Help me plan a family trip to LA (first time visitor) (Los Angeles: car rental, where to stay)

[gt87]

Hi all, I'm looking for help on planning a family trip to LA in the near(ish) future. We are a family of 5 in our mid 30's with a 12 year old and 10 year old twins. We are a pretty active family and are really into sports. We plan to fly from New York and stay for at least 5 nights in a hotel and will be renting a car.

Like I said, we are big sports fans and would like to attend a Lakers games and a Rams or Chargers game. We are from Western NY and are big Buffalo Bills fans and right now the Bills play at Sofi the next 3 seasons (Rams in 22 and 24 and the Chargers in 23) so ideally we would like to plan a trip around attending one of those games (depending on how the scheduled lines up of course). In addition to the football/basketball games we definitely want to spend some time at the beach and take in a lot of the sights. We would also like to find someplace to take a short hike, maybe up to the Hollywood sign?

We plan to stay in a hotel the whole time. Maybe in the Santa Monica area? Doesn't have to be fancy or anything just need something clean and in a decent area since we don't plan on spending a lot of time in the hotel, mainly just to sleep. A couple of the hotels we are considering are the Comfort Inn Santa Monica-West LA or the Days Inn by Wyndham Santa Monica/LA. Both are located on Santa Monica Blvd about 2 miles from the beach. Area looks decent on Google maps but what do you guys think?

We will probably skip the amusement parks since that would pretty much require a full day. Like I said, we hope to go to a game at Sofi. Anything else we should see in that area? Also, we plan to go downtown for the Lakes game, anything else we should see there? Other than that we hope to stay west of LA.

Sorry if I sound like a total tourist but this is our first time visiting and look to get the most out of this trip in the short amount of time we are there. Any tips or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

[vincenze]

If you want to go to the stadium, why wouldn't you stay near the airport?
There are numerous hotels on Century Blvd.

You may even be able to use a shuttle as parking during games is not easy.

The airport is near the beach too. You can use Pacific Coast Highway to travel along different beaches.

[shallots]

Originally Posted by gt87

Hi all, I'm looking for help on planning a family trip to LA in the near(ish) future. We are a family of 5 in our mid 30's with a 12 year old and 10 year old twins. We are a pretty active family and are really into sports. We plan to fly from New York and stay for at least 5 nights in a hotel and will be renting a car.

Like I said, we are big sports fans and would like to attend a Lakers games and a Rams or Chargers game. We are from Western NY and are big Buffalo Bills fans and right now the Bills play at Sofi the next 3 seasons (Rams in 22 and 24 and the Chargers in 23) so ideally we would like to plan a trip around attending one of those games (depending on how the scheduled lines up of course). In addition to the football/basketball games we definitely want to spend some time at the beach and take in a lot of the sights. We would also like to find someplace to take a short hike, maybe up to the Hollywood sign?

We plan to stay in a hotel the whole time. Maybe in the Santa Monica area? Doesn't have to be fancy or anything just need something clean and in a decent area since we don't plan on spending a lot of time in the hotel, mainly just to sleep. A couple of the hotels we are considering are the Comfort Inn Santa Monica-West LA or the Days Inn by Wyndham Santa Monica/LA. Both are located on Santa Monica Blvd about 2 miles from the beach. Area looks decent on Google maps but what do you guys think?

We will probably skip the amusement parks since that would pretty much require a full day. Like I said, we hope to go to a game at Sofi. Anything else we should see in that area? Also, we plan to go downtown for the Lakes game, anything else we should see there? Other than that we hope to stay west of LA.

Sorry if I sound like a total tourist but this is our first time visiting and look to get the most out of this trip in the short amount of time we are there. Any tips or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Both those are in an okay area - they're very basic hotels. I'd read the reviews to see if they're clean.

They're close to the 10 and 405 Fwys and about half an hour from Sofi.

If I were you I'd consider staying closer to the airport/SoFi near the 405, and go to the beaches of the South Bay - Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach in particular. Those towns have downtowns that are walkable with lots of shopping and eateries in between going to the beaches. Manhattan Beach in particular has a beautiful boardwalk sidewalk in front of the beach, with small sand dunes and beach volleyball courts on one side and multi-million-dollar homes on the other. I recommend The Kettle restaurant in Manhattan Beach, open 24 hours, good family fare. Both towns also epitomize the beachy Los Angeles vibe of lore more than anyplace else, in my opinion.

