Q. What is it supposed to be on the show?

A. A motel.

Q. Where is it supposed to be on the show?

A. In or near Newport Beach.

Q. When did we see it on the show?

A. In a brief scene in Episode 3, of Season 4, "The Cold Turkey".

In the wake of Marissa's death, Ryan is still hunting for Volchok.

Sandy, hoping to head him off before he does something rash, has been cruising around, looking for Ryan.

In this short scene, we see Ryan leave a motel office, after being told that Volchok isn't there.

Coming out of the office, Ryan bumps into Sandy, who is waiting for him outside, leaning against Ryan's car.

Sandy convinces Ryan to come with him, in his Lexus.

( When we next see them, it's night, and they are pulling into the parking lot of the motel where Volchok is really staying. Sandy tells Ryan that he has convinced Volchok to turn himself in to the police, and Ryan goes to his room to confront him. )

Q. What is it actually in real life?

A. A motel.

Q. Where can I find it in real life?

A. The motel sign that we see when the scene first opens is fake (re-used from an earlier episode), but the green & white motel is real.

This scene was shot at the Long Beach Inn, at 2900 E. Pacific Coast Highway, in Long Beach, CA.

That's on the south side of the highway, at the southeast corner of PCH and Gladys Ave, about a mile west of the Long Beach traffic circle (roundabout).

(It's not the greatest part of town, but it didn't seem dangerous when I stopped there to shoot the photos.)


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(I shot these photos of the motel in March 2010. The camera is looking south/southwest.)

Here is a map link with the exact location. And here is an aerial photo.

The motel is also close to a few other O.C. locations, including Julie's marina condo, Chili's beach house, and the Belmont Pier, the market, Volchok's arrest, the Valley beach and Lindsay's house.

Q. How the heck did you figure out where it was?

A. I had found the hotel where Ryan eventually finds Volchok (it's about four miles southeast of this motel), but this earlier motel (where Ryan looks for him but doesn't find him) had eluded me.

In 2010, I got a tip from a fan, Geoff, who had found the motel in Long Beach - where he had found other locations from the same episode. (Thanks, Geoff!)