Best places to stay in Los Angeles
Endless sunny coasts, sandy surf beaches, Hollywood glitz and glamour, high-end shopping, and eclectic cuisine, are only a few of the things that make up the cosmopolitan city of Los Angeles (LA). LA boasts of over 100 ethnically diverse neighbourhoods which have become home to people from 140 different countries speaking close to 224 different languages. Choose from one of these neighbourhoods to stay, and tailor your visit based on your area of interest.
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown LA is a central hub for business and commerce, transport, government buildings and department stores. With several restaurants, nightlife venues, museums and the convention centre, this neighbourhood promises to be buzzing at all times. Enjoy a luxurious stay at The Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles set in the LA Live entertainment complex, offering chic rooms with views of the glittering cityscape. You can also look at the historic 1925-built, O Hotel for a stylish boutique-style stay on Flower Street, in the heart of downtown.
Beverly Hills
Like a glossy city within a city, Beverly Hills with its famed zip code 90210 is the ultimate neighbourhood to spot many a celebrity on sidewalks, in coffee shops and in restaurants. The famous Rodeo Drive shopping and dining as well as the stately mansions of popular film stars are the highlights of this posh neighbourhood. Enjoy the star-studded legacy, classic old Hollywood ambience, and luxuriously furnished rooms of The Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunset Boulevard. Be treated like royalty when you choose the grand and luxurious rooms and suites of the beautiful Hotel Bel Air which is set on a 12-acre lush oasis near Beverly Hills. You can also look at the modern and stylish rooms of the Mr. C hotel set in an elegant all-white high-rise building on Beverwil Drive, close to Rodeo Drive.
Hollywood
This is LA’s most popular neighbourhood, and home to famous sites, such as TCL Chinese Theatre, the Paramount Pictures Studio, and the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame, among many others. The famous Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street are lined with plenty of throbbing nightclubs, bars, restaurants and hotels. Across the street from the beautiful pagoda of the TCL Chinese Theatre, indulge in a luxurious stay at The Hollywood Roosevelt. Established in 1927, this hip, upscale hotel had the privilege of hosting the first Academy Awards ceremony, and now features chic rooms and suites named after famous Hollywood artists. A 5-minute walk from Hollywood Boulevard, you have the bright, spacious and contemporary rooms of the family-friendly Magic Castle Hotel on Franklin Avenue. The Magic Castle nightclub and performance venue of magic enthusiasts is right next door.
Santa Monica, Venice and Malibu
For surf-lovers, the sandy beaches of Santa Monica and Malibu present the perfect conditions and best waves. Venice Beach is a quirky area, known for its trendy eateries, buskers, vintage souvenir stalls and walls lined with colourful graffiti murals. In Santa Monica, stay at Shutters on the Beach hotel which blends modern comfort with the ambience of Southern California, and attracts several celebrity clients. Enjoy the friendly vibe and an eclectic, diverse atmosphere of Hotel Erwin which overlooks the colourful Venice Beach Boardwalk, just an 8-minute walk from the unique and trendy shops of Abbot Kinney Boulevard. A 5-minute walk from the Malibu Pier, you have the Malibu Beach Inn, illustrious seaside accommodation with well-appointed rooms that sit directly on the white-sand beach, offering breathtaking panoramic ocean views.
West Hollywood
Home to the legendary clubs of Sunset Strip, fashion boutiques of Melrose Avenue, posh art galleries, and a proud LGBT community, West Hollywood is a hip and expensive neighbourhood. Stay at the Farmer’s Daughter Hotel, a kitschy, country-chic boutique hotel with country-inspired room décor and modern amenities. Or consider the “go-to” hotel of Hollywood stars, the iconic Chateau Marmont Hotel and Bungalows. Set in a 1920s castle-like building on Sunset Strip, you will enjoy the hotel’s refined rooms with balconies that offer panoramic views of glitzy LA.
Cheap hotels in Los Angeles
With its many diverse neighbourhoods, finding a cheap hotel or budget stay in Los Angeles is not too difficult. You have the Mama Shelter LA, which features stylish rooms and an overall ‘just like mama used to make it’ sentiment, on Selma Avenue, in the heart of the lively Hollywood neighbourhood. In Koreatown, near Downtown LA, you can look at The Line, which features industrial chic rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows offering expansive city views. Close to the Warner Bros. Studio, you can stay at The Garland, an urban oasis set on a 7-acre plot, offering Hollywood-themed suites named after the members of legendary actress Beverly Garland’s family. In the beach communities, you can look at the Bayside Hotel on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica or the modern all-apartment hotel Venice Breeze Suites on Breeze Avenue near the palm-studded Venice Beach. In the posh and expensive Beverly Hills neighbourhood, find the best deals at Hotel Beverly Terrace, a chic boutique hotel with charming rooms set around a beautiful garden-courtyard.
