19 May, 2009
Best Cheap California Beach Vacations
Posted by: Beach Reporter In: beaches| california| travel
This is the summer of cheap in California, and your best vacation may be close to home or require driving or flying a couple hours to get to. But dollar for dollar, the best cheap California beach vacations are in some obvious places right under our noses. Here we go:
On-the-beach California beach vacations cost more than off-the-beach stays. But if it’s a beach you must have, some of the best deals can be found in San Diego.
SAN DIEGO CHEAP BEACH VACATIONS
$89-150
The Bahia is one place that comes to mind. Other hotels in the lower end pricing structure include Pacific Coast Inn, Pacific Shores Inn, Ocean Beach Hotel and Ocean Park Inn.
$150-250
Now here’s a shocker–even the toney San Diego beach hotels are offering value this summer. Some of the deals are $100 cheaper than last year! For example, The Lodge at Torrey Pines is offering rooms from $209. Normally you could expect to pay $350 or more during the summer months. Loews Coronado Bay Resort prices are advertised as starting at $179. Loews has long been the epitome of luxury living and has been quite popular with business travelers, conferences, and meetings. There’s the rub! That market has gone into decline and for us, the single travelers booking rooms, now’s the time to capitalize on the offerings at a hotel that would normally command $250 up during the summer months.
By shopping around in San Diego, we found that of the 30 some hotels on or at the beach, at least 10 are offering prices in the $100-150 price range per night.
Unfortunately, we’re not finding many cheap hotel deals in Orange County hotels. Dana Point, Laguna, Newport and Huntington…you won’t save much this summer. Some hotels & resorts are offering packages and discounts for multiple night stays, but for us really poor folks, save money and shop the coast!
In Los Angeles County, the same advice goes for Redondo Beach, Venice, and Santa Monica. There’s too much popularity at these spots to see great savings.
Ventura County is a soft spot that may be a place to check out. Oxnard and Ventura are the two cities offering limited beach hotel offerings. One of my cheap favorites is a Holiday Inn in Ventura. Overlooking the Ventura Pier, it is now called Crowne Plaza Hotel, and commands rates starting at $100/night! While wedding parties and other events may fill the hotel on weekends, try to be flexible in booking for best rates. Walk out your room to the pier, the downtown and access everything outside your door!
Central Coast is the “in” spot now that the wineries are in full production and people seek beach experience vacations. Long and short of it–beach hotel prices are remaining strong (high). This is one of the few remaining areas where you can take all terrain vehicles or ride horesback on the sand. Pismo Beach has the most beach hotels and only a few in the luxury category. Your best cheap beach vacations are at the Best Western Shelter Cove. We found some week day rates around $100.
Carmel, Monterey area is in demand this summer. Don’t expect to win the lottery here. If you must stay, just keep checking the dates and hope for a soft spot somewhere. It seems like the Bay Area folks and international travelers are keeping this destination hopping.
San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay and Bodega Bay are doing fine this summer when it comes to beach vacations. The prices and demand are strong, so the only deal we found was a hotel room at the luxury Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay. The prices starts at $199, half of what you’ll normally see! For a few dollars more than The Beach House in Half Moon Bay, you can add some diamonds to your stay.
Sonoma and Mendocino coast have a small inventory of beach hotels, and high demand from the dot.com crowd. Don’t expect to find many deals this year, though they will crop up if you scour daily.
The far north coast from Humboldt County to Del Norte County offers limited beach accommodations. If you can make it all the way to Crescent City, the gas alone will cost you your savings in a room, but there is a Best Western Northwoods Inn across from the marina and bay starting around $112/night!
About this report: Californiabeaches.com has been a web presence for over a decade, reporting about the best California beach vacations. With millions of visitors annually to California and California beaches, there are many great vacations, including some cheap vacations this summer 2009.
