This stay was hosted in partnership with Chaulkboard and Sonesta Redondo Beach & Marina. As always, all opinions (and all the churros) are our own.
Sometimes the best trips are the ones that don’t require a flight at all. For our Redondo Beach family weekend getaway, we packed up the car, drove about two hours up the coast from San Diego. We landed somewhere that felt like a completely different place, even though it was practically in our backyard. Redondo Beach has this laid-back, salty-air charm that’s hard to manufacture, we spent three days soaking up every bit of it while based at Sonesta Redondo Beach & Marina.
If you’re considering a Redondo Beach family weekend getaway of your own, here’s exactly how ours went; pier walks, pool time, seafood, and all.
Where We Stayed: Sonesta Redondo Beach & Marina
Redondo Beach & Marina, located just seven miles from LAX, offers breathtaking views of the marina, the Pacific Ocean, and the Palos Verdes Hills. Despite its proximity to the airport, the resort has a serene and tranquil atmosphere, providing a welcome break from the bustling traffic of LAX. Check-in was quick and genuinely warm. The lobby was decked out in soccer decorations when we arrived, which gave the whole place a fun, welcoming energy right from the start.
Our room was on the fifth floor with pool and pier views, clean and comfortable. It had a mini fridge that made snack and drink storage easy for our young daughter. But the real win was the location: it’s a short, flat walk to the Redondo Beach Pier, which means everything (restaurants, shops, gelato, a skate park) is within easy reach without ever needing to get in the car.
The hotel’s amenities made it easy to build in downtime between adventures. The outdoor heated pool is on the second floor with panoramic marina and pier views (and of course, we caught a sunset from the sundeck), there’s a jacuzzi for when the pool feels a little too chilly. There is also a tennis court right alongside it, and a 24-hour fitness center if you want to keep your routine going even on vacation.
Day One: Pier Walks and Dinner at Harbor Bar & Bistro
After checking in, we headed straight for the Redondo Beach Pier for our first exploring session. Churros, gelato, and a long, easy walk along the wraparound pier with panoramic ocean views the entire way. Redondo Beach really has its own personality: fresh seafood spots, little shops, a skate park, and water views from nearly every angle.
Back at the hotel, we carved out some downtime for crafts in the room. If you’re traveling with a toddler or young kid, this is a tip worth stealing. A small, portable activity (our daughter, Bean, was deep in a pom-pom-making phase, so we packed yarn and supplies) turns a hotel room break into genuine fun, and the finished pom-poms doubled as new toys afterward. Bonus!
For dinner, we ate at Harbor Bar & Bistro, right in the hotel lobby. It’s an unassuming setup, open and casual, but the food more than delivered. We started with shrimp tostadas to share, then I had blackened salmon with rice and grilled vegetables, David went with the ribeye steak alongside roasted potatoes and vegetables, and Bean happily worked through a woodfire pizza. of course, we couldn’t resist two desserts: a rich, creamy cheesecake (it was delicous!!) and a bright, tart key lime tart.
We capped the night with a swim. Well Bean did, too cold for me, but we dipped our toes in the Jacuzzi. The sunset painting the water and pier in orange and purple.
Day Two: Hermosa Beach, Pool Time, and Live Music
We started the morning with breakfast burritos from Mickey’s Italian Deli and matcha from Good Neighbor next door (more on both of those in our South Bay eats guide). Then took our breakfast down to Hermosa Beach to eat oceanside. We’re not typical beach-goers even though we live fifteen minutes from the coast ourselves, so it was a nice change of pace. 70 degrees, breezy, not too hot, with Bean happily playing in the sand and dipping into the water.
After a break back at the hotel to escape the midday sun, we brought Bean to the Sonesta pool for another swim. Then made our now-routine walk back out to the pier. Honestly, that’s the beauty of this hotel: its location makes it just as easy to soak up Redondo Beach as it is to experience Hermosa Beach in the same afternoon.
Dinner that night was at Quality Seafood, where David’s lobster bisque got rave reviews. I worked through a beach bucket loaded with crab, shrimp, potatoes, and corn (I passed on the mussels, though David reports they were good too).
One more pier walk, more gelato for Bean, and then David (always chasing good live music) led us up to Old Tony’s for their second-story bar and sweeping water views. The server was warm and attentive, the sunset put on a show, and it was the perfect close to our second night.
Day Three: One Last Burrito Before Heading Home
Our final morning included a lovely conversation with Kasi, Sonesta Redondo Beach & Marina’s Director of Sales and Marketing, who clearly loves the South Bay and it showed. Before hitting the road, we made one more stop at Mickey’s for a final burrito (twice in one trip, that should tell you something) before heading toward San Diego to drop the kiddo off at school and get to work!
Why Sonesta Redondo Beach & Marina Works So Well for Families
What made this Redondo Beach family weekend getaway so easy was the location-to-effort ratio. Everything we wanted like the pier, restaurants, the beach, the pool, was walkable, which meant fewer logistics and more actual vacation. Add in comfortable, view-filled rooms and a genuinely friendly staff, and it’s easy to see why we’re already talking about bringing extended family along next time.
If a low-key, high-charm coastal weekend is on your list, Redondo Beach (and Sonesta Redondo Beach & Marina as your home base) is worth putting there.
Craving the full food rundown from our trip? Check out my guide to the best places to eat in South Bay, including Harbor Bar & Bistro and all our other favorite finds.
