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Los Angeles (USA) Reviews |
pjcasanis
Travel Writer - Bronze
Visited in:
June 2010
for a period of
6 days
Accommodation:
Hotel
Crowne Plaza, Beverly Hills
Voted this Destination:
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We had a lovely stay in Los Angeles. We stayed at the Crowne Plaza in Beverly Hills which was nicely located for shopping at seeing the sites of Beverly Hills.
We also enjoyed Hollywood for its tourist value including a tour of the movie star homes. It was all a little tacky but nevetheless an enjoyable experience.
Los Anglees and inparticular, Hollywood and Beverly Hills is enjoyable for a least a few days. However, with 6 days, we didn't find quite enough to keep us interested for this amount of time.
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Tuck - Notts
Guest
Voted this Destination:Not voted yet
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The Hotel is not 5 star but it has everything you will need,very large rooms with full kitchen,free laundry,free breakfast,helpful and friendly staff and a great location. It is situated just off the Santa Ana freeway which is the main road out of Anaheim, so it is easy to access anywhere- LA,Hollywood,San Diego.
You will need a car as everything in LA is at least 1 hour away although the nearest beach is only 20mins - Huntington beach. Would recommend hiring beach cruisers as they are loads of fun. Also buy a map of the stars homes,we chose to follow the map on our own instead of going on an organised tour that way we could view the homes we were interested in and not a bus full of peoples. Get sat navigation in the car it will make life alot easier especially if you are going to see the stars homes on your own. Take a drive up Mulholland Drive it is a long road but the views you get of Hollywood and downtown LA are amazing-the best you will see.
Santa Monica beach is a must see ask the lifeguard to let you hold the famous red float in the lifeguard tower and be a baywatch babe for a minute or two. Beverly Hills is a real playground for the rich and famous,it will leave you in awe. The whole LA experience is like something out of a film it will be a box office hit for you or a Hollywood flop.
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Christine, Chloe and Jenn
Guest
Voted this Destination:Not voted yet
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Los Angeles is brilliant!
The weather in May was very warm, but not too hot.
The Sheraton was very nice, the gardens superb. The room was large and OK, clean, but not what I call luxurious (but then maybe I am very fussy).
The 2 Virgin reps were very helpful, and the trips we booked through them were excellent.
The area is where Disneyland is. Disneyland is more or less the Florida Magic Kingdom. We had a great time.
Universal Studios in LA were fantastic. We spent 2 days there.
The LA area we liked best, apart from Beverly Hills, was Santa Monica: great promenade along the sea front, fantastic shops and modern shopping mall...
Venice Beach was run down compared to it. It is also rather dodgy, hence the police station right bang on the beach.
We explored the Orange County area. If you go there, don't miss the West Coast Plaza. It must be one of the most beautiful shopping centres I have ever seen, with all sorts of shops, department stores, and if you have loads of money, designer boutiques like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, etc.
The only thing we did not like about the Anaheim area is the lack of decent food. If you like junk food, you will be OK, but we don't, and we found it very difficult to eat what I call 'proper' food.
But apart from that, we had a faboulous time and we will come back!
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SK (21,22)
Guest
Voted this Destination:Not voted yet
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Very Dissapointing. Rooms were scruffy, carpet dirty, took 5 mins to get warm water for a shower.
Bar and restaurants were closed for guests for the majority of the stay for private functions.
You could hear the conversations of the guests in the next room as the walls were so thin. Also, the promonade deck above the room meant that you heard constant noise above 24 hrs.
The boat itself is a good 20 min drive from downtown Long Beach. LA is about a 1 hour drive.
Not recommended.
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Gill - Merseyside
Guest
Voted this Destination:Not voted yet
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Fortunately our stay at this hotel was just one night on a stop over. Upon arrival(and departure) there was no porter to help with the luggage. There was just one receptionist who spoke little English. After waiting some time to check in I handed in a hotel voucher with all the relevant details but he couldn't find the booking. He huffed and puffed and eventually handed over the room cards. We then had to go searching for the room down corridors and through a court yard with two large suitcases, hand luggage, a buggy and a small child.
The following morning I made enquiries regarding a late check out. The receptionist stated that it would cost$55 which I agreed to pay. At this time I also requested the shuttle bus to the airport for that evening at 7.50. However, when checking out he tried to charge $90 for the room which I refused to pay, eventually he relented and I paid the rate we had agreed earlier that day.
The shuttle bus failed to turn up. I went to reception several times to find out what was happening. It finally arrived at 8.40. It seems that he didn't make the booking. Luckily I had allowed plenty of time, so we made the connecting flight.
The Marina del Rey area is ok as a stop over as it's just 30 minutes from the airport. But I certainly wouldn't recommend this hotel. The room was nice, it had two double beds and was quite big but the service was appalling.
There are restaurants over the road from the hotel including a diner were we had breakfast. It was nothing special and quite expensive.
On the whole it was a very disappointing start to the holiday
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JAMES
Guest
Voted this Destination:Not voted yet
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This was my first visit to LA, although my husband had already been on a couple of occasions. We decided to stay in Marina Del Rey as it is close to Santa Monica and was recommended to us.
