asimm

hi
i am trying to find a decent comfy hotel for a couple in downtown or Hollywood areas but can't find any, rather everything is above 225$

Well be there i around June 15 for 6 nights
any suggestions

Anaheim can offer few, will it be a good idea to rent a car and stay at Anaheim. I would be visiting Universal and maybe Disney for 1 day each

The rest we would be covering all major tourist spots as this is our first trip

is parking expensive ?

thanks

sylvia3

Stay near the parks you are visiting for those days, then near the freeways you need for the others. Chain hotels are your best bet. If you aren't used to it, driving on the freeways is shear misery.

asimm

How about staying at PASADENA for the whole LA trip and having a rented car

marvelousmouse

No, I don’t think it would be a good idea. You’d spend a lot of time driving. Maybe consider staying fewer days, so you can increase your budget?

ETA: you need a car regardless of where you stay imo. So factor in parking no matter what. LA is just really spread out.

asimm

I thought Pasadena is about 10miles to downtown LA

marvelousmouse

I think you might be underestimating traffic. Distance is not the issue.

janisj

That 10 miles can take FOREVER to drive at the wrong times of day.

When you do see hotels rates -- you need to factor in the state and local taxes that are not generally included in the published rates. Together they will add 10% to 12+% to the costs. And even some fairly down market properties are now adding 'Resort fees'.

The problem with having a blanket budget for accommodations - some place simply cost more. $150 would be generous in some areas but not in most urban or tourist areas of California. If you found a place under $150 (if that included the taxes) I'd be concerned about it's location, cleanliness, safety, etc and do a LOT of searching for reviews.

Try booking.com and use the $ room rate filter to see what's available. If you find one you like, post it here and we can tell you if it is OK. (the reviews on Booking are pretty reliable because ONLY people who have actually stayed there can post reviews)

jamie99

Room tax in Los Angeles is 15% per night so you are looking at a hotel costing $135 or so before tax. That is a pretty low budget for the 2nd largest city in the US and during peak travel season on top. Look at Dixie Hotel, Coral Sands, Wilshire Crest, etc. I plugged your dates into Booking.com and there is not a lot in your price range. I did see the Travelodge in your budget using Hollywood as a filter.
You can also look at a vacation rental although they are illegal in a number of cities including many of the beach cities and West Hollywood. CIty of LA is looking into passing a measure greatly restricting them to no more than 120 days per year and the host has to live on the premises.

janisj

Thanks -- I should have looked up the TOT in LA --- my 10-12% was a guess (based on where I live up north).

asimm

Taxes are about 14%

Doxie seems better in terms of Quality of room. Let's suppose I stay at Dixie or Traveloadge for first 3 days in LA ,, without a car, is that ok

on my return from SF etc I will rent a car for 2-3 days to visit Universal studios and other far off areas and maybe stay at a budget hotel in Anaheim

pls advise

marvelousmouse

The Dixie does look better than the travelodge, I’ll give you that. I don’t think I’d stay at either, personally, but if you’re comfortable with the reviews, then it would probably be fine.

I still think you should have a car the whole time in LA. One of the few “perks” of the Dixie is free parking. I’ve been to LA both with and without a car, and it’s much better with a car.

janisj

asimm: You are visiting high room rate places like SF, LA etc. And if that isn't hard enough, taxes and fees will add even more $$

Really cheap properties are really cheap for a reason.

PaulRabe

Check out BetterBidding.com, and AFTER doing so (and ONLY after doing so), go to Hotwire & Priceline. In the former, you can (usually) figure out exactly what hotel you're "blind" buying, which (in my case, anyway) can result in paying a 2-star price for a 4-star hotel. Priceline requires that you be VERY careful as you blindly bid, as you could end up with a really nice place, but twenty miles from where you were hoping to stay -- and you're then 100% stuck with going there.

I've used both in Orange County, Manhattan, and downtown Philadelphia -- and have been completely happy with both.

jamie99

The Dixie has FREE parking per their website, so I would have the car while there (Universal is very close to that hotel via Metro or car, also close to Walk of Fame and the other usual Hollywood junk).
About | The Dixie Hollywood Hotel, Los Angeles, CA
Room tax in Orange County, where Anaheim and Disneyland are, is 17% per night, although there is more budget lodging available there compared to LA.

Christina

I think you can get a hotel at that rate in Koreatown. I saw a couple Wyndam properties that were that rate. One near WIlshire and the WIltern theater. That isn't exactly where you said you wanted, but not that far. THe Ramada on Wilshire is near a metro stop also and there are rooms for less than your budget, it appears (like around $130 with taxes). Also the Days Inn on Sunset Blvd is just a bit above what you want with taxes. So those aren't so bad IMO. I think the one on Wilshire even has free parking. They both get some complaints on TA, but sounds like you get what you pay for.

Jean

Is there a reason you're visiting L.A. twice? If you consolidated your nights in L.A., you'd save the time and money that multiple transits through airports involves.

If you need to visit S.F. between the two stays in L.A., then look into flying to Burbank on the second visit. It's closer to Universal Studios and easier/faster to navigate than LAX.

As to which hotel works best, you have to consider more than just the rate. You haven't detailed your sightseeing plans, but you'll save time and money if you stay at a location central to what you want to do, especially for those days without a car.

marvelousmouse

They fly in and out of LA, Jean. He’s got multiple threads going. Basically they’re doing a California tour, although I’ve lost track of what order/what destinations he’s actually trying to visit.

you might want to check dates, OP, SF is a convention town.

and try to hit the theme parks midweek.

asimm

Thank you all for guiding me on the hotels in LA and I am trying to have a look at them and then discuss it here again

regarding my route, yes we are visiting CALIFORNIA and around. may I take this opportunity to also understand the route which I need to take to visit following in a car

Arrive and depart from Los Angeles, that is why we have to be here 2 times

need to visit Las Vegas, San Diego , Yosemite, Drive through Pacific Highway and visit Big sur, Pismo etc & maybe add Redwoods NP, then SF

which route to follow and from where to rent a car

sylvia3

All that in 6 days?!

Jean

"... need to visit Las Vegas, San Diego , Yosemite, Drive through Pacific Highway and visit Big sur, Pismo etc & maybe add Redwoods NP, then SF..."

Plus Disneyland, Universal Studios, L.A. AND driving all the way??? Impossible in less than 3 weeks.