L.A. hotels
 

My mother and I are visiting L.A. in August. We are not "beach people" and want to do the touristy things plus (affordable) shopping. We are thinking 5 -7 days and taking bus tours to see the sights. My research has shown that we should be staying in West Hollywood, Hollywood, Beverly Hills. Is this reasonable??? Although we would love to stay at the $250.00 night hotels, budget does not allow. I have received excellent rates from the Holiday Inn and Comfort Inn ( both on N. Highland Ave.). Are they too good to be true? Should we pay more so we feel better about things? We want clean, comfortable and safe ... it doesn't have to be glitzy. Thanks for any help.

I'm not sure about those places on Highland. We always stay at Summerfield Suites which is in a quiet and safe neighborhood in West Hollywood right at the border of Beverly Hills. There is gated under building parking as well as a nice rooftop pool with wonderful views.
Large rooms -- all suites with separate seating areas, and they are just completing a total redecoration of the building.
I'm not sure how the prices might change with the redoing, but we've usually paid about $139 to $159 including breakfast buffet-- and to us THAT always seemed to good to be true, for such a great place.

Whooops! I thought I'd check their website and see how much rooms were running and I couldn't find the Summerfield Suites. That's because since the renovation it has become The Chamberlain Hotel. Their smaller suites are still $139, or they have a Grand King Suite at $169 -- all newly redecorated, etc. No more complimentary breakfast though. :(

Comfort on Highland is new and nice, Holiday Inn a step down and acceptable, but I would not recommend them for two women alone only because, while the neighborhood is generally safe, there's a long two-block walk to take back to these hotels at night and you probably would not be real comfortable.

I would recommend hilgardhouse.com

The neighborhood is around the corner from UCLA, upscale and safe. The shuttle ride from LAX won't be as expensive as to Hollywood, so you'll save a little there to help offset that it is more expensive than Comfort Inn. Lots of dining and some shopping at your doorstep, you'll just have to familiarize yourself with the MTA bus system. A 7 minute bus ride drops you in the heart of Beverly Hills, maybe 15-20 minutes to Santa Monica, just one bus and a 25 minute ride to Hollywood Walk of Fame and the subway up to Universal.

Before you go, print out some bus maps. Go to mta.net and plug in the hotel address as your starting point and the address of your destination. A bus pass is $3 per day.

Hang out in the student union at UCLA on your first day, have breakfast or lunch, meet some students who'll tell you all about what to do and see.

Be sure and visit The Getty, just a 5 minute ride away. By the way, this hotel is just to the west of Beverly Hills. Holiday Inn Bel Air is also in this area, but not really walking distance to anything, though they do have "local area shuttle service". If the rates are a lot better here, consider it though you'd want to check on the hours that shuttle is available etc.

Thanks so much for the input. My mom (74) and I have decided to put out the extra $ and stay in a place we feel really good about. I have the feeling that we may be paying alot for the history at the Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Blvd. (am I right?) so we're leaning toward the Renaissance across the street. Also considering the Best Western Sunset Plaza and/or The Grafton on Sunset. I get the feeling we'll be closer to things staying at the Renaissance. Comments????

The Renaissance is close to the subway if you plan to go up to Universal or down to the Music Center. It is attached to a shopping mall that is mostly specialty shops and Starbucks-type places , there is a good Wolfgang Puck restaurant and the California Pizza Kitchen there too. Outside is the walk-of-fame and lots of tacky tourist shops. Hollywood is still pretty grimey at night so for two women alone....I dunno. I think you may be paying extra money for disappointment. The hotel itself is great...but the neighborhood, for shopping and dining and walking-at-night is no great shakes. 6 nights here would get pretty dull in my opinion. I'd go for 5 nights around Beverly Hills probably if it came to about the same price. When you leave your Bev Hills or Westwood digs for a day trip up to Hollywood/Renaissance, you'll see what I mean.

The Grafton? I dunno, everytime we drive by there coming from the Standard hotel, there's TONS of pretty young people crowding the front, making the scene. It seems like a real hip place, it may be noisy all night, maybe not the place for your 74 year old mother.

"Closer to things" depends on what "things" you want to see.

love
roxy

I like the Sunset Plaza but only if your mom is a good walker...there is lots of dining and shopping within 5 or 6 blocks...you won't have a car, right?

