As a unique alternative to the bustling city, the South Bay and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) area boast easy access, in addition to walkable communities and a wide variety of hotels and meeting space. Top that with peaceful beaches, upscale boutiques and a multitude of waterborne activities, and the region makes its pitch as either the perfect all-in-one locale for short meetings or the quintessential beachside venue for a more relaxed group stay.
Airport Area
As opposed to most airports that sit miles from the nearest attractions, LAX is just a quick trip from the water or downtown L.A.
“One of the neat things is LAX is close to the beach,” says Michael Krouse, senior vice president of sales and client services at LA Inc., The Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s easy to be in Marina del Rey, Venice or Santa Monica.”
In the other direction, Flyaway bus service, which debuted last year, shuttles passengers from the airport to or from downtown in just 30 minutes. Flyaway is keeping busy, considering LAX ranks as the world’s fifth-busiest passenger airport, exceeding 61 million passengers in 2006.
Groups don’t need to go far for a meetings venue. There are 10,000-plus hotel rooms in the LAX corridor, more than any other region in the city, with all major brands represented.
“Access is easy to large hotels, which is great for short meetings,” Krouse says.
Two of the largest meetings hotels are the Los Angeles Airport Marriott and the Hilton Los Angeles Airport, each with 55,000 square feet of meeting space. Others include the Sheraton Gateway, with 50,000 square feet of function space, and the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel, with 45,000 square feet of meeting space. Both the Marriott and Sheraton are sporting complete hotel renovations, and the Westin is redesigning its meeting space.
Another option, the Home Depot Center sports stadium, lies 10 miles from LAX and can accommodate 1,200.
Marina del Rey
Located four miles from LAX, Marina del Rey is a world apart from the big city.
“Coming from jam-packed L.A., where there is hustle and bustle and it’s busy and intense, Marina del Rey feels different,” says Beverly Moore, executive director of the Marina del Rey CVB. “Sometimes it’s difficult in L.A. to get a sense of neighborhood. There has been a thorough effort to create a visitor-friendly, user-friendly feel when people come.”
Part of the effort includes rebuilding residential areas and upgrading meeting facilities. The Marina del Rey Marriott, with 18,000 square feet of meeting space, is completing a $10 million renovation, and The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey, with 15,000 square feet of meeting space, will debut its new spa this year.
The CVB focuses its attention on providing attendees as much access as possible to the water. Private yacht clubs, such as the Marina City Club and California Yacht Club, open their doors to groups, as do nearly a dozen ships in the harbor. Hornblower Cruises and Events can host up to 500 and the Tiki Mermaid can host up to 75. FantaSea Yachts & Yacht Club accommodates up to 400 on the water or up to 1,000 on land at its yacht club. Blue Water Sailing can set up mini regattas for team-building exercises.
Other recreational options in town include biking, skating, jogging, or simply walking along a more than 20-mile coastal path that stretches from Malibu at the northern end through the marina and south to Palos Verdes.
Fisherman’s Village caters to shoppers, and many restaurants offer waterside dining, including Harbor House Restaurant.
Beach Cities and South Bay
Though they are lumped together under the flag “beach cities,” Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach each has its own identity.
“Manhattan Beach is the Beverly Hills of the beaches, Hermosa Beach the SoHo of the beaches—eclectic and artsy—and Redondo Beach is our marina,” says Deirdre Murray, director of sales and marketing for Hawthorn Suites Manhattan Beach. “Manhattan Beach is known as the ‘Pearl of the South Bay’ because of its beauty and desirability.”
Sandwiched between El Segundo and Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach was the source of sand for Waikiki Beach in Hawaii and is home to the annual Manhattan Open, dubbed the “Wimbledon of Beach Volleyball.” Celebrities and sports stars also inhabit Manhattan Beach’s four square miles, where the average home price sits at $1.6 million.
“With so many celebrities, we’re just starting to put Manhattan Beach on the map. It has been one of the best-kept secrets,” Murray says.
The Belamar Hotel, Hawthorn Suites and Shade are three boutique hotels catering to groups, while Marriott Manhattan Beach offers 25,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, and the Residence Inn can host up to 25 attendees.
For off-site meetings, Raleigh Studios can accommodate up to 2,000.
According to Murray, Manhattan Beach is considering the development of a $100 million facility that would include conference rooms and a community center, and possibly a swimming pool and theater.
Beach volleyball and surfing are also favorite pastimes in Hermosa Beach, which is celebrating its 100th birthday this year.
“Hermosa has a funky beach-town feel,” says Marje Bennetts, public relations counsel for the Beach House Hotel Hermosa Beach. “It’s not as sophisticated as Manhattan Beach or as popular as Redondo Beach.”
Along Hermosa’s promenade are boutiques, restaurants and bars. Its pier is open to groups for event buyouts and this year is host to a number of centennial festivals and events.
There are four major golf courses within 20 minutes of town, as well as boating, sailing and fishing options. There is also a volleyball package for groups to arrange private lessons with Olympic gold medalists, such as Eric Fonoimoana.
One of the destination’s main meetings properties is the recently renovated Beach House Hotel, with 96 suites, three meeting rooms and outdoor event space. Hotel Hermosa, another boutique property, offers a conference room.
In Redondo Beach, the beaches, pier and marina are enhanced by its revitalized downtown Riviera Village, featuring boutiques, international restaurants and wine-tasting galleries.
