We are here at the Emerald Ball Dancesport Championships in Los Angeles, CA. This competition, one of the largest in the USA, is held at the LAX Hilton on Century Blvd. The hotel is literally blocks from LAX Airport, making it a great choice if you want to stay in a beautiful and classy hotel and yet easily get back to the airport. The free shuttle certainly helps.
One of the things I love most about this hotel is the 24 hour market in the lobby level. Competing often means staying up late, sometimes past 1am before our awards are given. At that time of night, after competing, we’re famished. In years past we used to rush down to the Denny’s a block away. Now, thanks to the 24 hour market, we have some healthier options for food.
Just a word to the wise: the rooms are a bit old. Like…. pretty old. We had to search hard for plugs for our electronics. The room seemed updated, but the bathroom told a different story. The bathroom was pathetically small, and the shower did not quite work right. It’s a shame that the standard of quality for the rooms is so much lower than the rest of the hotel.
Emerald Ball Dancesport – The Lobby of the LAX Hilton
The lobby of the LAX Hilton is really beautiful. It features a geometric design with triple-story height ceilings. The reception is located beyond the lobby, tucked nicely out of the way. I can walk out the elevators and into the ballroom, then back through the lobby to the market, even out the door, without ever going near the reception. I find that extremely convenient. Having to weave your way through people’s luggage every time you need to go anywhere can be extremely annoying.
Emerald Ball Dancesport – Favorites of LA
One of my favorite things about the LAX Hilton is its proximity to my favorite spots: Santa Monica Blvd and Manhattan Beach. Hands down, Manhattan Beach is my favorite Los Angeles spot. Fashion boutiques and ice cream shops pepper the main street. At the top of the hill sits Lemonade. In case you’ve never been to Lemonade, let me explain their genius. They offer healthy, high quality foods put together in inventive recipes and served in a cafeteria-like setting. Lemonade is great, and Simeon and I make a point of eating there often whenever we’re in L.A.
And the beach is beautiful. At the end of the Manhattan Beach Pier is a quaint old aquarium that Simeon and I took a moment to explore last time we were here. We even Uber down here sometimes just to go for a nice run on the Promenade. Manhattan Beach has become an L.A. tradition for us.
Santa Monica Blvd is good for shopping. You could spend all afternoon strolling up and down the main street, popping in and out of shops. I go through formal-wear like crazy, considering how often we travel. I’m not afraid of wearing the same thing twice. But when you travel almost every other weekend, your formal-wear can get old fast. So at this time of year I like to hop down to Santa Monica Blvd for some dress shopping. I don’t bother with everyday clothes. Those, I can get at home. But for formal-wear, the shops on Santa Monica sometimes offer things I can’t find anywhere else.
And Santa Monica has one of my favorite shops, All Saints. This shop’s aesthetic is so cool, and an aesthetic I feel really fits me. Their clothes can be edgy and sharp yet soft and feminine all at the same time. Take an unfinished, fraying chiffon hem and pair with a lacey neckline, throw in an interesting draping twist, and you’ve got All Saints. And their leather jackets? A-MA-ZING. Gotta love ‘em.
More to Come about the Emerald Ball Dancesport Championships
These were some of my thoughts about the Emerald Ball Dancesport Championships. In Part 2, I’ll describe how the competition itself went.
What about you? Have you stayed at the LAX Hilton before? Have you attended Emerald Ball Dancesport Championships? What did you think? Comment below and let us know if you’ve been to Manhattan Beach or Santa Monica Blvd!
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