L.A.-area hotels sheltering fire evacuees

Note: This story first appeared in Travel Weekly

LOS ANGELES – Some hotels in the Los Angeles area were shuttered Wednesday, while others were offering assistance, as wildfires tore through parts of Los Angeles County. California Governor Gavin Newsome declared a state of emergency as the flames destroyed homes and businesses.

Hotels along Southern California's coast issued operational updates amid the region's ongoing fires, with conditions varying from complete closures in Malibu to properties in Santa Monica that remained open and were sheltering evacuees.

The Malibu Beach Inn said on its website that it had temporarily closed due to mandatory evacuations from the Palisades Fire. The oceanfront property was directing guests to contact them via email or phone for questions about reservations.

The Surfrider Malibu has also suspended operations, citing high winds and the continuing threat of fires. The hotel said via Instagram that it would remain closed until evacuation orders are lifted and officials confirm it is safe to reopen.

Further south in Santa Monica, the situation as of midday Jan. 8 appeared to be less severe. A spokesperson from the Fairmont Miramar said that the hotel remained outside the mandated evacuation area, though it was currently under an evacuation advisory. The hotel said it is receiving real-time updates from the Santa Monica Fire Department and local authorities.

On Instagram, the Sandbourne Santa Monica, which is part of Marriott's Autograph Collection, announced special rates for affected residents and evacuees. The hotel is offering a rate to those who can present valid identification showing a Palisades or Santa Monica address.

The Regent Santa Monica Beach also said it remained operational and was able to provide shelter to those displaced by the fires.

Santa Monica Travel & Tourism published a list of hotels that were offering discounts or waiving resort fees for evacuated residents.

While there are no evacuation orders in Santa Monica, Santa Monica Travel & Tourism is closely monitoring the Palisades Fire," it said. "Residents and visitors are asked to avoid nonessential travel in northern portions of the city to facilitate evacuations and assist first responders."

According to TravelAge West, a sister publication to Travel Weekly, other hotels and accommodations in the area were offering discounted or free stays to displaced residents.

One of those hotels, Shutters on the Beach, said it has been offering shelter to those displaced by the fires. As of January 8, the property said it was at capacity.