Hotels Near Dodger Stadium
 

Hi, everyone - My husband and I are planning a trip to Catalina and thought we would tack on a few days in LA while we're there. Thinking of going to a Dodgers game. Is the stadium in a fairly safe area? What hotels would you recommend staying in that are close by? We have points with Hilton and Holiday Inn, open to other options too though, don't need anything too fancy. Would love any recommendations you can give me.

When I have gone to baseball games in LA with my daughter and son-in-law, we did not drive to the stadium. We used a shuttle bus from a parking area more convenient to their home. Googling this afternoon, I'm finding only the (free to ticket holders) bus from Union Station, where the parking fee is more reasonable than at the stadium. Sorry, I'm not finding the bus we used but perhaps someone local will suggest the name of the service or the location of the lots, if you are willing to forego driving there yourself. (I realize I'm not answering your question. Sorry.)

Did you think the area around the stadium seemed fairly safe? Seems like they aren't always in the greatest part of town. Wondering if it would be better to stay nearby or stay somewhere else and drive in.

Are there any hotels actually near Dodger Stadium? Look downtown, or maybe Burbank or Glendale. Anyway you slice it, you have to drive or find a shuttle to get there.

Okay, thanks sf, I'll take a look at those areas.

Dodger Stadium is adjacent to Echo Park. Back in the day, the area housed mostly middle class Latinos, but now it has become gentrified with Hipsters. So, to answer your question about the area, it is fine.

I personally like to drive up to the stadium just so I can have my jacket and other stuff in the car. However, it has always been a nightmare getting out of the stadium. My dad, who had season tickets for us decades ago, always went out the back route. Many people leave before the end of the game for that reason. If you shuttle from Union Station, you have to pay for parking in the lot there. I imagine you could walk down the hill, where the stadium is located, and use Lyft from there.

Regarding where to stay, downtown would be the natural choice, and you could probably find a place there to use your points, and maybe they could give you a deal on the parking. The disadvantage is downtown shuts down at night, so it is kind of boring. Personally, I would stay in the Pasadena area. I always send people to the USC Gamble House, and the Huntington Library, and there are some fabulous authentic Chinese restaurants out that way.

Alternatively, how about taking the Catalina Express from Long Beach, and going to an Angels game in Anaheim? Then you could hang out in Newport Beach, and walk around Balboa Island. Just a thought.

Burbank and Glendale are too far way if your only thing is attending a Dodger game and you're coming from Catalina.

Look at the Hilton Checkers in downtown LA. It's the closest for Hilton points, and it's in a great location if you want to explore DTLA, even briefly. The Holiday Inn is farther away, in a less desirable (but not bad) area (MacArthur Park) and would be less convenient if you plan to use public transportation. There are a couple of hotels closer to the stadium in Chinatown. The only one I would consider there is the Best Western on Hill Street, but I'm not a fan of Chinatown in general.

From Checkers, I would take Lyft/Uber to the stadium. The driver will drop you at a stadium entrance gate (most likely the one on Sunset Blvd.) and you'd walk uphill to the stadium. After the game, there is an area in the stadium parking lot where you meet up with your driver. If you don't want to make that walk after the drop-off before the game, you should go to Union Station (metro, bus or Lyft/Uber) and take the Dodger Express bus which stops behind center field and at the "Top Deck" behind home plate at the highest level of the stadium. BTW, the views of DTLA from the Top Deck, especially at night, are great.


https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/ballpark/transportation

I disagree that DTLA "shuts down at night." When I worked in DTLA in the early 1970s, it definitely had a "walking in the cemetery" feel after 7:00p, but it's not like that anymore.

We often go to plays and concerts in the Music Center area and have dinner before or after performances a few blocks away and very near the Checkers Hotel. There are lots of people walking around late into the evening.

Stay downtown, get on the red (or purple) line to Union Station, and take the shuttle from there. My husband does this often during the season and takes the Expo line after the game back to our home in WLA.

