LOS ANGELES – THE WEST SIDE
Cali or bust!
- More about your Oliver Guide: Cinda Boomershine
- Trip type: Family, Beach, City
- Activity level: moderate
- Ideal length of trip: 3 days minimum
to & from
Fly into LAX and uber from there. Even if you do have a car, it is often cheaper to uber from place to place than pay for parking.
- Shutters — it is right on the beach so you can’t beat the location.
- Palihouse Santa Monica -- lots of different room size options and is located in more of a neighborhood area. This is a great options for families and for extended stays.
- Viceroy -- cool vibe and super close to the beach (without paying a beachside premium)
Newport Beach, Los Angeles, California
If you liked watching The OC in the 90s, you will love Newport Beach.
- More about your Oliver Guide: Beth Sheffner Scheer
- Trip type: Adult, Family, Group getaway, Beach
- Activity level: easy
- Ideal length of trip: Weekend, week, or month in summer
to & from
Direct flights to Orange County (SNA) or Long Beach Airport (LBC). Orange County airport is a 10 minute drive to Newport and Long Beach is about 20 minutes (if no traffic). Newport is about an hour drive from Los Angeles depending on traffic.
- Highly recommend renting a car.
- Use Uber or Lyft at night. Very easy and reliable for restaurant/bar hopping.
Where to Stay
If you want to rent a house on or near the beach, I would recommend Balboa Island or Peninsula Point. VRBO and AirBNB will be your best options. I recommend renting bikes (see info below) for getting around during the day.
- Lido House: (just opened in April 2018) very close to beach and Lido Village. Great rooftop bar.
- Balboa Bay Club: Right on the beach but larger and feels a bit more corporate. More family amenities if you have small children.
- Pelican Hill Resort
- The Montage Laguna Beach (15 minutes away) has a great spa but not in Newport.
Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California
So much to do and so little time... a weekend was not enough for our family in Santa Monica but we enjoyed every minute.
- More about your Oliver Guide: Courtney Leary
- Trip type: Family, Beach, City
- Activity level: moderate
- Ideal length of trip: 5 NIGHTS... WE WERE ONLY THERE 2.
to & from
- Fly into LAX, Burbank (our favorite because it is SMALL and easy but further from Santa Monica than LAX) or drive.
- A car is only necessary if you plan to leave Santa Monica. There is plenty to do in the area and Ubers are easy but we wanted to go to Universal and an LA Galaxy game which made a car necessary.
Where to Stay
- Loews Santa Monica was our home away from home for two nights. It is a mega hotel ON THE BEACH and perfect for families. We opted for a suite instead of two rooms as it was less expensive. Service was great and amenities endless- spa, pool, workout room, multiple restaurant options... We loved that they had towels for the beach by the door and the pool was open until midnight so we could retire to the hot tub after dinner.
- We did not have a chance to check it out but a friend recommended Oceana Beach Club Hotel-- she raved about the service and the bikes that were available to guests and ready to go at one's request!
- The Proper Santa Monica is a great stay-- super chic design, great rooftop restaurant and fun bar scene-- but several blocks from the beach. I have heard a great spa and gym as well though I did not have the time to experience when I stayed there.
- Other options right on the beach, but may not be as kid-friendly are Shutters and Casa del Mar.