Southern California may be best known for red carpets and movie stars, but there’s more to see than celebrities, especially if you’re traveling with kids who aren’t unlikely to dazzled by the sight of fame in over-sized sunglasses and a trucker hat. Take advantage of a spring special from a beach-side hotel in Redondo Beach and take in larger-than-life sights of the sea.

Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach & Marina Hotel is a business class hotel in the small beach town of Redondo Beach west of Los Angeles. You’re unlikely to run into anyone famous in the lobby, but the clown fish in the aquarium by registration bears a striking resemblance to Nemo.

The Crowne Plaza doesn’t quite live up to its advertised “resort” title, but it is a comfortable hotel with spacious rooms and balconies overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Better still, access to that ocean requires just a short walk across the street and down the pier, making the hotel a perfect home base for a Pacific vacation.

Activities within walking distance include:

• Whale watching tours
• Paddle boat rentals
• Surfing
• Shopping on the pier
• Eating fresh caught seafood
• Swimming in a unique sea lagoon

Guests at Crowne Plaza can receive a discount on whale watching tours, as well as bike rentals and day passes to the Gold’s Gym next door. On site, enjoy a heated pool and Jacuzzi tub, perfect for cool spring nights.

Rooms at the Crowne Plaza in Redondo Beach start at $99 a night.

Watch the runway from your room at the Custom Hotel

Before the days of TSA screening, checked luggage fees and bringing your bag lunch along, air travel was considered glamorous. Get a bit of the fun back with a stay at the Custom Hotel, near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Newly renovated guestrooms feature modern design elements, and each floor has its own graphic concept. Rooms include complimentary Wi-Fi, 37-inch LCD TVs, stereo with iPod docking station, 300-thread-count linens, on-demand movies and music, and a controllable LED lighting system (so you can adjust the color to your mood). King and queen rooms include work desks.

Elevated rooms (located on floors 9 through 12) also include task lamps and ergonomic chairs, and access to two hotel lounges: the LAX Lounge and Stratosphere relaxation room.

Aside from all the room amenities, the hotel provides complimentary shuttle service to LAX, six social lounges, two fitness centers, a heated outdoor pool and the Deck33 Bar Restaurant—a casual dining space overlooking the pool. Oh, and you can bring your best furry friend along, because the hotel is pet friendly.

When it’s time to travel, the Custom Hotel may be a better experience than the airplane.

Custom Hotel, 310-645-0400
8639 Lincoln Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90045

Photo courtesy of Custom Hotel

More Los Angeles area-related information:
Los Angeles Beaches: Come On Baby Light My (Bon)Fire

Relax in an AVIA Long Beach Grand King room

Tired of staying in the same big hotels with no personality? On your Long Beach vacation, snag a room at the AVIA Long Beach, and enjoy living well without depleting your bank account.

The boutique hotel’s 138 rooms include crisp linens, Italian-cotton coverlet, McCartan-designed furniture and lighting fixtures, complimentary wired and wireless Internet, MP3 docking station, large bathroom with walk-in shower and waterfall shower head, coffeemaker and flat-panel TV. My room, a Grand King, included a seating area and office space, so I could get my work done.

It may be tempting to lounge in your luxe room, but venture out to the hotel’s handful of restaurant/lounge options. The AVIA Kitchen offers Southern California farm-to-table fare for breakfast and dinner. Right across the lobby, the AVIA Lounge is a swanky bar where you can enjoy drinks and small plates. When the weather is good, head upstairs to the Rooftop 360˚ bar to enjoy the view.

The AVIA Long Beach is just a few steps from The Pike at Rainbow Harbor, located
in the heart of downtown Long Beach’s waterfront dining and entertainment district. It’s also within walking distance of the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and the Aquarium of the Pacific.

AVIA Long Beach, 562-436-1047
285 Bay Street, Long Beach, CA 90802

Photo courtesy of AVIA Long Beach

More Long Beach area-related information:
Parker’s Lighthouse in Long Beach

The Haute Chocolate Package at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead

Valentine’s Day is coming up in less than a month – have you made your plans yet?  One option is to experience one or more of the fabulous Haute Chocolate Experiences at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead in Atlanta, GA.  From February 1, 2012 through Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2012, there’s a different chocolate event going on that would be a great experience for any Valentine’s Day celebration.

Some standouts on the schedule include the “Haute Couples, Haute Chocolate” Candy-Making Class on Saturday, February 11, 2012.  Make it a weekend getaway, and also attend the Haute Chocolate Sundae Brunch on Sunday, February 12, 2012.  If you are planning to stay through Valentine’s Day (this year on a Tuesday), the whole fourteen day celebration ends with a special dessert – the Two Hearts are One” Dessert in The Café.

The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead offers 510 elegant, luxurious hotel rooms including 56 suites.  The hotel is located in the popular, trendy, Buckhead area of Atlanta, and in close proximity to the MARTA mass transit.  Amenities include a fitness center, indoor pool, business center, valet park, 24-hour in-room dining, wireless internet access, and flat-screen televisions.

The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead
3434 Peachtree Road, N.E.,
Atlanta, Georgia 30326
Phone: (404) 237-2700

Photo credit: The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead