The Sea Sprite is part motel, part miracle. The fact that a budget seaside hotel which still retains a cool 1950s vibe — not contrived, but real — exists in a rapidly gentrifying Hermosa Beach a few feet from the sand defies logic. It’s due to the fact that the Greenwald family, led by matriarch Thelma and her son Darrell, has long cared more about a family tradition than the profits of the many real estate deals that could have long ago lured hotel into history.
“We’re kind of different than most places,” co-owner Darrell Greenwald said. “We’re relaxed and laid back. We get business people who want a room and want to be right by the beach. They take their suits off and put on their tennis shoes and shorts and they can walk right onto the beach.”
The Greenwald family has been operating the motel since 1963.
“We’re family run and family oriented,” Greenwald said, adding that their rooms range from small bachelor units to spacious two bedrooms.
Over three-dozen movies and TV shows have been filmed at the iconic motel including numerous episodes of CSI. All rooms have a kitchen or kitchenette and the pool is open year round.
The Sea Sprite Motel, 1016 The Strand, HB. 310-376-6933. SeaSpriteMotel.com.
Runner up: The Sea View Inn, 3400 Highland Ave., MB. 310-545-1504. TheSeaViewInn.com.
