Hotel rooms in the South Bay cluster near the piers in the Beach Cities, at the Redondo harbor, along the El Segundo airport corridor, on the Palos Verdes coast and at the port in San Pedro. Where you book decides how much of the area you can reach on foot.
People book a room in the South Bay for about eight different reasons, and the right hotel is a different hotel for each one. A game at SoFi. A campus tour at Loyola Marymount. A cruise leaving San Pedro on a Sunday. A wedding on a bluff. Four days of volleyball in August. A fireworks show in December. A week of meetings in El Segundo. Or the plain version, which is a few days of beach with somebody else making the bed.
Every property on this page links to its own reservation page. These are direct links, not affiliate links, and we earn nothing if you book.
Why do people come to stay in the South Bay?
Each reason below points to a different part of the map.
A game, a match or a concert. SoFi Stadium sits in Inglewood, the next set of exits up the 405 from the beach cities, and it is home to the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers. Super Bowl LXI is scheduled there for February 14, 2027. The Intuit Dome on Century Boulevard is home to the Clippers, the Kia Forum is a short distance further, and Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson is home to the LA Galaxy. Dodger Stadium and BMO Stadium are a longer drive north. One way to do it: sleep at the beach, drive to the game, and come back to the coast instead of to a freeway hotel.
Beach time attached to something else. See our Beach Life guide for what each beach allows.
A college visit. Loyola Marymount University sits on the bluff in Westchester, north of LAX, a short drive from the Beach Cities.
On the Peninsula, Marymount California University in Rancho Palos Verdes closed on August 31, 2022, so parents still searching for it will not find a working college. In September 2022 UCLA bought both former Marymount properties for $80 million, 24.5 acres in Rancho Palos Verdes and 11 more in San Pedro, in what the university calls the largest acquisition in its history. The site is being developed as UCLA South Bay, a satellite campus with an academic focus on sustainability, climate change and environmental justice, chosen for its proximity to the ocean and the port complex. As of UCLA’s most recent published update it had not yet opened for instruction, with doors slated to open once the curriculum is set. It has hosted leadership retreats and academic events in the meantime.
If you are buying on the Peninsula, keep an eye on the campus. It has not opened for instruction yet, and in Neil’s experience a change this size takes time to show up in comparable sales.
Family. People with grown children, grandchildren or parents here book two or three nights in a hotel so nobody gives up a spare room. The practical question is usually which side of town to stay on.
A cruise. The World Cruise Center in San Pedro is a homeport for Princess, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Virgin Voyages, with eleven more lines calling there. The Port recorded 241 vessel calls and 1,617,320 passengers in 2025, its strongest recent year. Homeport passengers arrive by plane or car, and a night before or after the sailing removes the risk of a tight connection.
Work. El Segundo calls itself the aerospace capital of the world and names AT&T, the Los Angeles Times, DaVita and Mattel among its employers, along with the Lakers, the Kings and the Chargers, all three of which train there. Mattel and Beyond Meat both file with the SEC from El Segundo addresses. The Aerospace Corporation runs a large El Segundo campus, though its headquarters is in Virginia. Weekday demand in that corridor comes from business travel, so compare weekday and weekend rates before you book.
An event. The calendar is full enough to plan a year around, and the big weekends fill rooms. Details are further down this page and on our South Bay Annual Events and Festivals guides.
Fireworks, in both seasons. Summer and December are separate answers, and the fireworks section below covers both.
One more is still to come. The LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games will not build a new permanent venue, which puts events in places that already exist. The competition schedule published July 29, 2026 puts sailing at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, and a full cluster in Carson covering water polo, beach volleyball, track cycling and tennis, with swimming, basketball and the opening ceremonies at SoFi. LA28 has revised its venue plan more than once, so check the current version before you plan around it.
Where should you stay when visiting the South Bay?
