Cheap Stays at the Beach

With summer being hot and disagreeable, you don't have to settle for 100-degree temps just because you're cheap. There are some good deals on cheap beach or near-beach hotels/motels left this year. We took a look at reservations on Hotels.com and Priceline for a family of four who want to stay Friday, August 28 to Sunday, August 30:

Redondo Inn & Suites--$99/night. Hard to beat that price for proximity to the ocean, just three blocks away. Nothing fancy, just the basics, plus free Internet. (Not even the Ritz-Carlton gives you that.)

Pacific Inn--$160/night. Located next to Seal Beach, which is a little north and a little more laid back than its southern neighbor, Huntington.

Pacific Edge Hotel--$189/night. When they say it's the Pacific Edge hotel, they mean it. Some rooms are within 30 feet of the water line on the beach in Laguna. It's the priciest hotel here, but to pay less on right on the sand you'll have to be camping.

Holiday Inn Express Dana Point--$161/night. A quick walk to family-safe Doheny Beach, the water there tends to be warmer since it's farther south than the L.A./Northern O.C. beaches.