On arrival, we arrived at the Hotel Marina Del Rey (Bali Way) and the area looked lovely, unfortunately the hotel was awful. We were given our room key and when we opened the door the smell hit us immediately, the entire room was damp!
The ceiling was leaking, the bedding was damp and smelly and the carpets were mouldy. After complaining, we were shown another room which was marginally better however beacuse it had a view of the marina the receptionist wanted another $20 per night - frankly I did not care about the view, I just wanted a room that didn't smell and wasn't damp!
The front desk was rude and did not really want to help, so the following day we checked out and moved to the Holiday Inn Express - Marina Del Rey just down the road, which I can who heartedly recommend!
Marina Del Rey is a good base, close to the airport, with a pretty marina and good restaurants, just don't stay at the Hotel Marina Del Rey!
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Angela 61
Guest
Voted this Destination:Not voted yet
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I was burlged and the hotel manager says he is not responsible for guest safety.
The emergency exit was open and staff say guests often use it as a short cut to their rooms. The door of my room was forced very easily. There were only a few splinters of paint. The burglars removed the room safe from the floor. It was obviously not very secure.
I have written to the manager three times and had no reply.
I have contacted Holiday Inn Guest Relations but they say the hotel is indiviually owned and managed and they cannot interfere.
The hotel was in poor condition with torn carpet in the corridors. The window frames in my room were rusty and would not open. The washbasin and bath were badly stained and the bath had been painted and the paint was peeling off. There were no plugs for the basin or bath. The maintenance man looked at the problems and said he would come back. He didn't.
Most of the staff were abrupt, unfriendly and unhelpful.
Guest Relations sent me a cheque for $53 for the condition of the room. This is pathetic.
Seligo have now refunded the cost of the room after a 4-month arguement.
English and American lawyers have told me I cannot claim compensation because I cannot prove the emergency exit was open!!!
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Patrick & Philippa Vi
Guest
Voted this Destination:Not voted yet
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LA is a strange place. Not the city you imagine from the movies. Instead more like London at the beach!
We wisely chose to stay in SANTA MONICA for 3 nights as this was easily the best place to stay from the limited areas we saw.
We stayed at the FAIRMONT MIRAMAR which is at the junction of Wilshire and Ocean so at the seafront but next to the road that takes you to the Downtown sights. However, although Ocean is the first road, there is also the freeway in front of it before you can get to the beach - very odd!
Our room was good value at £153/$240 and was a Deluxe with ocean views looking at the pier, a balcony, king bed, seating area but smaller bathroom than we expected.
The hotel was incredibly classy and had a beautiful restaurant overlooking the pool and a lovely outside terrace by the waterfall/fishpond.
There are hotels right on the beach (Loews, Shutters, etc.) but we thought it might feel a little intimidating at night as the beach is closed to the public but used by those who would rather not be spotted in their activities!
First we visited MALIBU. Unless you get out of your car and walk along the beach to look at the homes then don't bother as all you see are garage doors on a busy freeway. We had the worst meal of our 3 week trip at THE REEL INN.
We had a couple of drinks on THIRD STREET which is in the Fishermans Wharf (San Francisco) and Cannery Row (Monterey) arena with 'older' buildings geared towards tourists. Much better on Main Street or ? Avenue (ask any local).
We ate at a Mexican restaurant in Santa Monica which was quite good but we preferred the American/Mexican food as it was much tastier.
DOWNTOWN - We drove around BEVERLEY HILLS and BEL AIR which were stunning but fabulously wealthy. Then on Sunset Boulevard to HOLLYWOOD. I have read mixed reviews of this and I have to say that we were disappointed. It was grubby, tacky and full of beggars (including women weeing in shop doorways). We didn't like it at all but I can understand that it would be interesting to some (but don't stay there!).
VENICE BEACH - Has to be seen to be believed. This is what happens when you mix humans and drugs!!! I have never seen or experienced such a crazy place. It could feel intimidating but when you talk to some of the stall owners they were all such great characters - including the guy with a red mohican, numerous piercings and covered in tattoos who was incredibly friendly and intelligent. Spend a while wandering the strip and grab a picnic to enjoy some people watching (the locals spend all day at the beach with enough food and drink to feed the five thousand!). But do it during the day as night is not as friendly apparently.
Dinner at OCEAN SEAFOOD. Fantastic meal but ask for a break between appetizer and entree as they do bring the food our rather quickly.
Drink on the pier is fine earlier on but later the gangs start to gather and it begins to feel more edgy than we would prefer. However it does feel like USA Blackpool - Candy Floss, Amusements, etc. but the view from the end is pretty good especially at sunset.
We also dinner at the CROCODILE CAFE - typical American joint (bit like TGI Fridays) where we had good pasta and an enormous burger. So, we ate what we could manage and (following the locals tradition) got the rest to takeout and then left it next to a sleeping homeless person.
There are more homeless here than anywhere else we had seen but during our whole stay we were never bothered - never asked for money and never intimidated. It appears that it is warm enough to sleep out all year and, as the locals give them food, they don't pester.
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