Stay in Hermosa Beach or Manhattan Beach if you want to walk to a pier, the Strand and the restaurants. Stay at the Redondo harbor if you want the marina, the water and easier parking. Stay on the Palos Verdes coast if you want a resort and the views and do not mind driving for everything else. Stay in El Segundo if the trip is built around flights, meetings or a game, and you want the rate. Stay in San Pedro if you are sailing, or if you want the port, the waterfront and the arts district.
| Where | What you get | What you give up |
|---|---|---|
| Hermosa Beach | Pier Plaza, the Strand, bars and live music within a few blocks, the beach volleyball world | Rates on the sand, and weekend noise near the plaza |
| Manhattan Beach | A walkable downtown, the pier, the Roundhouse, a long restaurant row | High rates, and very little inventory |
| Redondo Beach harbor | The marina, boats, oceanfront rooms, the pier, parking that works | A longer walk to the classic beach town experience |
| El Segundo | A large, current room supply, Main Street, the freeways and LAX | No coastal walkability at all. Every one of these is a drive to the sand |
| Palos Verdes coast | A full resort, cliffs, coves, golf, Catalina on a clear day | You are twenty to thirty minutes from the beach cities, by car only |
| San Pedro | The cruise terminal, West Harbor, the Maritime Museum, the arts district | A different kind of trip, built around a working port |
Live MLS listings, updated through the day.
What is the best hotel in Hermosa Beach?
H2O Hermosa at 1429 Hermosa Avenue is the one we send people to first. It is a small independent hotel, newly built, one block off the Strand, and the case for it is its position plus a set of small, guest-friendly decisions. Reserve here.
Start with the position, which the hotel measures in tenths of a mile. Vin Folk and Ryla at 0.1. Steak & Whiskey, Radici, Tower 12, Japonica, Lobster & Beer and American Junkie all at 0.3. Covinten Cafe is 285 feet away, close enough that the hotel runs its room service through it, from 7 in the morning to 2 in the afternoon, Tuesday through Sunday. You are a block from the sand and inside the restaurant row at the same time.
The rooms run four categories: Executive Suite, Junior Suite, Superior King and Double Queen, with ADA rooms in the mix. Most carry a private deck and a view of the water, and the Executive Suite has two balconies. There are three separate lounges, one off the lobby with bar seating, one on the second floor, and a rooftop looking over the neighborhood to the ocean. The lobby bar runs 10 to 10 daily with wine, local beer and bar food. There is a fitness center.
The beach gear is free. Umbrella, chairs and towels at the front desk, and an Everything Package of two beach chairs, two bikes and two surfboards at no charge. Bikes and e-bikes rent on top of that, at $40 for a bike for the day or $85 for an e-bike. Overnight parking is $24 with EV charging on site, and on a summer Saturday in Hermosa, a guaranteed space saves a long search.
H2O has no pool, and it is not on the sand. For either, see the hotels below.
Hotel Hermosa at 2515 Pacific Coast Highway is the larger independent option and the one with the pool. It is an independent hotel of 81 rooms in the Pacifica Hotels collection, with a heated pool and spa open year round and The Yard, an ocean-view sundeck with fire pits and billiards, which works well for a group that wants to stay in for the evening. Reserve here.
It sits on Pacific Coast Highway, roughly a mile up from Pier Plaza, and the hotel’s own site claims proximity to the Strand without giving a walking distance to the pier. At that address you get the pool, the deck, parking and a lower rate than the hotels on the sand, and you give up being able to hear the water.
For a room on the sand, these two hotels deliver it and price accordingly.
Beach House Hotel Hermosa Beach at 1300 The Strand is 96 studio suites directly on the boardwalk, less than two blocks from the pier and in the middle of the beach volleyball world, with no resort fee. Reserve here.
Sea Sprite Beach Club at 1016 The Strand is 34 rooms and suites on the sand with its own restaurant, a sundeck and bike rentals. It has the feel of a classic California beach motel. It was formerly the Sea Sprite Oceanfront Hotel and Apartments, so older listings use the old name. Reserve here.
