Murray On Travel

You may think you are at sea on the North Atlantic, but you are warm and safe in The Queen Mary Hotel in the shelter of Long Beach Harbor.  Or has a time machine shifted you back to the 1930's, surrounding you with brass, wood and Art Deco styling?  No time travel was required, but inside the Queen Mary Hotel you are experiencing what it would been like to cruise the high seas in the 30s, 40s and 50s aboard this beautiful historic ship.  

The RMS Queen Mary sailed the seas from 1936 to 1967.  While at sea she transported queens, kings, celebrities, and even thousands of troops during World War II.  A good summary of her history can be found on the ship's website.  Today she is permanently moored  in Long Beach, California and contains a hotel, a variety of attractions, and several restaurants. 

From a distance this ship is a sleek and beautiful sight, but up close you can see she was built to take the punishment of decades at sea, mostly crossing the unforgiving North Atlantic from London to New York.  At its Long Beach location, elevators bring guests up to the gangway that connects to the hotel deck. 

The lobby is open, decorated with beautiful artwork and Art Deco furniture and fixtures in alcoves like the one seen above.  Check-in was fast and straight forward.  Bell service is available.  Your room may come with discounts for various ship tours and attractions.  Access to the hotel portion of the ship is limited to guests.

The Queen Mary Hotel offers 346 original first-class rooms and nine suites on three decks.  No two cabins are alike.  Without the historic plaques and museum displays found in other areas of the ship, you can feel lost in time while on the hotel decks. 

Staterooms are large, when compared to a modern cruise ship.  The extensive use of wood and brass gives you no doubt that this room is pretty much like it was when first constructed in the 30s.  This is cabin A 127.  The bed was comfortable, and the room had plenty of drawers and limited hanging space.

The obvious modern amenities sit right next to old fixtures that have been around for decades.  The rooms are in pretty good shape, but they do show a little wear around the edges.  The wood finishes are kept in good repair. 

The original builders put great effort into making these homes at sea appear like a fine European hotel room.  Upscale cruisers of the time would have expected such detail in a a first-class cabin on one of world's finest cruise ships. 

The bath is clean and basic.  It is interesting to see all the water controls for the bath tub.  Salt water was available when the ship was at sea, along with fresh water for bathing.  This was during a time when certain health benefits were thought to be found in soaking in a salt water bath.  The salt water is long gone, but The Queen Mary Hotel has worked hard to balance a historic experience with the modern expectations of today's travelers.

Like right out of an old movie, you can unlatch the heavy metal hooks and open the portals and let the breezes of Long Beach Harbor into your cabin.  This is definitely very old school... 

This is the view from stateroom A 127.  From the starboard side of the ship you see The City Of Long Beach.  This is the view to ask for.   A rock seawall surrounds The Queen Mary and keeps your stay in the hotel a smooth one no matter how big the waves are! 

Once you are checked in take some time and wander around the ship.  They offer a variety of rooms and spaces that are good for business meetings, parties, and weddings.  On one of the aft decks is this gazebo.  

You have a variety of restaurant options on the ship, from casual to fine dining.  Sir Winston's is an expensive check, but is one of the better restaurants in Long Beach.  Suggest you order a desert souffle when you order your meal. 

You can enjoy tea, anytime in the Queen Mary tea room.  

Take a walk along the various decks at sunset.  The City Of Long Beach skyline is beautiful, and a steady flow of small commercial and private boats bring the harbor alive after dark. 

Be prepared at any moment to turn a corner and once again feel you have been taken back in time.   

A small lounge is located just off of the hotel lobby.  It was very quiet the night I visited, but they have replaced two of the steel bulkhead doors with glass plates, giving you a view of the city skyline.

 When it is time for bed, you might want to open your porthole window and let a little sea breeze into your stateroom.  Your dreams may take you back to scenes from the movie Titanic, but you can rest assured you will have a better ending at The Queen Mary Hotel.

It might be difficult to come by, but time spent in Crystal Cove's Cottage #33, also known as the Romantic Retreat, is well worth the effort.  Hanging onto the edge of a cliff overlooking California's Crystal Cove State Beach, this retreat will give you memories to last a lifetime.

The cottage features a charming kitchen with an old fashioned refrigerator and a modern microwave; the latter is hidden from view.  Paper plates, napkins and plastic utensils are provided.  Plenty of counter space and storage are available in this restored cottage originally built in 1938.  

