LAX Hotels & Transportation to the Port

[Kdl]

We will be heading to LA for the MR Cruise Feb 13. We have no idea where to stay. We will be flying in late on the Friday night, so we will need a hotel for 2 nights prior to the cruise. As we are getting in very late on the Friday night, we would like to stay close to the LAX airport. Any suggestions of hotels that aren't way too expensive? We would like one that would have some restaurants around and that offer LA tour pickups.

Also, there will be 8 of us. Any suggestions for limo companies to pick up at the hotel going to the port?

Thanks for your help!

 

[lmhall2000]

I think there is a shuttle service called Prime Shuttle or something like that, just google "shuttle service to LAX" and you'll find several..for your own van they seem to charge $65 one way to most anywhere around the port..it's cheaper than taxis, just couldn't figure out if they force you to pay a % of tip on top of that, or if you can just tip in cash.

There are two-three port resorts..Doubletree offers free shuttle as does Crown something or other...their breakfasts are not free and not cheap and being right at port you're not really near too much.

We chose to stay in Torrance at the Best Western Avita Suites, they have a full breakfast that comes with it and the rooms were around $99 prepaid..but refundable if canceled within a week..you're close to a mall around the corner and more restaurants/shopping...the reviews at tripadvisor were really good for this newer hotel...

You can also consider hotels in Long Beach/Manhattan Beach area that will get you near more shopping areas and not so much port or airport types of locales.

hopefully more will report...we're sailing March 13th so I went ahead and booked my rooms, we have 7 going with us and the free breakfast means a lot when you've got 5 teenagers with you!

HTH!
Tara

 

[LKFan]

Most hotels near LAX offer free shuttle service but the area isn't the best so you really don't want to venture away from the hotel in the evening to find a restaurant (besides which, there isn't much more than fast food on Century Bl). Your best bet is to find a hotel with a restaurant inside. I don't know much about hotels near the airport but, if you go to the "West Coast Departure" board on cruisecritic.com, there is a guy named BruinSteve who has posted a ton of very detailed information on where to stay, what to see, etc.

As far as LA tours, what do you want to see. LA is a very large area and you aren't going to be able to see it all in one day. You might check out Starline Tours and see if anything looks interesting to you. If you are interested in seeing the Manhattan Beach area (no guarantee on weather in Feb), you might check out Ocean Express: http://www.gatewaytola.org/index.cfm/programs/ocean-express/. They pick up from many LAX hotels and shuttle to and from the beach, restaurants, shopping, etc.

As far as hotels near the port, both the Doubletree and Crowne Plaza offer free shuttle to the port. To get there from LAX, you should either hire a town car/limo or look into Super Shuttle, Prime Time Shuttle, etc.