The rest of the Hermosa inventory sits on Pacific Coast Highway or Aviation, which is the trade for a lower rate.
| Hotel | Address | Notes | Reserve |
|---|---|---|---|
| H2O Hermosa | 1429 Hermosa Ave | Independent, newly built, one block off the Strand. Private decks, three lounges, rooftop, lobby bar, free beach gear | Book |
| Hotel Hermosa | 2515 Pacific Coast Hwy | 81 rooms, independent, heated pool and ocean-view deck | Book |
| Beach House Hotel | 1300 The Strand | 96 studio suites, on the boardwalk, no resort fee | Book |
| Sea Sprite Beach Club | 1016 The Strand | 34 rooms, on the sand, restaurant and bike rentals | Book |
| Grandview Inn | 55 14th St | Independent inn, ocean-view rooms with balconies, free parking | Book |
| Hampton Inn and Suites Hermosa Beach | 1530 Pacific Coast Hwy | Hilton flag, free breakfast, sun deck. Hilton lists the Hermosa pier at half a mile | Book |
| Holiday Inn Express & Suites Hermosa Beach | 125 Pacific Coast Hwy | IHG flag at the Redondo end, indoor covered pool, free parking | Book |
| Quality Inn & Suites Hermosa Beach | 901 Aviation Blvd | Inland, near the Redondo line, free breakfast, outdoor hot tub | Book |
One note on H2O Hermosa: its own website prints the ZIP as 90275, which is Rancho Palos Verdes. Hermosa Beach is 90254. The hotel is in Hermosa Beach and the ZIP on its site is a typo.
Where should you stay in Manhattan Beach?
Shade Manhattan Beach at 1221 North Valley Drive is the downtown answer. It is 38 rooms including five suites, independent, with a rooftop Skydeck, a relaxation pool and zinc@shade downstairs. Its own site places it three blocks from the pier and the ocean and adjacent to the Strand. Reservations run through the site or at (310) 546-4995. Staying in the walkable core means you can park once and leave the car.
The Sea View Inn at the Beach at 3400 Highland Avenue is 38 remodeled rooms across nine buildings, independent, with a heated pool and complimentary bicycles, boogie boards, towels, umbrellas and chairs. The inn calls itself the closest hotel to the beach and counts the distance in stairs. Reserve here.
westdrift Manhattan Beach, Autograph Collection at 1400 Parkview Avenue is the resort footprint: a nine-hole par-three golf course on site, a pool, three restaurants and thirty thousand square feet of event space. It suits a longer stay, a group or a wedding party. You will drive to the beach from there.
| Hotel | Address | Notes | Reserve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shade Manhattan Beach | 1221 N Valley Dr | 38 rooms, independent, rooftop deck and pool, three blocks to the pier | Book |
| The Sea View Inn at the Beach | 3400 Highland Ave | 38 rooms, independent, heated pool, free bikes and beach gear | Book |
| westdrift Manhattan Beach | 1400 Parkview Ave | Autograph Collection, par-three golf course, pool, three restaurants | Book |
| The Belamar Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton | 3501 N Sepulveda Blvd | Boutique soft brand on Sepulveda, Second Story restaurant, pool | Book |
| Residence Inn Los Angeles LAX/Manhattan Beach | 1700 N Sepulveda Blvd | All suites, pool, free breakfast, walk to the Roundhouse Aquarium | Book |
| City Express by Marriott Manhattan Beach | 1817 N Sepulveda Blvd | Limited service, two restaurants, free breakfast, no pool | Book |
| Hi View Inn & Suites | 100 S Sepulveda Blvd | 22 rooms, independent, inland at the south end of Sepulveda | Book |
| Manhattan Inn & Suites | 3301 N Sepulveda Blvd | Independent, budget, free parking, no pool | Book |
Which hotels use a Manhattan Beach name but are not in Manhattan Beach?
Four. Check the address before you book a room expecting to walk to the pier.
- SpringHill Suites Los Angeles LAX/Manhattan Beach is at 14620 Aviation Boulevard, Hawthorne.
- TownePlace Suites Los Angeles LAX/Manhattan Beach is at 14400 Aviation Boulevard, Hawthorne.
- Hyatt House LAX/Manhattan Beach is at 810 South Douglas Street, El Segundo.
- Ayres Hotel Manhattan Beach/Hawthorne is at 14400 Hindry Avenue, Hawthorne, and to the brand’s credit it prints both cities in the name.
These are all functional hotels. None of them is a walk to the sand. Also note that the former Best Western Plus Manhattan Beach Hotel now operates as City Express by Marriott at the same address, and the old Best Western web domain is still live and has been compromised with injected spam. Do not use it.
Where should you stay at the Redondo Beach harbor?
