Sonesta Select Los Angeles Torrance South Bay

The room was nice, with a king bed, sofa, and little balcony overlooking the pool. It was good to have somewhere to get fresh air, but maintenance could be better: the shower plumbing needed attention, there were big cracks in the tile, and the fridge leaked. It worked, but was squeezed into a cabinet that was too small, so opening its door was difficult. I booked one night before a cruise. Even with transport to the port, it was a good value, at least $100 cheaper than closer places. As nearby options filled up, the price remained a good one. The hotel is right off the 405, which makes it accessible to other areas, though there isn’t much nearby. Walmart is about a 3/4-mile walk, along with an Asian grocery store where I bought grapes for $13 a pound, and some basic fast food. Sidewalks are fine and I felt safe walking alone during the day, but there’s a lot of traffic to watch for. The desk staff were friendly and efficient, and check-in was quick. The hotel overall looks run down, with basic maintenance needed in many places. It wasn’t dirty, just showing its age. The walls are very thin. Some young men, maybe a college sports group, were loud in the next room. At one point I banged on the wall and they quieted down somewhat. Later, a bunch were rowdy in the hall until someone came to reprimand them. I don’t know if that was staff or chaperones. There’s a Starbucks and a small bar area serving some food, though I didn’t visit either. For one night, it was an okay stay for the price.

The offer was unbeatable for the price. The place was clean, affordable, and well located, and it exceeded my expectations. Lawrence, Michael, and the rest of the front desk guys were excellent. Housekeeping were really empathetic, too. Absolutely recommendable!

We left our reservation a day early. We were trying to visit family for the holidays, and the stay was extremely disappointing. There was no water in the room when we arrived. I called down and was told people were working on it, but she had no idea when it would be fixed. I wish we’d known at check-in. Almost right after that, the fire alarm started sounding in the hallway. When I called, they said it was a false alarm but that they didn’t know how to turn it off. That didn’t sound reassuring. We had booked through Expedia for a “King room with a sofa bed,” but there was no sofa bed. I went to the desk to check whether the rate should be different, since the hotel website doesn’t show a price difference. They said there was nothing they could do because we booked through a third party, and that we couldn’t move because we’d already entered the room. I checked the hotel site and saw every king room description says it comes with a sofa bed, so I’m guessing Expedia just adds that to the room label. I think our room may have been a queen before, then had a king mattress put in without the listing being updated. There was also a footprint under the main bed sheet, so the room wasn’t clean. They said there was nothing they could do about that either.

We’ve stayed here twice at different times, and both visits were nice. The hotel is a pleasant place to stay, with easy freeway access. The hallway flooring and carpet need updating, though they don’t match the condition of the room.