Disclosure: We received complimentary accommodations at the Shorebreak Hotel and dinner at Zimzala Restaurant during our stay. We were not required to express any opinions about our stay. As always, the opinions here are our own.
Next stop on our Pacific Coast Highway road trip took us to Huntington Beach, California. We stayed at The Shorebreak Hotel, a Joie de Vivre property, a Huntington Beach hotel that has been on my list to stay for years now. The property did not disappoint. From the hip, surfer cool decor, to the walkable location and excellent food and comfy rooms, this boutique, oceanfront Huntington Beach hotel has Hip Travel Mama all over it!
Here are 5 reasons to love The Shorebreak Hotel, a hip, oceanfront Huntington Beach Hotel:
1. Shorebreak Hotels’ hipster style: I swear I couldn’t stop taking pictures of this gorgeous property, furniture and style details. The vibe of the property is surfer cool meets mid-century modern.
2. Walkable location: One of the most centrally located Huntington Beach hotels, it sits right on the Pacific Coast Highway, overlooking the Huntington Beach pier. I was concerned at first about it being noisy on the highway, but with the sliding door to our balcony shut, it was blissfully quiet. The hotel sits just above the heart of the downtown Huntington Beach shopping and restaurants so everything is within walking distance.
3. Dinner at Zimzala Restaurant: We had dinner at Zimzala during our stay and the food and drinks were fabulous. We started off dinner with a couple of fun cocktails – I had the Strawberry Basil and my husband had the Blood Orange Margarita. For dinner, I had the Pan Seared Sea Scallops and my husband had the Australian Rack of Lamb. Our kids each selected their own meal from the kid-friendly menu and we all loved Zimzala’s signature Soft, House-made Pretzels with Sea Salt and Stone IPA Beer Cheese. YUM right? There is ample seating outside, as well as in the gorgeous dining room.
4. Ped-A-Go bike rental packages: The hotel has a bike rental package hotel deal with bike rental shop, Pedego. You can rent one of their cool electric bikes, or a regular beach cruiser and set off down the beach to tour Huntington beach like a local. Pedego had a limited number of smaller bikes for our younger kids, so if you need a tandem, or a kid sized bike, consider renting those down the street on Main at Bargain Bike Rentals.
5. The outdoor fire pits. At night, The Shorebreak Hotel’s courtyard is illuminated by a collection of contemporary outdoor fire pits, perfect to relax with the family and a enjoy a glass of wine in the warm SoCal evening air.
What to do in Huntington beach with kids? Here are a few of our favorite stops
1. Eat at Bruxie. Across the street from the Shorebreak Hotel, eat breakfast at Bruxie waffle house. Sweet or savory, these waffles are to die for and were a great start to the day.
2. Explore the International Surf Museum. This tiny museum can take you less than 10 minutes to walk through, or you can spend more time getting to know each exhibit with the local experts. We learned so much about the history of the Huntington Beach pier, the community and the legendary surfers who have surfed the shores of this small beachfront town. If you are a surfing fan, it is definitely worth a stop!
3. Rent beach cruisers. No trip to Huntington Beach is complete without a stroll down the Huntington beachfront on a bike. Grab a picnic lunch, or stop at one of the many snack shops and restaurants along the boardwalk.
4. Go shopping in Huntington Beach. H&M is just downstairs from the hotel and there are several boutiques selling vintage and vintage-inspired clothing, accessories and surfing gear.
Our only regret? We came at a crazy time with the end of the US Open of Surfing and we only had one night to explore the hotel. We will most certainly be back!