The Portofino Hotel & Marina at 260 Portofino Way is 161 rooms on a private peninsula in King Harbor with water on both sides, a 181-slip marina, an oceanfront pool with fire pits, BALEENkitchen, and a Dockside Adventure Center that rents kayaks, paddleboards and bikes and runs sea lion tours. Its own site puts the Strand at 0.6 miles and the Redondo pier at 0.9. Reserve here.
Shade Hotel Redondo Beach at 655 North Harbor Drive is the harbor sibling of the Manhattan Beach property: 54 rooms and suites in two contemporary buildings between the marina and the bike strand, with a rooftop Aquadeck, Sea Level Restaurant, rooftop yoga and balconies with soaking tubs for two. The site places it three blocks from both the Redondo and Hermosa piers. Reservations at (310) 921-8940 or through the hotel.
Two more sit on Harbor Drive, a hundred numbers apart. Redondo Beach Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton is at 400 North Harbor Drive, 112 rooms, with a heated pool, rooftop event space and Azul Cafe. Sonesta Redondo Beach & Marina is at 300 North Harbor Drive, with a heated pool and two restaurants, and its own site places it steps from the pier and Seaside Lagoon. They are separate hotels.
| Hotel | Address | Notes | Reserve |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Portofino Hotel & Marina | 260 Portofino Way | 161 rooms, oceanfront on its own peninsula, private marina | Book |
| Shade Hotel Redondo Beach | 655 N Harbor Dr | 54 rooms, rooftop deck and pool, Sea Level Restaurant | Book |
| Redondo Beach Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton | 400 N Harbor Dr | 112 rooms, heated pool, rooftop event space | Book |
| Sonesta Redondo Beach & Marina | 300 N Harbor Dr | Waterfront, heated pool, two restaurants | Book |
| Best Western Plus Redondo Beach Inn | 1850 S Pacific Coast Hwy | Heated pool, free full breakfast, at the top of Riviera Village | Book |
| Redondo Inn & Suites | 711 S Pacific Coast Hwy | Small independent on south PCH, Thai restaurant on site | Book |
| Residence Inn Los Angeles Redondo Beach | 2420 Marine Ave | All suites with kitchens, inland north Redondo, pool | Book |
| Best Western Redondo Beach Galleria Hotel | 2740 Artesia Blvd | Inland beside the South Bay Galleria, free breakfast | Book |
The harbor is the practical choice for anyone who wants to be on the water without fighting for a space every time they return. Parking here works in a way it does not two miles north. The two inland properties on Marine and Artesia are a real drive from the coast, whatever their marketing copy suggests. One of them lists the Redondo pier at four miles on the same page that calls it a short walk from the sand.
What happened to the Palos Verdes Inn?
It closed after a fire and has not reopened. The building at 1700 South Pacific Coast Highway was not demolished. It is being renovated as Hotel Legado, a 110-key hotel with a rooftop deck, bar and pool inside the Legado Redondo mixed-use development, and Urbanize LA reported progress on the site in November 2024. The residential portion of the project delivered first. As of September 2026 there is no booking presence for either name and no announced opening date. Any Palos Verdes Inn listing still visible on a travel site is stale.
Where should you stay in El Segundo?
El Segundo has a large, recently built room supply, and almost none of it is walkable to anything coastal. You get a current room, a rate, freeway access and a short run to LAX, and you give up walking to the beach.
The exception is Sonesta Select Los Angeles LAX El Segundo at 2000 East Mariposa Avenue, which is the only one of these whose own site claims a walk to transit, putting the Mariposa Metro station a short walk away. If you are doing the trip without a car, that is the address. Our Getting Around guide covers which Metro line reaches the South Bay.
For a room with a view of something, AC Hotel Los Angeles South Bay at 2130 East Maple Avenue has FLORA, a rooftop restaurant and bar. Its name says South Bay, and its address is El Segundo.
