Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club-A Noble House Hotel

Location. Redondo Beach, Calif.'s Portofino Hotel and Yacht Club is one of the few oceanfront hotels in the Los Angeles area. The three-story hotel sits on a private peninsula three blocks from Redondo Beach Pier. This sun and surf hotel is one-and-one-half miles from Hermosa Beach and less than five miles from Manhattan Beach. The Palos Verdes Country Club is six miles away.

Hotel Features. Views of the sea are provided from the oceanfront swimming pool and spa tub. Overlooking the harbor and marina, the Portofino Hotel and Yacht Club's restaurant, Baleen, Los Angeles, specializes in seafood dishes and provides indoor and outdoor seating. The upper- level bar promotes a cosmopolitan-lounge décor with fireside sofas and chairs complete with ocean views. The Living Room Bar serves up cocktails amidst an expansive three-story atrium environment. Hotel accommodations include a fitness facility with cardiovascular equipment and strength-training machines. The hotel provides complimentary bicycle rentals. Wireless high-speed Internet access is provided in the public areas and in the 24- hour business center.

Guestrooms. The 163 guestrooms of the Portofino Hotel and Yacht Club feature floor- to-ceiling windows and patios or balconies overlooking the ocean or marina. Guestrooms also promote a nautical theme and feature contemporary decors, seashell-shaped lamps, vivid bedspreads and fresh flowers and plants. Standard amenities include wireless Internet access, cable television and video game consoles. Minibars are provided in each room. Rooms offer coffeemakers and refrigerators.

Expert Tip. Located on the north end of the Portofino Hotel and Yacht Club's property is a skiff rental and fly-fishing shop. Guests are invited to venture out into the marina on their private mini-vessel or fish off of Redondo Beach Pier.