| check-in time: 3:00 pm. down-to-earth rooms offer wi-fi and flat-screen tvs, plus microwaves and minifridges. amenities include an outdoor pool and a hot tub. parking and a breakfast buffet are available. along a road lined with restaurants and shops, this modest budget hotel is less than a mile from highway 101, 8 miles from lake balboa and 18 miles from the iconic santa monica pier
Los Angeles International Airport 31 min
The Japanese Garden (12 min)
Garden gift store stocking ceramics, books, cards & jewelry from Japan & the Asia-Pacific region. Santa Monica State Beach (23 min)
Maintained by the city, this beach is fringed by a range of businesses & offers many activities. Malibu Lagoon State Beach (27 min)
Scenic 110-acre area featuring a famous beach for surfing & an estuary with migratory birds. Malibu Pier (27 min)
Iconic circa-1905 pier next to the beach, with shops, restaurants, fishing & people-watching. Self Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine (Reservation required) (29 min)
Lakeside spiritual center with a hilltop temple, a meditation garden & a windmill-shaped chapel. Hammer Museum (19 min)
Gallery with a permanent collection of historical works & special exhibits of edgy contemporary art. The Getty (16 min)
Famous, sizable free museum highlighting American & European art, architecture & manicured gardens. The Getty Villa (30 min)
Former tycoon's residence modeled after 1st-century Italian villa, with Greek & Roman artifacts. Downtown Santa Monica (25 min)
Posh shopping center offers a range of retailers, dining & entertainment amid a stylish promenade. Lake Balboa/Anthony C. Beilenson Park (10 min)
Grassy open space with a 19,600-sq.-ft. maritime-themed playground & interactive drum play area. Will Rogers State Historic Park (28 min)
Once Will Rogers' ranch, this park features trails set in the canyon with views of LA & the ocean. Adamson House Museum (27 min)
Tile-rich Spanish Colonial Revival beach house, built in 1929 & now open for home & garden tours. Palisades Park (24 min)
This sizable strip of grass, palm trees & walking trails features expansive ocean views. Will Rogers State Beach (27 min)
Public beach featuring an on-site restaurant, volleyball courts, showers & a bike trail. Malibu Creek State Park (14 min)
Rugged state park in the Santa Monica Mountains with hiking trails & a rock pool swimming hole. | 