| Hotel | Address | Notes | Reserve |
|---|---|---|---|
| AC Hotel Los Angeles South Bay | 2130 E Maple Ave | Design-led, FLORA rooftop restaurant and bar, pool, paid LAX shuttle | Book |
| Aloft El Segundo – Los Angeles Airport | 475 N Pacific Coast Hwy | Splash pool, w xyz bar with live music, free LAX shuttle on request | Book |
| Cambria Hotel LAX | 199 Continental Blvd | The Hangar Bar + Kitchen, pool with cabanas, fire-pit patio | Book |
| DoubleTree by Hilton LAX – El Segundo | 1985 E Grand Ave | Full service, E85 East Grand Bar & Grill, pool, free LAX shuttle | Book |
| Embassy Suites by Hilton LAX South | 1440 E Imperial Ave | All suites, indoor pool, Barcotta Coastal Tavern, free LAX shuttle | Book |
| Hilton Garden Inn LAX/El Segundo | 2100 E Mariposa Ave | Garden Grille with patio, pool and hot tub, free LAX shuttle | Book |
| Hampton Inn & Suites LAX El Segundo | 888 N Pacific Coast Hwy | Indoor pool, free breakfast, Flight Deck Lounge. No airport shuttle | Book |
| Hyatt Place Los Angeles/LAX/El Segundo | 750 N Nash St | Heated pool and whirlpool, The Placery, free breakfast, LAX shuttle | Book |
| Hyatt House LAX/Manhattan Beach | 810 S Douglas St | Extended stay, heated pool, H Bar. Named for Manhattan Beach, sited in El Segundo | Book |
| Sonesta Select Los Angeles LAX El Segundo | 2000 E Mariposa Ave | Seasonal pool, a short walk to the Mariposa Metro station, LAX shuttle | Book |
| Fairfield Inn & Suites LAX/El Segundo | 525 N Pacific Coast Hwy | Outdoor pool, free breakfast, free LAX shuttle on request | Book |
| Residence Inn LAX/El Segundo | 2135 E El Segundo Blvd | All suites, pool and whirlpool, on-site restaurant. No shuttle | Book |
| Extended Stay America LAX Airport – El Segundo | 1910 E Mariposa Ave | Full kitchens, laundry, BBQ area, pet friendly. No pool | Book |
| Travelodge by Wyndham LAX | 1804 E Sycamore Ave | Economy, outdoor pool, LAX shuttle daily | Book |
The Courtyard Los Angeles LAX/El Segundo no longer exists under that name. Its address, 2000 East Mariposa, is now the Sonesta Select.
Is Terranea worth it?
Terranea Resort at 100 Terranea Way in Rancho Palos Verdes is the only full resort in the South Bay: 582 rooms and suites across 102 clifftop acres on the site of the old Marineland, open since 2009. The inventory runs from main-building rooms and suites to fifty three-bedroom ocean-view casitas, thirty-two villas and twenty two-bedroom bungalows. It has four heated pools, a 50,000 square foot spa, The Links, a nine-hole par-three oceanfront course, eight restaurants and bars, its own coves and trail access to Terranea Beach. Reserve here.
You are staying somewhere that works as a destination in its own right, and you are twenty to thirty minutes from the beach cities with no way to reach them except by car. For a weekend built around a resort, it is the only option here. For a trip built around the Strand, the piers and the restaurants, book down the hill and come up to Terranea for a meal and the view.
If the resort rate is not the trip, the only other lodging on the Peninsula is Americas Best Value Inn Rancho Palos Verdes by Sonesta at 29601 South Western Avenue, a bluff-top budget property with ocean and Catalina views and a steakhouse on site. Western Avenue is the boundary between Rancho Palos Verdes and San Pedro, so you are at the edge of the Peninsula.
Is there a bed and breakfast on the Palos Verdes Peninsula?
No. There is no licensed, currently operating bed and breakfast anywhere on the Peninsula, and the zoning in each city explains why.
Palos Verdes Estates permits a bed and breakfast inn only by conditional use permit in the R-1 zone, under PVEMC section 18.04.020(D), and defines the term at section 17.08.055. None currently operates. The city’s only hotel-specific provision names a single parcel: section 18.20.010 states that the La Venta Inn may be used for hotel and restaurant purposes within the existing building. La Venta does not use that entitlement. It runs as a weddings and events venue with no guest rooms, and everyone is off the property by 10:30 at night.
Rancho Palos Verdes prohibits transient lodging in residential zones outright. The city defines a short-term rental as under 30 consecutive days and prohibits it in all single-family and multi-family residential districts, with citations at $2,500, $5,000 and $7,500. Because a bed and breakfast is transient lodging by definition, that prohibition forecloses one in any RPV neighborhood. Lodging in the city is confined to the two commercial properties above.
