Ya girl is officially 27. Not really a monumental number, but I take birthdays very seriously so I am grateful to have grazed the earth this far and I pray that God allows me to continue to do so. Being that I had no solidified plans for my actual birthday day, I was pumped when the staff at the Long Beach Marriott reached out to me to offer a complimentary stay. Perfect timing!

Who What Wear Dress & Purse

Between work, travel, and just the constant stresses of being an adult, having some time to unwind and mentally relax myself as I entered a new year was needed. I took this as an opportunity to do some major relaxing and a little bit of exploring of a city that was always in my backyard but that I never really dove into. Keep reading for more info on my stay at the Long Beach Marriott and a closer look into the city that is Long Beach!

For my LA peeps (and those taking a trip down to LA in the future), did you know there’s a Long Beach airport?? So if you’re looking for an alternative outside of busy LAX, you have one! We could literally see the airport strip from our window, but you’re probably thinking, what about the sound?? Well, the windows are pretty much sound proof so you won’t be disturbed by the airport noises. And there’s a free airport shuttle to and from the hotel that runs throughout the day.

The hotel had a digital display in the lobby that showed different areas to visit within the Greater Los Angeles Area, so if you’re a newbie to the city, they got you covered. If you need to a rent a ca for the duration of your stay, the hotel offers a car rental service, There was also a fully stocked bar and a mini Starbucks station in the lobby area. The seating allowed for guests to enjoy drinks while watching TV.

Depending on the mood you’re in, the hotel offers two on sight restaurants. The Terrace Grill (pictured below) was your more traditional hotel restaurant with your typical American flare (burgers, pizza, pasta), while Tamarindo’s Margarita Bar & Cantina was more of a Mexican inspired restaurant. 

Braised Beef Tacos at Tamarindo’s Bar & Cantina

My favorite part of my stay was the pool area right next to the Terrace Grill. The hotel boasts an inside and an outdoor pool, so if you’re someone who likes pool time and the weather is just not permitting, you can still get your fix. But lucky for me, the weekend was hot AF, so I took full advantage. What made the heat a bit more bearable was the area being surrounded by huge palm trees all around. There was also a cabana with seating besides the pool as well, perfect for having a snack or light lunch. 

Things to Do

The city of Long Beach is pretty big. Driving around I realized how many different areas there were so I figured that I’d give a breakdown of things you can do if you ever find yourself in the LBC.

1. The Pike. Before coming back here over the weekend, I vaguely remembered this area from childhood. Whenever family would visit, we would always come here. There are two parts to the Pike. One side is the Outlets at the Pike (so your inner shopping fiend is satisfied), while across the street is the Long Beach Boardwalk with different restaurants, ice cream and snack shops, and live music. The boardwalk is where the Queen Mary is located, which is famous for a number of reasons. But their on site restaurant and on board activities is what makes this stationary ship a tourist attraction. On the boardwalk, you can also rent out smaller boats by the hour to take around the dock, or you can opt to do some bike riding around the entire promenade for the day.
2. Downtown Long Beach. Compared to DTLA, DTLB is clean! Which is what initially caught my eye. But outside of that, DTLB is what you would expect as far as food and nightlife. There are a couple of bars as well all within a 1 mile block. This is where the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center is located, and let me tell you that at night, the center is lit up beautifully!
3. AMC Marina Pacifica. When I go to the movies, majority of the time, I am at an AMC. I have to say that the AMC 12 at Marina Pacifica is one of the chillest (and most comfortable) theaters I’ve been too. This is the 2nd theatre (Universal City AMC is the 1st) where I’ve had reclining seats: GAME CHANGER! And the space between the rows is just enough to where, if people need to pass by you, you aren’t uncomfortably scrunching your legs to let them pass by.

I know the city has so many more gems that I didn’t get to experience on my weekend stay while out there, but I would say if you’re a newbie to LA, or if you’re visiting, take the time to drive out there. From the Hollywood area, it’s about a 35-50 min drive, depending on traffic.

Until next time…

Photography by Kristen Ashley