Book a discount trip to Santa Monica with Kayak

Published on December 14, 2020

Travel booking sites like Kayak offer deals and discounts for Santa Monica hotels, flights to Los Angeles, and more.

With a new year comes new opportunities to travel and vacation. If you have been planning a trip to Santa Monica, you can find some great deals and discounts at our 82 hotels, all located right by Santa Monica’s beautiful beaches, award-winning restaurants and boutique shops. Santa Monica is often recognized as one of the most beautiful and relaxing beach destinations in the world making it the best spot for your next vacation.

When planning your trip to Los Angeles, you need to balance the cost of accommodations with value of your time spent traveling from sight to sight. During the busy summer months, the beach can be a 2-hour drive from the hotels in Anaheim near Disneyland. Similarly, staying near the LA airport may seem convenient after you land, but you may need to spend hours in your car each day traveling to and from all of the places in LA you want to see. Santa Monica, located at the very end of I-10, is just steps from the sand – imagine unwinding with a stroll down to the water at the end of each day after driving, shopping, and sightseeing in Hollywood or Downtown. This convenience can come with some sticker-shock: average hotel nights can be around $320 in the peak summer season. Add that up for a few nights, and the rack-rate at the LAX motel start to seem appealing. Spend time before your trip shopping for great deals and hotel discounts.

Planning your trip well in advance and using tools like price alerts will allow you to discover more low rates and deals that are announced by hotels and airlines. Bundling other parts of your trip like rental car and flights with your hotel room is another way to save. Kayak lists discounted flights to Los Angeles and many options for car and van rentals. Kayak works with many of the Santa Monica hotels to offer some of the lowest hotel room rates available. Just search for the dates you’d like to visit, filters for services you require such as free parking or free cancellation, and Kayak will pull a list of hotels in Santa Monica that match your requirements.

You should also consider taking advantage of weekday rates as many hotels increase their prices on the busy weekends. Fly on Sunday and Saturday and do your sightseeing on the weekdays. Many destinations will be less busy in the middle of the week as local visitors may still be at work. Just remember to check hours in advance as some museums and cultural institutions close on Mondays. Most marquee destinations in LA including Disneyland, Universal Studios, and the Santa Monica Pier are all open 7-days-a-week during the summer. And of course, our famous beaches are always open!

The greater Los Angeles area is massive – one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world spanning over 30,000 square miles (80,000 km2). After finding your list of must-see places, map them out. Estimate how much time you plan to spend at each location. Some destinations can be enjoyed in the same morning or afternoon: for example, Griffith Park is located just a short drive from Hollywood; The Queen Mary is just over the bridge in downtown Long Beach by the Aquarium of the Pacific. Other places on your travel itinerary may require a day more to enjoy like Disneyland and Universal Studios. Once you have a general idea of where you want to be and for how long, you can determine what part of town is best for you to stay in. It’s not uncommon for travelers visiting LA to stay in more than one location. You may want to stay at the Disneyland resort for a couple of nights while enjoying the theme parks in Anaheim, then move closer to the west side of Los Angeles to take advantage of the beaches and restaurants.

During your vacation planning, check out the Kayak Santa Monica Travel guide that recommends top activities to do in the area, where to eat, and what an average day might cost you during your travels. You can discover great new activities and inspiration for your upcoming trip!

Feature image courtesy of @vishaldhandhukia.