Where to stay

Accommodations in Downtown Long Beach are great for enjoying the area's cultural attractions. The Museum of Latin American Art and Long Beach Museum of Art are just a short drive from most downtown hotels. The Queen Mary, permanently moored downtown as a floating hotel, gives guests the opportunity to experience the amenities and culture of transatlantic cruises from the last century with lodging and dining options. Stay near the neighborhood surrounding the Circle Area to enjoy a relaxing evening at the Long Beach Playhouse, an acclaimed long-standing community theater.

Long Beach lies along the ocean south of Los Angeles. Surprisingly, Harbor City isn't situated on the coast, but located a few miles inland, northwest of Long Beach. Stay in this quiet area to explore the regional park, with its golf course and small lake. On the opposite side of the city, Belmont Shore is a great place to stay for strolling along the huge marina and admiring hundreds of sailboats and luxury yachts. Find a hotel to the north in the Rossmoor or Los Alamitos neighborhoods to visit the El Dorado Nature Center, a surprising green oasis in the middle of the city.

The Downtown Long Beach neighborhood is the best place to stay for one of the region's most popular family attractions, the Aquarium of the Pacific. From here bring kids on the Catalina Express ferry to Santa Catalina Island for beaches, hiking, and even zip lining. The city's beach is expansive, so accommodations anywhere from Downtown to Belmont Shore offer good access to the sandy shoreline. For a protected swimming area, stay near Naples Island, surrounded by the canals of Los Alamitos Bay, where kids can swim safely or try their hand at standup paddleboarding at Mothers Beach.