Rolling Hills Estates has no bed and breakfast, inn or hotel of any kind. Rolling Hills is a gated, entirely residential city with no lodging at all.
If a travel site shows you a Palos Verdes bed and breakfast, check what it is. In practice those listings resolve to whole-home vacation rentals in San Pedro, Torrance, Lomita or Redondo Beach, or to bed and breakfasts well outside the area, in Playa del Rey, Santa Monica or Long Beach.
Where should you stay in San Pedro?
San Pedro is a different trip from the beach cities, and it is the right base for three things: a cruise, West Harbor, and the arts district. The waterfront is in the middle of a transformation. West Harbor’s promenade, restaurants and its 6,200-seat amphitheater are open, the Port awarded more than $70 million in waterfront improvements in August 2026, and a weekly farmers market is due there.
Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor Hotel at 601 South Palos Verdes Street is 244 rooms over ten floors, with a second-floor saline pool overlooking the harbor and Blu Restaurant on site.
DoubleTree by Hilton San Pedro – Port of Los Angeles at 2800 Via Cabrillo Marina is 226 rooms sitting directly on Cabrillo Marina next to the yacht club, about two miles from the World Cruise Center, with 2800 Kitchen & Lounge over the water.
| Hotel | Address | Notes | Reserve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor Hotel | 601 S Palos Verdes St | 244 rooms, harbor-view pool, Blu Restaurant, 13 event venues | Book |
| DoubleTree by Hilton San Pedro | 2800 Via Cabrillo Marina | 226 rooms, on the marina, near the cruise terminal | Book |
| Vagabond Inn San Pedro | 215 S Gaffey St | Budget, pool, free shuttle to the World Cruise Center | Book |
| Pacific Inn & Suites | 516 W 38th St | Renovated budget rooms and suites, some with kitchenettes | Book |
| Portside Inn & Suites | 525 S Harbor Blvd | Budget, harbor side, fridges and microwaves, paid parking | Book |
| The Guest Harbor Inn | 411 S Pacific Ave | 36-room retro motor inn near the port | Book |
Two San Pedro properties that still appear on travel sites are not bookable. The Best Western at 111 South Gaffey no longer appears anywhere on bestwestern.com, and the HI Los Angeles South Bay hostel on Gaffey is no longer listed by Hostelling International.
Can you rent an Airbnb in the South Bay?
Sometimes, depending on the city and on whether the address is inside the coastal zone. Most of the South Bay’s beach cities prohibit short-term rentals in residential zones. The bans in Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach have been held unenforceable inside the coastal zone, and that part of the law is still changing. If you are booking a stay, or thinking about buying a property to rent out, check the specific address against the table below.
| Area | Position on rentals under 30 days | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Manhattan Beach | Prohibited in residential zones, but the city states the prohibition does not apply inside the coastal zone after an appellate ruling. Ordinance 19-0007 | Split city. Inland, not a legal listing. Coastal zone, unenforceable |
| Hermosa Beach | Banned in residential zones. The coastal zone ban was ruled unenforceable in 2026 | Unsettled. See below |
| Redondo Beach | Not allowed anywhere in the city under 30 days, enforced by Code Enforcement | The legal route is a furnished rental of 31 nights or more |
| El Segundo | Hosted home sharing only, under a permit program adopted by Ordinance 1614 | Owner must live there 183 days a year and be present during every stay. Six guests total. No whole-home rentals |
| Torrance | A permit program exists through the Planning Division | Terms could not be verified from the city’s own page. Call Torrance Planning |
| Rancho Palos Verdes | Prohibited in all residential zones. Advertising one is separately prohibited | Citations of $2,500, $5,000 and $7,500 |
| Palos Verdes Estates | Listed by the city as a code violation in the R-1 zone | Not a legal listing |
| San Pedro | Governed by the City of Los Angeles Home-Sharing Ordinance, Ordinance 185931 | Primary residence only, registration required, 120 nights a year unless extended. An investor cannot legally run one |
What happened in Hermosa Beach, and what it changed
The key decision came in a Manhattan Beach case. In Keen v. City of Manhattan Beach, decided April 6, 2022, the California Court of Appeal held that Manhattan Beach’s ban on rentals under 30 days was an unlawful amendment to its certified Local Coastal Program. The city’s zoning, certified by the Coastal Commission in 1994, permitted residential rentals with no limit on length, so a later prohibition was a substantive change requiring Commission approval. Manhattan Beach’s own website now states that its ban does not apply inside the coastal zone.
