In February 2009, all three of us (me, husband, Chloe) went to Long Beach for the TED conference and stayed at the Hilton Long Beach. The hotel conveys the impression of having recently been down at the heels (and the plaza below is thin on tenants), but it’s now being renovated and was certainly a pleasant enough place to stay.

Dog’s-eye view: No one made a fuss over Chloe, but housekeeping was very understanding when she peed on a towel. The hotel has chosen to disable the rooms’ mini-bars, so we kept her (well-wrapped) raw bones under ice in the ice bucket. (They got pretty whiffy. This is the source of Dog Jaunt’s checklist entries about asking ahead of time if the room has a mini-bar fridge, and about bringing along an air-freshener.) Just above the plaza was an outdoor mezzanine with lots of grassy areas and trash cans, perfect for quick walks. Reach it from the Hilton by taking the elevator to the 2nd floor, then exiting the building by the outer doors you pass on the way to the pool. Turn right and walk up the outdoor staircase.

What we liked: A good example of an upper-end, big-chain hotel. Pleasant and no surprises. Our room’s decor was nicer than you usually find.

What we didn’t like: When we were there, the facility and amenities were just okay. A lot of improvements were being made (e.g., outdoor lights in the plaza were being upgraded, the landscaping of Chloe’s outdoor mezzanine was being replaced), and in future the hotel is likely to seem better-groomed and more up-to-date.

Next time? We probably won’t return to the Hilton Long Beach, mostly because it was a bit too much of a hike from the conference center.

Hilton Long Beach
701 West Ocean Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90831
T: 562-983-3400