Family Stay at Courtyard Long Beach Downtown

October 20, 2016 Margalit Sturm Francus

The Courtyard Long Beach Downtown, located at 3841 N. Lakewood Boulevard, boasts 261 well-appointed rooms. This hotel is an excellent choice for travelers wishing to explore the area of Long Beach or the Island of Catalina for the day. Conveniently located in the heart of the city, the hotel is within walking distance to various restaurants, the Convention Center, and the beach. The city’s main attractions, the Aquarium and Queen Mary, are less than a ten-minute drive away.

What Makes it Family Worthy

The property offers rooms with two queen sized beds and king beds with a pull out sofa for families. The hotel is close to entertainment and food spots as well as city parks and beachfront. However, it is on a much quieter street than the main thoroughfare Ocean Boulevard.

Fellow Travelers

The property regularly hosts business people that come into town for conferences as well as recreational vacationers looking for a more budget-friendly option to stay outside of LA proper.

Our Welcome

As usual, we called the hotel to ask for our particular needs which are feather-free bedding due to allergy and a quiet room to help our son with autism who is extremely noise sensitive. The front desk staff was incredibly helpful and assured us that everything was already noted both in our Marriott profile and reservation. We were not disappointed! Check-in was short and went smoothly.

Decor

Upon entering the property, the first thing we noticed was the modern, eclectic style decor. The walls were done in orange with black accent pieces. The lobby furniture in tans and blues complemented the orange walls and accent pieces spread throughout the public areas. The overall effect was visually pleasing and gave the place a laid back atmosphere.

Noteworthy is the large screen TV with a sitting area that could occupy younger kids or family members while their parents are checking in.

Our Room

When we initially entered the room, the first thing we checked was the evacuation chart on the back of the door. Our room was situated near one fire extinguisher and two alarms and was five doors from the exit. It is always important for parents to teach their kids how to behave if there’s an emergency and explore the fastest route to the nearest exit.

The closet was on the immediate right as one entered the room and had plenty of space. Included were hangers along with an iron and board, ideal for patrons in town for business meetings.

Speaking of storage; most hotels provide luggage racks, but we’ve typically found them to be a bit on the flimsy side. However, at the Courtyard, there was a luggage area that doubled as a sitting area. This area was a welcome feature, and we could store our suitcases out of the way while they were still readily available.

The sleeping area in the room boasted two comfortable queen beds. The wall behind them displayed a beautiful mural of a beach scene. Situated between the two beds was a nightstand with a phone and alarm clock on top of it. The sitting area by the sliding door consisted of a chair and ottoman.

Furthermore, the room had a separate section with a desk and a chair for business people to comfortably do their work.

Something that surprised us was the way the hotel utilized space and presented their air conditioner room units. Most air conditioners installed in the rooms take up a lot of space. But, to compensate for the reduced space, at the Courtyard, designers placed a table over the air conditioner. The AC unit was super quiet and didn’t disturb our family at all.

The lighting was another feature that was different than other places we have stayed in recent years. Normally there’s an array of floor and desk lamps with old fashioned switches around the room, but at this Courtyard the lights are turned on via motion sensor. So, as soon as travelers enter the room and pass by the motion sensor the lights turn on automatically. This way guests don’t have to fumble around for switches.

We loved the room flooring which was wood, unlike many other properties that still sport wall to wall carpet. I can’t say enough about the benefits of wood versus carpet flooring when it comes to traveling with allergies and asthma like we do.

Could Use Improvement

The room had a balcony with a sliding door which might be hazardous for younger kids because it only has one lock that slides up and down and was relatively easy to open.

A disappointment to us was the lack of safes in the room to put our electronic devices. We hope that during the next hotel renovation, room safes will be added.

The Bathroom

The glass sliding door to the bathroom didn’t have a lock, which is something I would have liked to see, but the use of a sliding door was a nice way to save space in the room. Just like in the room, there was a motion sensor for the lighting in the bathroom.

The gray speckled granite counter top extended out over the commode to give guests more space in the small room. The designer deserves due credit for cleverly utilizing the space.

Of course, there was a mirror for applying makeup or shaving, and the included toiletry kit was Paul Mitchell brand.

The curtained bathtub and shower combo had a grab bar. Unfortunately, we saw no handheld shower head, a feature that would have made bath time easier for parents or caregivers when washing special needs individuals or younger kids.

We appreciated that the hotel staff made sure to give us enough towels for four guests, something a lot of hotels don’t do unless specifically asked.

Amenities

The venue featured complimentary Wi-Fi for guests, always a welcome upgrade for families.

There was an onsite gym with basic workout equipment, including treadmills, a press bench, and bikes.

Guests we welcome use the outdoor pool or hot tub, but parents need to be aware there is no lifeguard on duty.

The hotel did have a mini store that sold drinks, snacks, and frozen foods if any guests happened to get hungry in the middle of the night.

Dining Option

The hotel flagship restaurant is called the James Republic where we enjoyed a quick happy hour snack and our next day breakfast, an egg asparagus toast sandwich. We got the delightful opportunity to meet the chef, who discussed his farm to table concepts implemented in the venue. He mentioned, during the chat, that he had recently spearheaded a culinary cruise to the Greek Islands on Celebrity Cruises.

The downside was somewhat slow service and high prices for the dishes that could deter some travelers from trying it. We did like the restaurant decor, which was eclectic with a hip vibe, and that it had both indoor and outdoor seating.

Cost

Pricing starts at $160 per night. For a little extra, at around $180 a night, you can get a room with a view of the Queen Mary. As mentioned above, rooms come with complimentary high-speed wifi. Parking onsite is $22, and valet parking is available for an additional fee.

Autism Travel Tips:

Pull-out sofas offer comfortable sleeping accommodations for families with kids at no additional charge.
The rooms feature soundproof windows, perfect for those with noise sensitivities.
Be aware that many of the rooms come with balconies. Though the balconies have locks, the lock is relatively easy to open. Parents might want to bring a stick on battery operated alarm or talk to the hotel management about locking the door.
The bathroom does not come with a non-slip mat, so travelers will need to bring your own.