If you are inclined, the Getty Center is a great place for newcomers to the area. Situated on a promontory above the 405 Fwy - you can see the ocean, downtown, Beverly Hills etc. in beautiful vistas. There's a casual cafeteria and a fabulous circular garden to wander around for the kids. Call ahead for reservations as parking is limited. From there you can drive east to Beverly Hills. If you have boys that like cars (or you do), my young nephews got whiplash from looking at all the fancy cars driving by.

You said amusement parks will take up too much time - and while that's true, Universal Studios is pretty darn fun for the kiddos.

Hope this helps.

[Cloudwalker]

The area those hotels are in is safe, but they have VERY thin walls and they are not close to a whole lot.

Take a look at the Cal-Mar Hotel Suites on California and Second in Santa Monica. It's a really great option for families, just a couple of blocks from both the beach and the promenade, yet fairly quiet and out of the fray, and it has a pool that is open till 10 so if you have one of those days where everybody has a meltdown, you can sit by the pool with cocktails while the kids play with new friends (usually other children staying there). You might be able to get away with a double suite - two full beds and a queen-size fold out. The rooms are slightly more expensive than the two you mentioned, but not by much, and the difference in location and amenities is vast.

[Kings Gambit]

The Gateway Inn on Santa Monica blvd and 20th street is a bit better than the two hotels you listed. Still not great, but better than what you listed. Cloudwalker's recommendation of Cal Mar is a much better option. Also, the Huntley and Lowes are great options as well.

[TimTheEnchanter]

Originally Posted by vincenze

If you want to go to the stadium, why wouldn't you stay near the airport?
There are numerous hotels on Century Blvd.

Ummm, because the airport area is rotten, miserable and the LAST place I'd ever recommend a family to stay for more than a night, before or after a flight.

I'd look at the Sea Shore Motel in Santa Monica, a MUCH better location than the other two. I'd also look at the Sea View Inn in Manhattan Beach, maybe the Residence Inn Manhattan Beach too. It would help to know your budget per night.

You might look and see if USC or UCLA are playing home football games the same time Buffalo is in town.

[gt87]

Thank you very much for all the feedback so far. Like I said, this is our first time visiting so I have absolutely no idea where to stay. I just know we want to be somewhat close to the beach for a reasonable price and not to far away from everything. A few people mentioned staying closer to Sofi. I haven't really looked into hotels in that area too much because really the only reason we are going to that area is for the game. So to me it really wouldn't make sense to get a hotel there if we're only going to be there for a half day or so (depending on the game time).

[gt87]

Originally Posted by TimTheEnchanter

I'd look at the Sea Shore Motel in Santa Monica, a MUCH better location than the other two. I'd also look at the Sea View Inn in Manhattan Beach, maybe the Residence Inn Manhattan Beach too. It would help to know your budget per night.

You might look and see if USC or UCLA are playing home football games the same time Buffalo is in town.

Thanks for the feedback. We considered trying to attend some other sporting events depending on how everything lines up.

As for our budget we would like to stick around $250-$275 per night at most if possible but the cheaper the better. Mainly looking for something clean, safe area, and in a decent location. Not sure if that is a reasonable budget? Our air fair will cost nothing as we have enough points to fly the 5 of us out for "free". We want the majority of our trip budget to go towards experiences (tickets, food, other fun stuff, etc.) So it would be nice to keep the hotel, car rental, gas, parking (not fun stuff lol) expenses under $2k if possible.

[Cloudwalker]

"So it would be nice to keep the hotel, car rental, gas, parking (not fun stuff lol) expenses under $2k if possible."

This might be a little ambitious for a five-day trip to Santa Monica for a family of five, especially if you are thinking of visiting in summer. Don't underestimate how much local taxes will add to your final bill.

[vincenze]

Originally Posted by TimTheEnchanter

Ummm, because the airport area is rotten, miserable and the LAST place I'd ever recommend a family to stay for more than a night, before or after a flight.

I'd look at the Sea Shore Motel in Santa Monica, a MUCH better location than the other two.

Are you sure you're not writing about Santa Monica?
Homeless are everywhere in SM. (I know, the situation is not as bad as in Venice Beach.)