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Southern California beckons winter-weary vacationers I was a little dubious as I drove along South Coast Highway in Laguna Beach, a seaside town about a 40-minute drive south of Los Angeles. I was looking for the Surf & Sand Resort. First of all, there was the name of the place--it sounded like something out of a '50s television show or a movie like "Beach Blanket Bingo." Then there was the fact that as I neared the street address, I could barely glimpse the ocean because of a long line of cafés, art galleries, and restaurants. To my surprise, the Surf & Sand was right there in the middle of the commercial congestion. But as I walked into the lobby, everything changed. Suddenly, all was tranquil. And when I entered my room with its earth-tone furniture and luxurious appointments, I could have been on a desolate beach resort; the ocean crashed beneath my balcony, and all the hubbub of South Coast Highway ceased to exist. Somehow, someone had built a peaceful, oceanside resort in the middle of a jumping, southern California beach town. When the winter blahs set in, many Americans searching for warmth think of the Caribbean, Hawaii, or even more distant destinations. Southern California, however, should always be an option. It's easy to get to, and airfares to California are well priced; even East Coast residents can usually fly more inexpensively (and more quickly) to Los Angeles, Long Beach, or San Diego than to the Caribbean. Lodging is reasonably priced, and there's plenty to do in southern California. You can opt for urban luxury at a swanky Los Angeles hotel in or near Beverly Hills or do the urban-beach thing and check into a resort hotel along the sand in nearby Santa Monica. Or you can drive an hour south and perch yourself high above the ocean at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. Or continue a bit further south almost to San Diego and opt for some R&R in La Jolla at La Valencia Hotel or the Rancho Bernardo Inn in the hills of northern San Diego. Alternatively, if you choose to drive north from Los Angeles, you'll find several resorts worth your consideration in and around the charming town of Santa Barbara. Whatever your mood, you can indulge it in southern California, whether you're up for the glitz of LA's Sunset Strip--with its hip hotels and very lively nightlife--or the secluded luxury of the Bel Air Hotel tucked in the posh residential neighborhood of the same name just a couple miles farther west on Sunset Boulevard. Oh, and winter is considered by residents of Southern California to offer the best weather. The air is usually clear, and temperatures can hit 80 degrees, though you should pack as if the days will be 70 and the nights in the mid-50s. Loving Los Angeles There are lots of people who don't like Los Angeles. Or are put off by the idea of visiting because of fear of freeways and smog. The good news is that the smog has lessened dramatically in the Los Angeles basin thanks to lead-free gasoline and increased fuel efficiency. And with a good map, the freeways can become your friends. Yes, southern California is awash with strip malls. But Los Angeles is a big city with fascinating historical neighborhoods, breathtaking architecture, palm trees, and movie stars. Nearby are kid-pleasing sites including Universal Studios and Disneyland. And, always, the magnificent Pacific Ocean. I'm a sucker for palm trees and the ocean, so I've always liked southern California, Los Angeles included. I'm happy driving along Sunset Boulevard late at night through the neighborhoods of Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Holmby Hills, Brentwood, and Pacific Palisades, breathing in the fragrance of eucalyptus trees. I can while away hours at bookstores and cafes along the Third Street Promenade after shopping at the Saturday morning market in Santa Monica. And I even have the courage to ride the Ferris wheel on Santa Monica's pier at night. My suggestion is that first-time visitors do a little homework and figure out what appeals to them about southern California. The venue is so big that, if you don't make plans before arriving, you risk spending too much time trying to find what you like. Are you an outdoor type who'd like to hike Topanga Canyon or surf? Might a tour of the city's art galleries be interesting? Is fine dining important to you? Then you should book ahead to secure a table at such popular spots as Wolfgang Puck's Spago in Beverly Hills or Chinois on Main in Santa Monica. Los Angeles options There are thousands of hotels and motels in southern California, and in the past we've focused on medium-priced Los Angeles hotels. But let's say you're thinking of a first visit and you want to sample the best accommodations that are uniquely California in style? In and around Los Angeles, you'd do well to start with the Beverly Hills Hotel, that pink-and-green landmark on Sunset Boulevard. Howard Hughes holed up in and ran his empire and his girlfriends from one of the splendid cottages nestled in the thick gardens behind the main building. Stars honeymoon here. You can, too, and at $800 or so a night, the bungalows are a bargain compared to prices for lesser suites at other US hotels. But you aren't sacrificing much by checking into a standard double, either; the pool and tennis courts are still yours, and you can still order a McCarthy chopped salad at lunch in the Polo Lounge. The Peninsula is another celebrity hangout, with luxe rooms and on-the-spot service. A major talent agency is headquartered just a block away, assuring agents doing cocktails with clients after work in the hotel bar. For a more genteel