We are an Australian family of 2 adults & 2 girls aged 13 and 9 on a budget. Girls not too keen on old buildings or museums. Travelling to LA in July (only time I can get off work).

As this is our first visit we want to do all the tourist things. We will not be driving and will be using either public transport or taxis. Is it better for us to stay Downtown or in Hollywood.

Hotel facilites not improtant as we do not spend much time there other than to sleep. Cleanliness and a comfortable bed is all we really want.

Agent has suggested Historic Mayfair Downtown or Ramada Plaza West Hollywood.

Any suggestions appreciated.

You don't want to stay downtown. There's nothing for tourists down there if you're not interested in old buildings, museums, the arts, etc.

I'd stay in Hollywood.

Assuming, of course, they also have no interest in the Fashion District

http://www.fashiondistrict.org/show.aspx?mi=2665

But I assume that by the tourist things you mean a tour of the stars homes and a visit to Universal Studios. In which case, stay in Hollywood.

I personally would not stay in either area but Hollywood would get a slight edge.

BUT - how long do you plan on being in LA? What most visitors consider "Los Angeles" is actually a massive area (over 3000 square miles) covering the best part of three counties and millions of people. The main "tourist things" stretch from Malibu to Disneyland and the Orange County and LA beaches to Pasadena. It is not a place that works by public transport/taxis. Especially for a family.

Why don't you want to drive? If you had a car you could stay anywhere - like Santa Monica - which the girls would adore.

np:

Never been to LA but a co-worker told me she stayed at Best Western Hollywood Hills and she and daughter walked all over the place to the local Hollywood sites.

Neither area would be good choices. Stay in Santa Monica

West Hollywood is full of shops and dining and you can easily hop a bus to Beverly Hills, Hollywood or Downtown. Even Santa Monica only takes about 25 min by bus.

Hollywood might be a bit better choice if you are planning on taking in Universal Studios, because you can ride the subway up there and also ride it to downtown L.A. Bus service to Warner Brothers tour, to Beverly Hills or to the Grove is easy too. Check out hotelcelebrity for a budget stay.

With four people, shuttle bus to and from the airport to your hotel could cost nearly as much as renting a car for a few days. I think it would be about $50 each way by shuttle van for 4.

It depends on what you're planning to see and do. I think Downtown would be a good place because it's centrally located IF you're planning to check out things in Orange County (Disneyland, etc.) as well as things on the other side of town, such as Hollywood, Santa Monica, etc.
Downtown also has TONS of shopping areas. But as with any downtown area, there's not much to see at night, and there's not too many places that you can just walk out of your hotel and stroll to.

If the OP says they will not be driving, it is ridiculous to tell them to stay in Santa Monica or West LA.

If they do want to go to Disneyland, it is best to take a supershuttle, bus or limo to Anaheim for a night or two, then move back up to Hollywood or Downtown. One of the advantages of Downtown is that it is the hub of transportation, but if they are near the red line stop in Hollywood, that is just a few minutes away.

That Ramada in West Hollywood is a dump. It's in desperate need of a complete gut-and-overhaul. Avoid at all costs. Travel agents tend to not know how bad a lot of their recommended hotels are (I know, I've had to run screaming in the night from some hellholes that TAs recommended to me in their beatific, blissful ignorance).

The Renaissance in Hollywood itself, and the newly-renovated Hollywood Roosevelt, would be good choices if you stay in Hollywood. Personally, I would prefer to stay more central to the majority of the touristy stuff, if that were the main thrust of my visit. That would put me in the Beverly Hills/West Hollywood area. You're also closer to the beach there. Happily, public transit options are plentiful (no! It's true!) in these communities, but the costs start adding up. Taxis will really set you back a pretty penny, very quickly. Just so you know.

As someone else noted, the problem with greater Los Angeles is simply its sheer size. There's so much to see over such a huge geographic area, it's very difficult to zero in on one "best" area. Your "No Car" requirement really complicates things too; unfortunately, the western US is Car Country, and we live and die by our wheels. Your girls would indeed be over the moon if you decided to stay in Santa Monica (a separate beach town), but at that point you would, 100%, absolutely require a rental car to see the touristy bits of LA.

It might be a good idea to study LA public transportation to places you want to visit (see www.mta.net).

Santa Monica is a great place to stay, and there is easy bus transportation from there to Venice Beach.

Beverly Hills is good, too. See www.tripadvisor for comments about Hotel Beverly Pavilion.

<<If the OP says they will not be driving, it is ridiculous to tell them to stay in Santa Monica or West LA.>.

Not nearly as ridiculous as advice to stay downtown, which is beyond ridiculous. Do you really live in L.A.??

PS, have you actually ridden on any of our public transit?

I have. I can assure you that it will be much easier from Hollywood or Downtown.