Hermosa Beach lost the same argument. In Koerner v. City of Hermosa Beach, Los Angeles Superior Court case number 25STCP00891, the court held the city’s coastal zone ban unenforceable, and on May 12, 2026 the City Council directed the City Attorney not to appeal, on a 4 to 1 vote.
What a city has to do to restrict short-term rentals in the coastal zone is amend its Local Coastal Program and get that amendment certified by the California Coastal Commission, which is not the same thing as issuing permits. The Commission’s own 2016 guidance to coastal planning directors is blunt about it: regulation outside that process, including outright bans adopted through other local channels, is not legally enforceable in the coastal zone, and the Commission has not historically supported blanket vacation rental bans because they limit public access. None of the South Bay cities appears in the Commission’s own table of certified short-term rental amendments, and without a certified amendment, the bans in Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach have not held inside the coastal zone.
What is changing
Three things.
The state enforcement tools got stronger. SB 346, the Short-Term Rental Facilitator Act of 2025, was signed on October 13, 2025. Cities that opt in by ordinance can require platforms to report the full address of every listing, display the local business license number, and submit to audit. Any South Bay city can switch that on.
The event carve-out died. AB 1953 would have let registered properties operate as short-term rentals during declared emergencies and designated special event periods, overriding local bans. Its hearing was cancelled at the author’s request in April 2026. There is no state override coming for LA28.
Manhattan Beach considered a temporary allowance outside the coastal zone ahead of the 2026 World Cup and, as of this writing, its own website still lists that as under consideration with no adopted ordinance, no effective date and no expiration. If you need certainty on that one, call the City Clerk.
What this means if you are buying
Short-term rental income should not be assumed anywhere in the beach cities without checking the specific address against the specific city’s current rule, and against whether the parcel is inside or outside the coastal zone, because that line now decides the answer in two cities. We have seen buyers price an income stream into an offer that the city does not permit.
The safer framing in most of the South Bay is a furnished rental of 31 days or more, which is legal in Redondo Beach and is how much of the local corporate and relocation housing works. If short-term rental income is central to your plan, tell us early. It changes which cities and which zones are worth looking at, and it is considerably cheaper to know that before you are in escrow.
Which South Bay events should you book a hotel around?
These are the weekends that fill rooms. Book early for all of them.
| When | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| February, Super Bowl Sunday | Redondo Beach Super Bowl Sunday 10K. The 2027 race falls on February 14, the same day as Super Bowl LXI | King Harbor, Redondo Beach |
| April | Whale of a Day at the Point Vicente Interpretive Center, free, with a shuttle | Rancho Palos Verdes |
| Late April into May | BeachLife Festival. 2027 dates are April 30 to May 2 | King Harbor, Redondo Beach |
| Memorial Day weekend | Fiesta Hermosa, the Chamber’s own fundraiser, twice a year | Downtown Hermosa Beach |
| Memorial Day weekend | LA Fleet Week with Battleship IOWA. Free ship tours | San Pedro |
| Mid-May | Torrance Armed Forces Day Parade | Torrance |
| Mid-June | Palos Verdes Peninsula Street Fair and Music Festival, free, 10,000 visitors | Rolling Hills Estates |
| Late June | Riviera Village Summer Festival, 300 exhibitors, one block from the ocean | South Redondo Beach |
| Mid-August | AVP Manhattan Beach Open, free general admission, running since 1960 | Manhattan Beach Pier |
| Labor Day weekend | Fiesta Hermosa, the second edition | Downtown Hermosa Beach |
| September | Wedbush Hermosa Beach Open beach volleyball, free | Hermosa Beach |
| Late September | El Segundo Main Street Fair, eight blocks closed, run by the Kiwanis | El Segundo |
| First Saturday in October | Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair and the MB10K on the same day. One of the busiest days on the Manhattan Beach calendar | Manhattan Beach |
| December | King Harbor Holiday Boat Parade | Redondo Beach |
| December | Skechers Manhattan Beach Holiday Fireworks Festival, 20,000 people | Manhattan Beach Pier |
The Redondo Beach Lobster Festival, run by the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce, is still on the calendar. Its own site says it will return in 2026, though no dates had been published as of October 3, 2026. The Port of Los Angeles International Lobster Festival in San Pedro paused in 2018 and has not published a confirmed return.