treat, have tea off the hotel's lobby. The Four Seasons Beverly Hills or the Regent Beverly Wilshire (also managed by the Four Seasons) are two gems distinguished by service and comfortable rooms. You may recall the Regent as the hotel in "Pretty Woman," the movie that put Julia Roberts on the map. The Four Seasons just a mile or so away is the power-bar scene most nights, and I've never checked in there without encountering faces I'm accustomed to seeing on late-night television talk shows. The traffic and crowds are nuts on weekends along Sunset Strip, that last stretch of Sunset Boulevard before you enter Beverly Hills' residential neighborhoods. Some people enjoy that. If so, your choices are almost all lined up in a row: Mondrian, Hollywood Standard, the Argyle and, just across the street, the Chateau Marmont, to be known forever as the place where John Belushi died of a drug overdose. All boast lively bars and restaurants (Asia de Cuba and the Sky Bar at Mondrian are popular even during the week), and all are hang places for rock stars and what one LA friend of mine calls "AMWs"--"actors, actresses, models, or whatever." The nearby suburb of Santa Monica, on the ocean, boasts three first-class hotels, led by Shutters, a favorite of advertising types visiting from New York City, and its adjacent sister hotel, Casa del Mar. Both offer plush accommodations and splendid bars and restaurants that overlook the Pacific Ocean. The Viceroy, the newest Santa Monica hostelry that's all the buzz, is two blocks from the water. Until recently, it was a cheesy place called the Pacific Shore Hotel; now you need to be a hotel guest or arrive with Gwyneth Paltrow in order to get into the bar most nights. On the quieter front ... Mosey on down the coast toward San Diego and find tranquility at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, the Rancho Bernardo Inn, La Valencia Hotel, or the Surf & Sand Resort. Except for the Rancho Bernardo Inn, all are on the ocean or directly above it. Even the hotels in town, such as the Surf & Sand, are designed to shield guests from any street noise. Instead, the focus of almost all rooms is on beach and ocean. I never closed my balcony doors at night at the Surf & Sand, preferring to fall asleep to the sound of waves. Above Los Angeles, in Santa Barbara, the Four Seasons Biltmore is on the ocean, but across the road. You can't quite hear the waves from rooms, but the setting on a point of land certainly gives the resort the feeling of being on the ocean. And if you cross the street to the hotel's huge swimming pool pavilion, the Pacific is right at hand. Up in the hills of Santa Barbara, just past the mission church that gave the city its name, El Encanto is another kind of resort entirely. Older (though renovated), El Encanto ("the enchanted") is a landscaped hideaway with lots of smaller buildings housing several guest rooms. The old architectural style of the place can make you think William Randolph Hearst might round a path arm in arm with a '30s movie star. The dining room and pool are at the main house, where you can dine at night and watch the lights of Santa Barbara come on. It's quite romantic, but you'll have to drive if you want to feel sand between your toes. North of Santa Barbara, the Bacara Resort draws mixed reviews from individual travelers. Its Andalusian architecture and sprawling grounds (golf carts are available to shuttle you around) make it a pretty place on the ocean. But some guests report that, when there's a convention or other large group checked in, the needs of individual guests can take a backseat to other demands on the staff. Overall, though, southern California can be a wonderful antidote to that problem that afflicts much of the rest of the country this time of year: winter. Where to Stay Prices are for double rooms, but less expensive packages or weekend or weekday specials may be available; almost all properties have suites, casitas, or bungalows as well. - Argyle Hotel: 8358 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood - Bacara Resort: 8301 Hollister Ave., Santa Barbara - The Beverly Hills Hotel: 9641 Sunset Blvd., Beverly Hills - Casa del Mar: 1910 Ocean Way, Santa Monica - Chateau Marmont: 8221 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood - El Encanto: 1900 Lasuen Rd., Santa Barbara - Four Seasons at Los Angeles Beverly Hills:
300 South Doheny Dr., Los Angeles - Four Seasons Biltmore Santa Barbara: 1260 Channel Dr.,
Santa Barbara - Hollywood Standard: 8300 W Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood - La Valencia: 1132 Prospect St., La Jolla - Loew's Santa Monica Beach Hotel: 1700 Ocean Ave.,
Santa Monica - Mondrian: 8440 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood - The Peninsula Beverly Hills: 9882 South Santa Monica Blvd.,
Beverly Hills - Rancho Bernardo Inn: 17550 Bernardo Oaks Drive,
San Diego - Rancho Valencia: 5921 Valencia Circle, Rancho Santa Fe - Regent Beverly Wilshire: 9500 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills - Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel: One Ritz-Carlton Dr.,
Dana Point - Shutters: One Pico Blvd., Santa Monica - Surf & Sand Resort: 1555 South Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach - Viceroy: 1819 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica - Opening this month: Montage Resort and Spa, 949-715-6200. Located between LA and San Diego in Laguna Beach, this 262-room resort (and 27 beach bungalows) promises a huge spa, golf course, and seaside luxury by some of the same staff who managed The Phoenician in Scottsdale, AZ. February 2003 |
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