We go to plenty of events downtown at night (using the Expo line) and these days it is anything but "dead". Jean is spot on. We used to drive there and pay extortionate fees, and now I only do that if I'm going downtown at night alone and would be heading back home around midnight.

Thanks for the info. on Union Station; I'll take a look at that option too.

There's a "Super 8" that gets good reviews and is walkable to the stadium, you'll be walking with a lot of other hotel guests so no safety worries there. If you choose downtown, ask your hotel for info on the Dodger Shuttle. You'll take the subway from your hotel corner to Union Station and then hop the shuttle bus with lots of other folks. Waiting for an Uber after the game can be a nightmare and with jacked prices. The shuttles leaving the game seem to be a lot more efficient. (Unfortunately no decent hotels come to mind that are walking distance to Union Station and the shuttle).

If you are out near Santa Monica or Culver City you can just hop Metro Rail to downtown and then the shuttle. But it's a long ride, maybe 45 mins from Santa Monica to downtown and then a 10 min wait to board the shuttle followed by a slow 15 min shuttle ride. The light rail from SM is above ground though so you do get a bit of a "tour" as well. .

I agree with SurferGirl. Stay downtown. Maybe the Miyako or the Doubletree in Little Tokyo (originally the New Otani) if they are within budget or perhaps the less-desirable Metro Plaza Hotel which is very close to Union Station.

Here’s one more “yes” for the Dodger Stadium shuttle from Union Station. Convenient and easy.

Note well — if you’re going to be anywhere near the bleachers, bring sponge earplugs and be prepared to use them. There are huge speaker stacks in the area, and they can be rock concert deafening. I had to improvise with rolled up tissues stuffed in my ears when I sat there, which pretty much worked except for the worst excesses of noise. Have never experienced the like at a baseball stadium before. Ugh!

If you can use Hilton Points at the Doubletree that might work.

Unless you're in dire need of a microwave as some Trip Advisor complainer wrote, you might check out Checkers Hotel in Los Angels. I had a buddy who stayed there a couple of times and he liked it (I have never stayed). I also believe it is a Hilton, but don't hold me to that. If in the mood for Italian pasta restaurant, my favorite pasta restaurant in L.A. (Maccheroni Republic) is located nearby (11 minute walk). Also near you, Angels Flight, Walt Disney Concert Hall (free tours), L.A. Public Library (free tours), Grand Central Market, Biltmore Hotel and Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Below is review of Maccheroni Republic (been twice recently) and my California Dreaming that has stories on all these places ... need to scroll for them. Downtown L.A. has a great choice of delicious restaurants. if you need info, I would be happy to add to the post later. Have fun.

https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/mac...-angeles-ca-2/

https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/california-dreaming-1/

Maccheroni Republic is fantastic, and very moderately priced. The squid ink pasta is “ to die for”.

That shrimp dish looks amazing!

I think we're going to give up on the idea of staying close to the ballpark. I was envisioning it being more like San Diego where there's a lot of hotel choices nearby and a vibrant downtown nightlife. Thinking it would be better for us to stay further out and just come in for the game. That would open up a lot more options for us.

The area is NOTHING at all like Petco Field/Gaslamp District in San Diego. Chavez Ravine is a stadium in the middle of vast parking lots and roadways out. There is some residential sort of nearby, but it's not at all the kind of vibrant area you were envisioning (remember it was built in 1962 or thereabouts). You can see it if you click on satellite view in Google Maps. I think your decision is a good one.

I'd stay at the Hilton Checkers in a heartbeat, especially if you can use points. I'd rather deal with 2-3 miles of traffic from the hotel to the stadium than from "further out" (wherever that would be). When we drive to games from our house (21 miles from the stadium), we have to allow 90 minutes, and that's with local knowledge of shortcuts, traffic patterns, etc.

There are several very good restaurants within a few blocks of Checkers as well as numerous sights/landmarks nearby if you wanted to spend some time sightseeing.