Full details, registration links and street closures are on our South Bay Annual Events, Festivals, Concerts in the Park and 5Ks and 10Ks guides.
Where can you see fireworks in the South Bay?
There are two fireworks seasons here, and they happen in different cities.
On the Fourth of July, the shows are in Torrance, San Pedro, El Segundo and over King Harbor in Redondo Beach. Torrance held its 2026 show at the LA Galaxy Sports Complex on Maple Avenue, with gates at 6 and fireworks at 9. San Pedro has the John Olguin Fireworks Extravaganza at Cabrillo Beach, with a ticketed evening portion and a free public show at 9. Redondo Beach shoots over King Harbor at 9, with Seaside Lagoon as a viewing area. El Segundo runs a daytime program followed by an evening show.
Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach do not hold a Fourth of July fireworks show. Hermosa goes further: the city states that fireworks are illegal there, including the safe and sane kind, with fines up to $5,000, and it points residents toward the legal shows elsewhere in the South Bay.
In December, there is exactly one fireworks display in the beach cities, and it is a big one. The Skechers Manhattan Beach Holiday Fireworks Festival runs at the Manhattan Beach Pier on a Sunday afternoon in mid-December, with the fireworks at 7, drawing more than 20,000 people, and the city runs free shuttles to it.
Two December events that people assume include fireworks do not. The Manhattan Beach Pier Lighting and Downtown Holiday Open House is a separate, earlier evening in November with tree and snowflake lighting and no pyrotechnics. The King Harbor Holiday Boat Parade and the LA Harbor Holiday Afloat Parade are boat parades, and neither shoots fireworks.
We could not find an official New Year’s Eve fireworks show anywhere in the South Bay.
One more outside both seasons: the Port of Los Angeles ends its Cars and Stripes Forever classic car show in front of Battleship IOWA with a fireworks finale in late June.
Dates move. Our Fireworks and 4th of July guide carries the current year’s details.
What should you do while you are here?
Build the trip from these guides. Each one covers hours, fees and parking.
Where should you stay while house hunting in the South Bay?
Book in the area you are considering, even if another area has a better rate. Streets here change within a few blocks, and a morning and an evening walk show you more than a midday showing does.
- Looking at Hermosa or the Manhattan Beach Sand Section. Stay in downtown Hermosa or downtown Manhattan Beach and walk it at 7 in the morning and again at 9 at night.
- Looking at North Redondo, Torrance or the Golden Hills. The Redondo harbor hotels put you close without the beach city rate, and the drive into those areas is short.
- Looking on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Terranea works well, because the drive from the resort to any Peninsula community is the same drive you would be making as a resident.
- Looking in El Segundo or near the airport corridor. Stay in El Segundo itself. Walk both the west and the east side of Sepulveda before you decide.
- Looking in San Pedro. Stay at the harbor, and give yourself an evening at West Harbor and a morning in the arts district.
Tell us where you are looking before you book and we will tell you which side of town to sleep on. It is a small thing that saves a wasted trip.
Live MLS listings, updated through the day.
Room counts, brands, amenities and rates change, and several South Bay hotels have changed flags in recent years. Every property on this page was verified against the property’s own website or its brand’s official site in September 2026, and every event against the organizer’s or the city’s own source. Where a city had not published an answer, this page says so. Confirm current rates and availability directly with the property before you book.
About the author. Neil Chhabria is the Broker and CEO of Chhabria Real Estate Company, an independent boutique brokerage serving the Palos Verdes Peninsula and the South Bay beach cities. DRE# 01821437. Chhabria Real Estate Company has sold homes on the Palos Verdes Peninsula and in the Beach Cities since 1984. If you are coming to look at homes and want to know which side of town to sleep on, that is a conversation the team welcomes. Reach Neil at 310.798.3122.
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal, tax, lending or investment advice. Short-term rental rules change and are enforced at the address level. Anyone making a purchase decision that depends on rental income should get legal advice and not rely on a web page, including this one.
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