California Dreaming...
The Beach House at Hermosa Beach - May 2024
The Beach House at Hermosa Beach - May 2024
Life is like a box of chocolates …
To quote the great philosopher Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
I say this because it’s the thinking I use when evaluating bidding opportunities at industry silent auctions, such as SITE, IRF and SITE Texas.
The choice to bid is easy when it’s a property or destination I already know and enjoy, but rolling the dice on the unknown and taking a chance is another conversation entirely—just like a box of chocolates.
I was not disappointed.
Into the unknown – The Beach House at Hermosa Beach!
There was one more stop we had to make on our way back home from Reno. We were boarding a flight to LA for a two-night stay at a boutique hotel I knew nothing about. Spoiler alert - I love a good surprise.
A short 30-minute Uber ride from LAX, and we arrived at The Beach House at Hermosa Beach, a smallish, boutique-style property—low-key, with a subtle upscale vibe. Why there? To use the certificate!
About The Beach House - it offers large, well-appointed rooms with a step-down parlor area leading to your deck for views of the beach, ocean, and glorious sunsets. The property is well suited for small incentive programs, board meetings, and retreats. With the exception of no on-property restaurant, it really doesn’t seem to lack anything. A well-appointed complimentary continental breakfast is available daily, and nearby dine-in, delivery, and catering options abound.
Taking a quick look around, you’ll see beach volleyball, bikes, and skateboards, and maybe a few surfers in almost every direction—all wrapped in a classic low-key sense of place with a relaxed and chill air about it and just the slightest hint of an upscale SoCal vibe and beach town quirkiness.
Think the Dude (if you know, you know) but with a nicer shirt and expensive shorts.
The best way to describe the property would be as well-appointed, subtle luxury with a hint of easygoing surf culture. Once again, the Dude.
Fronting the beach, out your door, it’s a pleasant three minute walk to the Strand with its shops, multiple restaurants, and an almost quarter-mile long pier jutting out into the Pacific, To see and experience the Strand and pier in person is worth ignoring any consideration you might have had that it wasn’t worth it. But again, I was just there to use the certificate.
My one personal disappointment concerning the Beach House is I didn’t take the time to do any meaningful research into what I had bought, so my blind spot was huge! Lesson learned. I hate it when I outsmart myself. But I was just there to use the certificate.
Care to get a look at the property and surrounding area? Follow this for my YouTube channel (My Incentive Life) link: https://youtu.be/HL6ZpDWXqqs I hope you enjoy it.
You might wonder why I keep saying, “I was just there to use the certificate.” I’m making the point that in our industry, we all see amazing properties, and there are times when a lack of familiarity with a destination or property might keep it out of consideration.
My ”just there to use the certificate” approach allowed me to walk in with no real expectations and come away with a positive experience and a smile. My goal for every attendee when a program wraps is to have them walk away with just that: a positive experience and a smile. I think we can all agree on that.
So the next time you see a property you don’t know at a Silent Auction, put in a bid! The money will probably be going to a good cause, and you might get to experience something that should have been on your radar all along!
Happy travels!
To quote the great philosopher Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
I say this because it’s the thinking I use when evaluating bidding opportunities at industry silent auctions, such as SITE, IRF and SITE Texas.
The choice to bid is easy when it’s a property or destination I already know and enjoy, but rolling the dice on the unknown and taking a chance is another conversation entirely—just like a box of chocolates.
I was not disappointed.
Into the unknown – The Beach House at Hermosa Beach!
There was one more stop we had to make on our way back home from Reno. We were boarding a flight to LA for a two-night stay at a boutique hotel I knew nothing about. Spoiler alert - I love a good surprise.
A short 30-minute Uber ride from LAX, and we arrived at The Beach House at Hermosa Beach, a smallish, boutique-style property—low-key, with a subtle upscale vibe. Why there? To use the certificate!
About The Beach House - it offers large, well-appointed rooms with a step-down parlor area leading to your deck for views of the beach, ocean, and glorious sunsets. The property is well suited for small incentive programs, board meetings, and retreats. With the exception of no on-property restaurant, it really doesn’t seem to lack anything. A well-appointed complimentary continental breakfast is available daily, and nearby dine-in, delivery, and catering options abound.
Taking a quick look around, you’ll see beach volleyball, bikes, and skateboards, and maybe a few surfers in almost every direction—all wrapped in a classic low-key sense of place with a relaxed and chill air about it and just the slightest hint of an upscale SoCal vibe and beach town quirkiness.
Think the Dude (if you know, you know) but with a nicer shirt and expensive shorts.
The best way to describe the property would be as well-appointed, subtle luxury with a hint of easygoing surf culture. Once again, the Dude.
Fronting the beach, out your door, it’s a pleasant three minute walk to the Strand with its shops, multiple restaurants, and an almost quarter-mile long pier jutting out into the Pacific, To see and experience the Strand and pier in person is worth ignoring any consideration you might have had that it wasn’t worth it. But again, I was just there to use the certificate.
My one personal disappointment concerning the Beach House is I didn’t take the time to do any meaningful research into what I had bought, so my blind spot was huge! Lesson learned. I hate it when I outsmart myself. But I was just there to use the certificate.
Care to get a look at the property and surrounding area? Follow this for my YouTube channel (My Incentive Life) link: https://youtu.be/HL6ZpDWXqqs I hope you enjoy it.
You might wonder why I keep saying, “I was just there to use the certificate.” I’m making the point that in our industry, we all see amazing properties, and there are times when a lack of familiarity with a destination or property might keep it out of consideration.
My ”just there to use the certificate” approach allowed me to walk in with no real expectations and come away with a positive experience and a smile. My goal for every attendee when a program wraps is to have them walk away with just that: a positive experience and a smile. I think we can all agree on that.
So the next time you see a property you don’t know at a Silent Auction, put in a bid! The money will probably be going to a good cause, and you might get to experience something that should have been on your radar all along!
Happy travels!
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