Be A Star in L.A.

The room was a nice size and had a coffeemaker with coffee and tea packets. Every morning, there was a continental breakfast in the lobby, which was a nice touch.

This motel had been advertised in the AAA travel book. It stated that the hotel was close to L.A. and Universal Studios. Van Nuys is not the classiest neighborhood, and have you ever driven on L.A.'s freeways? It took 45 minutes to get anywhere. We experienced a small earthquake while we were there, though there was absolutely no damage, which is good.

Overall, the motel was fine, but it is too far away from the attractions.

The Marina Marriott is a gorgeous hotel. We observed quite a few weddings in the garden during the times we stayed here. From my balcony, I could see the Pacific Ocean and the mountains.

The concierge was so helpful, always giving us maps and assisting us with advice regarding good restaurants or directions! The hotel was within walking distance of Venice Beach, Cheesecake Factory, Chart House Restaurant, and the marina. It was about 15 minutes from LAX. Santa Monica was also only 15 minutes away. Even if you are a hotel guest, you must pay $10 per day for parking, which I thought was pretty high.

We drove from the hotel to Century City to watch the taping of the TV show Just Shoot Me. It wasn't far away, but it was Friday afternoon on the L.A. freeways . . . it took 1 1/2 hours, so my advice is to leave a lot of extra time for traffic if you want to go into downtown L.A. or Universal Studios.

Overall, this is a beautiful hotel if you want to be near the marina and beach.

This hotel is very close to LAX. It has shuttles to and from the airport. It is also located very close to the freeways. The room was very nice and roomy. I ordered room service a few times and was very pleased. It tasted great and the portions were plentiful. The lobby is absolutely gorgeous. Except for the proximity to the airport, this hotel isn't near anything else. I preferred the Marina Marriott because of its proximity to restaurants, beaches, and the marina.

You must dine at this place! It is so fantastic. The decorations are Moroccan. We were seated in a booth that resembled the Casbah. Everything here is made with garlic. The paintings are abstract pictures of garlic, even a reclining woman! The food tastes great too.

We started off with garlic bread, which is an understatement. There were the biggest chunks of garlic on it that I've ever seen! I had lasagna (with garlic) and for dessert I had vanilla ice cream (with garlic, no less). It actually tasted fantastic.

Sitting at the next table was Kevin James, the star of "The King of Queens." We had gone to the taping of his show the night before. My coworker started talking to him (to my embarrassment). He was extremely nice and friendly. He's from Long Island (Smithtown) and so are we, so I don't know if that was a reason or if he is genuinely nice.

So if you want to meet TV stars and eat garlic, this is the place to go. I don't know if you should bring a date with all the garlic though.

The only thing I don't like about L.A. is that you are charged to park your car, even if you are eating at that restaurant. The parking fee was $6.00. It was a business expense, but it still irks me!

Each time I have traveled on business to L.A., I make sure I dine at the Cheesecake Factory. There is so much to choose from the menu. I am a vegetarian, and I always find something to eat. We were given a choice between sitting outside or inside. I usually sit outside because you face the marina, which is gorgeous. They have propane torches when it gets a little chilly outside.

The food is great. Don't forget the awesome cheesecakes. I am always so full when I leave here, but I at least have to order one of their cheesecakes to go! This place also has a parking fee.

It was nice to walk around the Promenade and browse the shops. My coworker, the shopaholic, had a great time here. There was entertainment on the street, but of course she didn't care about that. There was a mall with retail stores. I expected to see more funky shops there, but there weren't. It was nice to walk around, though.

Love Venice Beach! When I stayed at the Marina Marriott, I was able to walk here, but when I stayed at the Hilton LAX, I had to drive. Parking is about $12, and the line just to get into the parking lot was ridiculous.

Venice Beach has a flea-market feel to it. I bought a 30-inch suitcase for only $50. The bad thing was that I had to roll it around on the boardwalk, but it was a great buy! My coworker got a very ornate henna tattoo. I bought crystal bracelets. These are where the funky sales are. She bought a beautiful mirror. Of course she didn't stop there, but I can't list everything in this small space. There are people giving massages, fortune tellers, and street entertainers. The last time I was there, a skateboard and bike tournament was going on. People were doing mad things on the skateboards! You have Muscle Beach and the basketball courts, and you can see locations that were used in movies. I always stop at Venice Beach when I am in the Los Angeles area.

I have been to four TV show tapings, and they are a lot of fun. Living in NY, we have TV shows also, but it is difficult to get tickets. In L.A. it is not difficult. I have been approached in Venice Beach to see the Price is Right. I went to the NBC Studio Tour, which I loved because I am a big fan of Days of Our Lives. The studio is right there. They took us to the outdoor set where Salem Place is shot.

We went inside The Tonight Show set, and then they gave us free tickets to the taping that night. You have to get there about two hours early, as having a ticket does not guarantee that you will get in. The staff was telling people where to sit, and then they pulled my husband and I aside. They put us in the front row. I was so shocked. When we watched the show at night, we saw ourselves. At the Sony Studios, my coworker and I saw The King of Queens, and we were in the front row for Hollywood Squares. That was really nice.

Just to let you know, sitcoms are usually only a half hour, but when you watch the taping it can go for four hours (which it did). In 2001, my coworker and I watched the taping of Grounded for Life. It wasn't on TV yet, but the best part of the show is being in the audience. The warm-up comedian was actually a writer on the show. He was so hysterical. I had been to a Comedy Club the week before, and the comedians were not funny at all. Here we were watching a TV show for free, and this guy had me laughing so hard, my cheeks hurt so bad. He asked for someone to sing karaoke, and my coworker volunteered me (I am a singer). As I sang, the actors on the stage stopped what they were doing and started to dance along with my song. When it was over, the audience gave me a standing ovation. The comedian gave me an autographed copy of the script and $50 in Blockbuster coupons. What a wonderful night. I sang in Hollywood! I was so happy.