• More about your oliver guide: Courtney Leary
• Trip type: Adult, Beach
• Activity level: moderate
• Ideal length of trip: 2 NIGHTS, 3 DAYS

to & from

Fly into LAX… UBER. UBER. UBER.

Where to Stay

Malibu Beach Inn: A majorly updated old hotel, the only one in the area that is actually on the water (waves crashing outside your window. Lounge chairs on the beach, towels, drinks and food for guests. Rooms are nice but not particularly spacious, service is good but not at the level you would expect for the price.  You pay for prime oceanfront property and the lack of other options in the area.

Where to Eat and Drink

• Lunch with rose on the deck at The Carbon Beach Club Restaurant at the hotel is a great way to get into vacation mode.
• Walking two blocks to dinner at Nobu Malibu is a must. Make reservations well in advance and ask for a table outside on the covered deck (but be warned you may not get it.)
• Walk in the other direction for brunch or lunch at Malibu Farm where the menu is made up of fresh organic ingredients…. Think everything from turmeric shots to great salads to skirt steak…. all served with a view of the water. (Pick up their cookbook while you are here and bring it home as a thank you gift to your babysitter.)
• A little further north at the Malibu Country Mart is Café Habana where we settled in for a very casual Cuban (though seemingly Mexican) meal with the best cucumber jalapeno margaritas we’ve ever had.
• For a dose of healthy any time of day, stop by Sunlife Organics in the Country Mart….acai bowls, smoothies, turmeric shots and everything to make your insides glow. We went twice in two days.

What to Do

• A long morning hike in Solstice Canyon makes a nap on the beach later on feel well deserved. There are endless trails (with views) nearby and luckily most receive cell reception in case you need to figure out where you are—like we did.
• Run on the beach, an ocean swim or the morning yoga offered through the hotel. All the exercise options make sleeping in really hard.
• Shop! The Country Mart is made up of many great upscale shops, allow a few hours if you plan to hit them all. The shops close early so don’t expect to shop after dinner. And be sure relax on the beach.

inside scoop

The hotel offers massages and facials through their “spa”. We had massages that were great but their spa is actually a converted hotel room leaving much to be desired as far as a spa experience is concerned. If we were to go back, I would look into other spa options– in LA there are sure to be a few around!

more...

For a local (yes local!) guide of Malibu check out another Courtney’s guide here!