I'm delighted that you decided to skip the first two properties you selected. I would definitely get out of Hollywood for lodging.

The others have given you good choices. A somewhat offbeat but fine possibility might be the Farmer's Daughter Motel, across from CBS Television City and the Farmer's Market. Don't scoff at the kitschy name-- it's a newly-renovated, quite nice motor hotel. Rates are reasonable.

What kind of "affordable" shopping are you thinking of doing? That could steer some posters to suggest certain neighborhoods over others (not me-- I tend not to "shop" but "buy", which steers me to drive down to Orange County, where the sales tax is lower).

Thanks again for all the help and suggestions. We don't plan to rent a car. We plan to do a few guided bus tours. As for shopping, I dunno ... we want to visit Rodeo Dr. fully aware we won't be able to afford anything. Is there a factory outlet mall in the area or where are the shopping areas for regular people?

My mom is in great shape and can walk and shop all day long. But, if the Sunset Plaza is a 5 or 6 block walk to shopping etc. is there a hotel that would be more central for us?

calamity, I have no idea what "more central" means in LA. It is the most sprawling, spread out city in the US. I hate to tell you, but it is the number one city in America where to me a car is neither a luxury or an inconvenience but a NECESSITY. I feel sorry for you not having a car in LA, as frankly it will greatly restrict you.

Patrick is 100% correct. Without a car, you will essentially be stuck in one area. Public transportation is not that good in this area.

And I knew the outlet mall issue would crop up, and the plain and simple answer is: There is basically only one that can be considered within the city of LA-- the Citadel, in Commerce. Only 16 or so miles away from Beverly Hills (as an easy point of reference), but 16 not easy miles. The best outlet malls in southern California are in Camarillo, Cabazon and Carlsbad-- all long drives from Beverly Hills.

Happily for you, if you do stay in the Beverly Hills/West Hollywood area, Beverly Center and Century City Mall are both good shopping centers. For that matter, the area around Rodeo Drive includes many mid-level stores. Not everyone in BH can afford Harry Winston's jewels-- don't be fooled. Santa Monica has the Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica Place, as well as shops and boutiques on Montana Ave and Main St, so a bus or cab ride will get you to alternative shopping.

My suggestion is to consider staying in Santa Monica. There is a variety of places to stay, lots of dining and plenty of shopping - both mall and boutique. Very near the beach (a morning walk on the boardwalk?) and bus lines, and tours will pick you up at your hotel. It has an upscale feel and is safe. Evening stolling is very common. If you do a seach on Santa Monica you'll get a ton of info.

I second babs--you will love SM and can easily take a tour to see the Hollywood stuff. SM offers great strolling as well as that southern CA ambiance of being on the ocean. If you go to BH, be sure to ride the public open air trolley that takes you all around. It is only ~$2 and is narrated by enthusiastic young people.

Now that we have you thoroughly confused, let me say that you might get a $129 rate at Universal Hilton in August. This is a great 3.5 star hotel next to Universal Studios Tour (which is a few miles north of Hollywood.) They have an activity desk that will book your bus tours for you. Citywalk is attached...shops, restaurants and nightclubs. The subway is a short stroll and will take you to HollywoodandHighland.com A 15 min bus ride will take you to Burbank Media Center Mall/more dining or in the other direction to Fashion Square Mall. It is an area that out-of-towners should feel quite safe in, and you'll meet a lot of other tourists to cruise around with. Not sure if you're interested in Universal Tour or Warner Brothers or NBC Tour but if so, this would be a good location to base yourself at.

If you don't have your air tickets yet, maybe you can get a good fare into Burbank airport instead of LAX, it's a much easier commute from the Universal area...in fact the hotel probably will pick you up there.

clark: My caveat to your correct and good advice is this: The Valley in August?! The heat and smog would combine for a most uncomfortable experience. It gets hot in BH/WeHo, but nothing like a broiling Burbank afternoon. And let's not even think about Pasadena...!

Otherwise, your suggestions are really good.

rjw_lgb_ca is so right about the heat in the valley! We have even been hot in Santa Monica in August, and were it not for the breezes and the cooler evenings, it would have been very unpleasant, so I continue to endorse the Santa Monica idea for a place to stay.

