Ocean Lodge Hotel, Santa Monica, CA

While on vacation, my husband and I wanted to stay as close to the Santa Monica Pier and 3rd Street Prominade as possible, but we wouldn't pay the exorbitant $500/night prices most places were charging the first week of June.

Ocean Lodge was the cheapest we could find at $199/night. I am a hotel snob, so I prepared myself for the worst, and was pleasantly surprised. Of course this is no Ritz Carlton, but if you want a place to stay near the Santa Monica Pier (that is clean), without breaking your budget, this is a great place. The Location is Awesome!

1667 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Bayhill Inn, San Francisco, CA

We had an early flight out of San Francisco, and needed a cheap place near the airport to stay the night before. This place was closeby, cheap, and not scary looking. The lady that runs it is very nice.

Olallieberry Inn, Cambria, CA

The website for this pretty and relaxing Bed & Breakfast allows you to see a picture of each room so you can choose where you want to stay. We stayed in the Angel's Nook room and really liked it.

The fireplace is a great amenity! It warmed the room really well. Even though we went in June, it was really chilly at night and we needed a jacket and long pants.

The bed was comfortable, too. The wine and hors d'oerves were alright. The breakfast the next morning was really good, but my husband said it didn't fill him up.

This is a very peaceful and relaxing place. I enjoyed sitting outside in the garden and reading. This is a great place to stay for one night.

Parc 55 Hotel, San Francisco

If you can stay for less than $100/night, then this hotel is fine. There's nothing disgusting or unsafe about. However, if you are looking for a nice place to stay for $100 or more per night, I would choose somewhere else.

First, on Tuesday night around 9 p.m., I called for a wake up call and no one answered. I hung up and kept calling back every 15 minutes with the same results. After an hour of trying, I called every number I could find -- front desk, conceirge, housekeeping, room service, etc. and NO ONE answered the phone. This was very frustrating. (However, I was able to place a wake up call request on the other nights of my stay) Second, I wouldn't rely solely on the wake-up call. It wouldn't ever be right at the specified time.

Third, the street noise was extremely loud. I heard sirens and construction noise all day and night the entire week. As I was checking out, a colleague told me there are floor vents that are left open, but if you close them, it quiets the noise significantly. I wish I had been told I could close those vents (or if those vents had been closed in the first place.)

In conclusion, this hotel is fine, but I'd stay somewhere else with all the great hotels San Francisco offers!