Let's face it: when you travel as much as I do, sometimes the most indulgent thing you can do is chill in your hometown for a weekend, and that's just what my husband and I did recently. While we've both lived in the South Bay our entire lives, we've sadly never had the luxury of owning an ocean front home. Luckily, we have access to the next best thing: a 22-mile bike path, which we call "The Strand," that runs right along the sand and provides a small glimpse into the extremely coveted Southern California beach life.
One of my favorite features on said bike path has always been the Sea Sprite Hotel, so when I had the opportunity to stay there, I couldn't say no. The Sea Sprite has been a staple on the Hermosa Beach Strand since 1964, and was even featured on one of my all time favorite shows, Veronica Mars, in 2019.
We checked in and immediately changed into our swimsuits to take advantage of the semi-private sundeck just outside our room. People watching is always a blast in the South Bay, and we had front row seats for a handful of volleyball games from where we posted up on the lounge chairs. Thankfully, the Sea Sprite has a fully stocked snack shop and store on site, so we grabbed some local treats from Hermosa Brewery and soaked up as much sun as possible.
After getting sufficiently sunburned, it was time to walk to dinner, and since the Sea Sprite is about 500 yards from the Hermosa Pier, we had lots of options to choose from. We opted for La Playita, a small, local favorite with great Mexican dishes and margaritas. We watched the sunset over the ocean from their cute patio, then wandered back to the hotel. I'd be dying to take advantage of the firepits scattered around the patio, and the Sea Sprite even had s'mores kits to make the setting that much cozier.
We resumed our people watching on The Strand while stuffing our faces with chocolate and marshmallows, then decided it was time to binge Netflix in bed. The TV allowed us to stream right from our phones, so we munched on gummy bears while watching Selling Sunset and rocking the super soft robes provided by the hotel.
The next morning, we woke up early for a beachfront bike ride using the cute beach cruisers available for us to rent and watched as our sleepy little beach town woke up and started going about their days. We squeezed in one final firepit session before check out, and sipped on breakfast mimosas while we chilled on the sundeck. It was a much needed respite from the craziness of the school year, as well as all the travel we've been doing over the past month, and I know that if I ever need a staycation getaway, the Sea Sprite will be waiting for me.
I was hosted by the Sea Sprite Hotel, but all opinions are my own.