Yes, you're right! Although I am now thoroughly confused I appreciate all your comments and advice. Apparently the only sure thing about this trip so far is that we will be using LAX as we will be flying Air Canada (my ex-husband is a captain and he is giving us passes). NOW, there is definitely something to talk about!

Again, I suggest considering Santa Monica. Closer to LAX than other places mentioned and it's a great place to base yourself while there, especially without use of a car.

Do Santa Monica hotels offer pickups from Starline Tours and other Hollywood sightseeing companies like the Bev Hills/West Hollywood hotels do?

It seems there are piles of tour companies. What one would you suggest?

Air Canada does fly into Burbank and if you're staying in Hollywood or Universal I would definitely look into it. Even if it means a plane change in San Fran, still better than dealing with LAX.

Starline Tours is generally dependable for the Bev Hills/homes type tours but you can always get stuck with a lousy tourguide so it's hit-or-miss. The double decker bus tours look fun too. Hollywood and Highland mall has tour pickups and an LA Visitors Center desk. Not sure about tour pickups at hotels in Santa Monica.

The idea to stay in Santa Monica is a great one. It will be much cooler by the ocean. You might want to consider The Georgian in Santa Monica. It's a renovated 1930's art deco hotel and is currently #1 on tripadvisor for hotels in SM. Even though you are not beach people you can't help but enjoy the beautiful scenery. Its a short walk to Third Street Promenade with restaurants and shopping. The veranda looks wonderful to sit on and enjoy breakfast or lunch. I drove by there this afternoon (after a morning rain storm) and it was absolutely beautiful. Next time I'm in Santa Monica (I go there on business every few weeks), I am going to stop and have a drink there before I head home. A good way to wait for traffic to die down.

I am sure you can do tours to Hollywood and Beverly Hills from Santa Monica. You could think about renting a car for a couple of days, if you don't want one the whole time. I know people are afraid to drive in the LA area but it actually is a very easy town to navigate. If you don't want to get on the freeway, just use the car to drive up and down either Wilshire Blvd or Santa Monica Blvd. That will take you into Beverly Hills and a little further east into Hollywood. There are some threads on this forum about driving in LA and most visitors think it's not too bad. Actually most LA drivers are pretty courteous about letting you into lanes, etc as long as you use your turn signal. I have seen less courteous drivers in many other cities.

Thank you so much for all the help and suggestions! This is the first time I've used this forum and it's been a highlight of my day checking to see the new responses and suggestions. I welcome all the help possible!

We have now decided that your advice is great and we should stay in Santa Monica. We have been searching for a clean, comfortable and really nice hotel close (walking distance) to the Santa Monica pier and Third Street Promenade. Although oceanside would be nice I think budget allots us to oceanview or nearby ... which is fine. We checked out the Georgian at a rate of $200.oo a night. It looks lovely, is that the about what we can expect to pay? Can you suggest another hotel maybe not quite as upscale that would be a little more reasonable?

Just checking further, now that you have us thinking the beach ... Marina del Rey seems to be a less expensive. Would this be a reasonable option???

IMO--boring--*much* more to see and do in SM!! Others may have more info or insights to offer...

Ocean access is always expensive. The greater Los Angeles area is a very popular tourist destination, and the prices in the better areas reflect that.

The Georgian is just about the best-priced choice with ocean views. There's a place called the Cal-Mar Suites that I've seen people recommend. Another choice could be the Radisson Huntley (it MAY have changed hands again)-- there is a Four Points Sheraton on Pico that is a LONG walk to most everything (and across the street from Santa Monica High School), but is usually cheap and certainly acceptable.

I don't mind Marina del Rey, but if you stay there you MUST have a car. Unless you change your mind and rent a car, you are pretty much limited to the areas I've mentioned. The Valley would be great in the spring or the fall, but summers are just too hot and smoggy.

rjw, thanks for your insights, patience and information.

socialworker, confused by your name.... sorry, I'm not well-versed in your geographical area, which is why I'm asking for help ... if you ever need help in my geographical area, I'll offer non-confrontial advice.

excuse the spelling error, should have been non-confrontational

HI calamity--my name is just a screen name I picked at registration on this board. I am a clinical social worker and that is the 1st thing that came to mind when I had to pick a name.

I don't live in CA but DS does and so we go there frequently and b/c he is a young man in a typical "bachelor pad", we always have stayed in hotels there which is why I have sampled many of the LA neighborhoods.