What an amazing view!!!  This is one of 13 historic cottages in Crystal Cove State Park.  These old cottages have been restored to their previous glory.  But let's qualify that; these structures were never more than cheap cabins built in the 1930's and 40's, often by crew who were working on movies being shot in this idyllic beach setting.  So, even today, after much restoration, they are still very basic.

Cottage number 33 is called the Romantic Retreat.  It is a one bedroom rental with a sofa bed and several ocean view window seats that can be used as beds.  Even thought this cottage can accommodate more than two guests, don't forget this place is a romantic retreat.  Don't waste that aspect of its reputation. 

The bathroom is small and outfitted with old fixtures.  In keeping with its historic nature, you will find odd hangers throughout the cottage.  Towels and hand soap are the only toiletries provided by Crystal Cove.  

The bedroom is located at the back of the unit; it is small and has two little windows.  The full sized bed was comfortable.  The cottage has one heater located in the large main room.  As a result, winter visitors will find it can get pretty cold at the beach.  Even with its Southern California location, nights can get surprisingly frigid between November and February.  Crystal Cove provides extra blankets.

How about a cup of coffee to go with this amazing morning view of the beach?  #33 is one of a handful of cottages that are on a bluff overlooking the ocean.  Other rentals are located right on the sand.  Attention: Want to post your morning view to Facebook?  Instagram it out to your friends?  You may have connectivity issues.  Cell data service can be hit and miss depending on your carrier.  No Wi-Fi here at the beach.

If the view from inside wasn't good enough for you, then step outside and take up residency in a weathered chair, enjoy the sun, feel the breeze, listen to the surf.  Some guests might prefer staying down near the sand, especially a family.  But being up here, overlooking the beach, adds to the privacy of this romantic retreat.

It is hard to top this when it comes to alfresco dinning; the outside table will become a favorite spot for snacking away the hours with a glass of wine.  A grill is provided; bring your own charcoal.  Several shopping options are nearby.  Just south on Pacific Coast Highway are the Crystal Cove Promenade shops, home to a Southern California favorite, Trader Joe's.  It also has a great bakery/coffee shop and several high end restaurants.  Additional shopping is available in Laguna Beach.

With your coffee in one hand and your romantic retreat partner in the other, head down the long stairway to the beach.  Here you will find additional historic cottages, a gift shop, an excellent restaurant/bar, a vendor with beach supplies, and a small museum.

These restored cottages are part of one the most successful private/public partnerships in the US.  The operation of the cottages is run by a non-profit, the Crystal Cove Alliance, while the State Of California owns the property and operates it as a State Park.

From below you can see cottage #33 as its wall of windows look out at the Pacific.  A quick note about parking. When you check-in, you will have easy access to transfer your personal items to the cottage.  During your stay, you park your car at a large remote lot.  You can access the lot via a shuttle or walking.  Note that between 10pm and 6am,  there is no vehicle access to Crystal Cove Cottages.

One of the ocean front historic cottages has been converted into The Beachcomber Cafe/Bar.  It offers excellent food at reasonable prices.  Get something nice to go and head back to your romantic retreat.

Ruby's Shake Shack is an outdoors restaurant located along Pacific Coast Highway which overlooks Crystal Cove State Beach.  They offer burgers, shakes, and fries, along with hotdogs and sandwiches. A long set of stairs will take you from the beach up to Ruby's.

The other beach cottage rentals at Crystal Cove are all very unique.  Some are individual stand-alone units. Some are larger with guestrooms you can rent, sharing common spaces and baths.  The party crowd should note that a "quiet time" runs from 10pm to 8am.

Look familiar?  Fans of the movie BEACHES with Bette Midler may recognize this cottage from the final scenes of the movie.  It is now a film history and media center for the Park.

Lots more work to be done as several old cottages sit along the beach waiting to be restored to their former glory.  Now, after all this, the bad news... It is very difficult to get a reservation here.  Cabins are offered on the first of each month, six months before the month of booking.  And it is no surprise that within minutes, most of the cottages are booked.  Another of the most popular cottages is #14. Booking details can be found here.

The glow of Los Angeles may fill the night sky to the north, but it will seem like it's a million miles away as you relax, unplug, and enjoy Crystal Cove Cottage #33, the Romantic Retreat.