“Redondo Beach epitomizes Southern California living,” says James Jankowski, marketing director of the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau. “It’s a complete seaside location where groups can bring employees to experience what Southern California really has to offer.”
Groups can host events on the Redondo Beach Pier as well as at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center.
For water-based excursions, sailboats can be hired out of King Harbor or groups can take a ride on the Voyager speedboat, which also runs whale-watching tours. Jankowski also says the destination has numerous water-view dining spots for attendees to enjoy.
Hotels that cater to groups include the Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach and Marina Hotel, with 25,000 square feet of meeting space, and the Portofino Hotel and Yacht Club, which just completed an $11 million renovation.
Not quite as trendy as its neighboring beachside communities, Torrance is a business hub, sporting one of the largest malls in the world, the Del Amo Fashion Center. Del Amo debuted its two-level outdoor promenade last year as part of a $300 million renovation and expansion. Nearby is the Trump National Golf Club, encompassing 215 acres of oceanfront land in Rancho Palos Verdes.
Group-friendly hotels include the Torrance Marriott and Hilton Torrance/South Bay.
Port Cities
As Long Beach continues to redefine itself as a prime tourist destination, its vibrant downtown and burgeoning dining scene are creating a buzz.
“We’re discovering when people come to the city who haven’t been here in a long time, their first reaction is, ‘Gee, has this really changed,’” says Steve Goodling, president and CEO of the Long Beach CVB.
Over the past decade, Long Beach has invested more than $1 billion in the revitalization of its downtown waterfront. The area now features more than 100 restaurants and is home to major attractions such as the Aquarium of the Pacific and the recently expanded Museum of Latin American Art. Both are open to groups, including a sculpture garden at the museum for private functions. Other group venues include the GameWorks entertainment center, the Long Beach Museum of Art and the historic Queen Mary luxury liner, docked at Long Beach Harbor.
Several new projects are under development.
A 150-room upscale boutique hotel is in the works and will be located along the Pike at Rainbow Harbor, a dining and entertainment district linking the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center with the Rainbow Harbor waterfront.
Another new project is Hotel Esterel at the Promenade, a boutique property due for completion by the end of next year.
Meanwhile, the Renaissance Long Beach completed a $5.8 million renovation this year, and Long Beach Airport Marriott Hotel is undergoing renovations.
One of the often overlooked destinations in South Bay, according to Krouse of LA Inc., is San Pedro, home to the Port of Los Angeles, which most cruise lines use as a departure point. San Pedro is also home to the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, the largest of its kind in California, and the Cabrillo Marine Museum, both open to groups. Attendees can also plan outings to Cabrillo Beach.
San Pedro’s old town spans a four block area and is home to numerous art galleries, antique shops, restaurants, and cafes.
The San Pedro Waterfront Red Car Line runs along the waterfront between downtown San Pedro and the cruise ship terminal.
Properties in the destination include the Doubletree Hotel San Pedro, formerly the Marina Hotel, which is sporting an $8.5 million renovation.
Catalina Island
The tranquil escape of Catalina Island saw more air time than it would have liked this spring when a 4,700-acre fire ravaged about 10 percent of the island, mostly range land.
“We had all four major networks in for three days, broadcasting to the world that we were on fire,” recalls Wayne Griffin, president and CEO of the Catalina Island COC and CVB.
Catalina’s main city, Avalon, and most of the island’s 44,000 acres survived unscathed, but the images have already had a detrimental effect.
“Some groups have canceled under the misguided notion that we burned up during the fire,” Griffin says. “We’re trying to convince them we didn’t. The fire affected nothing our visitors use—the infrastructure, amenities, attractions.”
The CVB’s new advertising slogan is “Picture Perfect and Ready for Summer.”
A variety of outdoor activities are available, including hiking, biking, snorkeling, scuba diving, and horseback riding.
The Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Gardens is ideal for parties and receptions, while the private Descanso Beach Club can host group dinners.
In and around Avalon, the Hotel Metropole, which is undergoing a renovation, caters to groups, as does the Best Western Catalina Canyon Resort and Spa, and the Catalina Island Visitors Country Club. The Aurora Hotel will open this summer in place of the Cloud 7 Hotel.
The island is accessible via scheduled hour-long ferry rides departing from Long Beach and San Pedro, as well as via 15-minute helicopter flights from the mainland.
For More Info
Catalina Island COC and Visitors Bureau 310.510.1520
www.visitcatalina.org
El Segundo COC 310.322.1220
www.elsegundochamber.org
Hermosa Beach COC and Visitors Bureau 310.376.0951
www.hbchamber.net
LA Inc., The Convention and Visitors Bureau 213.624.7300
www.lacvb.com
Long Beach Area CVB 562.436.3645
www.visitlongbeach.com
Manhattan Beach COC 310.545.5313
www.mb-chamber.com
Marina del Rey CVB 310.305.9545
www.visitthemarina.com
Palos Verdes Peninsula COC and Visitors Bureau 310.377.8111
www.palosverdeschamber.com
Redondo Beach COC and Visitors Bureau 310.376.6911
www.redondochamber.org
San Pedro Peninsula COC 310.832.7272
www.sanpedrochamber.com
Torrance COC 310.540.5858
www.visittorrance.com
