just a dirtier beach is right). I wonder if you would like Hotel Angeleno, closer to other LA sights, and if you want to go to the beach , take the 405 and come down Topanga Canyon Road. And not that far from the Bel Air.

http://www.jdvhotels.com/angeleno/

Donna1185

Hmmmmm...
So (2) nights in Laguna Beach is too much? Wanted some relaxation to just hang around, thought that would be the ideal place to do it, after going around San Diego... Now I'm really confused!! LOL

mlgb

No, you were right. There are a few people on this board who push Santa Monica. I used to live there and I understand that Santa Monica and Venice are the closest beaches to Beverly Hills and Hollywood, and therefore are convenient for tourists. Both are "urban beaches". Venice has interesting characters, but neither location has better "beach vibe" than either Laguna Beach, La Jolla, or even Manhattan Beach.

dmlove

Laguna is such a nice little town and beach. If you want to relax, it would be wonderful to have a couple of nights there. If you just want to see it, you can do that in an afternoon. It's pretty, the beach is nice, there are good restaurants, shopping, coffee places, etc.

Donna1185

Thanks, I think I'll stick to my original plans, by the time we get to Laguna it won't be until the afternoon, at least we'll have the entire next day to relax a little before heading to the LA area.
Any dining recommendations in Laguna?