I hope that none of what I have contributed has seemed "confrontational" to you--if it has, please let me offer you a heartfelt apology!! I guess I also was confused by your mentioning that but then confusion is a state that is easier to evoke when one is "talking" on a keyboard and not face to face!! All my best wishes...

PS--what is the story behind your name?-(if you want to share)

Socialworker,
My apologies,also. I think I misunderstood the "voice" of your message ... easy to do online, I'm sorry. I've been reading too many of these messages on other forums I guess. Have you read the the LA shootings one? This poor person asked a question and everyone ranged on him. I felt sorry for him. Anyway, again, my apologies, I appreciate the advice you've contributed. Calamity is a nickname my dad gave me when I was young. It has to do with being a klutz, not having numerous husbands! :-)

RJW's idea of the Huntley is a good one. It's across the street from the Miramar and in a great location is Santa Monica -- short walk to the promenade and pier. It's also close to Wilshire Blvd., which is one of the main access boulevards east to Beverly Hills and beyond. You will be able to use the Santa Monica Big Blue bus (75 cents a ride), and it will take you to Westwood Village.

I would also consider the Beverly Hills Hilton, sandwiched between Wilshire and Santa Monica. Both streets have buses that will take you points east (although now it's the MTA bus and not the SM bus, so it's not as nice and costs more). From there, you can either walk (about a 15 minute walk) to the Century City Shopping Mall (you can also take the bus there). The shopping mall is undergoing a huge transformation right now, as is Santa Monica Blvd., so there is lots of construction going on. You shouldn't notice it at the mall so much, but the bus ride westbound on Santa Monica you will. Although there's a Bloomingdales there, it is the mall of choice for the locals, especially in summer because it's open air. The Westside Pavillion also is the local's choice, with anchors Robinsons and Nordstrom's at either end and lots of shops in between. That's on Pico, where you can catch the blue bus to the beach.

Paying summertime Santa Monica prices when you're more interested in touring & sites than in the beach?

I like the Westwood idea, especially if you're planning to take in any museums (and I'm sure you're not going to miss The Getty, are you?) Bus service is great there due to the University. 30-40 restaurants within 4 or 5 blocks, big movie theatres where you might see a premiere happening, a couple of theatres plus who-knows-what happening on campus, easy to get to Bev Hills, Santa Monica, and even Hollywood, all just one short bus ride away.

Okay, now I think we're zeroing in on the Westwood area, this is Beverly Hills, am I correct? The Beverly Hills Hilton was a little pricey. I found the Doubletree Hotel LA-Westwood on Wilshire Blvd. to be more reasonable. Comments on it or other suggestions for the Beverly Hills area?

Westwood is NOT Beverly Hills. It is the neighborhood of west Los Angeles that contains UCLA. The Village area is nice for strolling and shopping. The Doubletree is acceptable. There is a W (the old Westwood Marquis) in Westwood Village that is wonderful, but might be out of your price range.

Westwood and UCLA border Beverly Hills/Bel Air to the east and north and West Los Angeles to the west. There is frequent bus service to Santa Monica via "the big blue bus". The Doubletree on Wilshire is a 4 minute bus ride to Rodeo Drive. Ask for a quiet room if you stay here as the hotel is on a very noisy street.
The Hilgard House is a smaller hotel in a nice neighborhood but i don't think it has a pool. If a pool doesn't matter I'd probably choose the smaller hotel at probably a $50 per night savings.

Calamity, if you're considering the Doubletree, call the hotel direct and ask about their "entertainment card rate". Rooms are sometimes heavily discounted for members, and if the rate is right, you can just purchase your membership (currently $15) at entertainment.com

Luxe Hotel Rodeo Drive, and Wyndham Bel Age Hotel in West Hollywood also offer the entertainment discount at times of lower-occupancy. Usually the rate is only available by speaking directly with the hotel, not through the national 800 number.
If you're staying 5 or 6 nights, even if the card just saves you $10 or $20 per night, it's worth the price.

The Doubletree on Wilshire is not exactly IN Westwood, although it's closer to Westwood than Beverly Hills. It's probably a good compromise between the two areas and easily accessible to both by bus. But as a previous poster mentioned, it's on a busy street. Ask for a room facing away from Wilshire.