We'll be in Los Angeles in August - which is the best location for us - 50 ish people - anyone heard of Maison 140? What about the Sofitel in W. Hollywood? The Carlyle Inn in W. Hollywood? We like smaller hotels although my friend recommends the Beverly Hilton for convenience as they have a free shuttle for 3 mi. radius. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks!

Assuming that you're not a gay couple, I'd opt for Beverly Hills. While not all of Hollywood is gay, they do make up a big portion of the population. And unfortunately Hollywood isn't near as glamourous as it appears on tv and movies. Beverly Hills is a much nicer area of LA and this is where I would recommend staying.

Susan,
From the outside the Sofitel does not impress me. It's across the street from the two shopping malls and on a very congested intersection. It's also big.

I haven't heard of Maison 140. Do you have an address? The Beverly Hilton is also large, but recently renovated, hosts a dance (ballroom)club ( The Coconut Grove) and is located between Beverly Hills and Westwood. I think the shuttle would be a huge advantage. I assume it could drop you off on Rodeo Drive for some window shopping or take you to the Geffen theatre in Westwood if you'd like to see a show.

As for West Hollywood versus Beverly Hills, there's a lot of construction going on in West Hollywood which makes driving difficult right now. BH is far calmer.

Michele
PS I like Hollywood. It's changed a great deal in the last few years ( see Thyra's posts on this). But, then again, I like a little grit in my life.

The Beverly Hilton is a good choice, but I personally would want to be in Santa Monica. There's a wonderful B&B in a quiet part of Santa Monica called the Channel Road Inn or you could consider the old Shangri La. In August Santa Monica will be the coolest part of Los Angeles and it's nice to walk on the beach or out onto the pier. You'll need a car by the way, wherever you stay in LA.

The Sofitel is a fabulous hotel. It's a lot cozier than it appears to be on the outside. The rooms are wonderful - be sure to ask for a room on the 10th floor facing the Hollywood Hills with a private balcony. The room service food is from the hotel's French restaurant, and it is great, and reasonably priced! All the service at the hotel is good, prompt, and friendly. There's a nice outdoor pool that is usually empty. Don't let the mall across the street influence you - the hotel is a great place to stay - I've been there three times in the past 3 months. You'll feel as though you have privacy; even though you're in a "large" hotel, it has a smaller feel to it.

Other nice touches at the Sofitel - complimentary Evian water by the bed, plush bathrobes, high quality French toiletries, cd-player alarm clock, nice sized bathroom with private toilet area.

Two thumbs down for the Beverly Hilton! It is HUGE and the service is awful. The Sofitel is really nice and in a great location for restaurants and fun boutique shopping. Santa Monica is also a great area...I recommend the Loews.

We just returned from a week in Santa Monica with our whole family and really enjoyed it. We stayed at the Loews hotel on the beach and even though its quite expensive it was a great choice for us. Not a huge hotel and very good service/atmosphere.

The weather at the beach was glorious and Santa Monica has alot to do plus you are close to Westwood & Beverly Hills. But you would need a car if you want to leave Santa Monica and venture over to BH or elsewhere. We went to Hollywood to see Lion King and i would never want to stay in Hollywood but its fun to drive around. Beverly Hills on the other hand is lovely but pricey, although i have heard you can get good rates at the Beverly Hilton, also i think the Beverly Hills Hotel would be fun to stay at sometime just because its been around so long & still looks elegant!

thanks for all the great advice - now I'm totally confused. The Maison 140 is on S. Lasky Drive in Beverly Hills.

We will have a car, however the Loews in Santa Monica is too expensive. So, should we stay at the Beverly Hilton or the Sofitel?

We will be in L.A. for two nights on our way to San Francisco driving up the coast.

Thanks again!!!!!