Shandelle Battersby checks into the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa, Southern California.
Getting there: I arrived by plane from Auckland via Honolulu on Hawaiian Airlines' new flight into Long Beach Airport, a 40-minute Uber ride to the north. This Spanish-style waterfront hotel sprawls across manicured grounds across from Huntington Beach.
Check-in experience: Friendly and easy. I was given a business card with a number on it that I could text at any time if I needed anything.
Room: All the rooms have been recently refurbished to impart a Mediterranean aesthetic with a sand-and-sky colour scheme. Mine was a spacious king bedroom with a balcony overlooking the Village Courtyard and out to the Pacific Ocean.
Price: From $545 per night. You have to pay resort fees on top of this, and if you have a car you'll need to pay for parking, either at the hotel or nearby.