Becky

I'm still looking at places to stay for a family trip to LA. We want to do lots of sightseeing so we will rent a car. I know that we will have to do a lot of driving.
We would prefer to stay in a suite to have a little more room and a kitchen, but I'm looking at hotels, too. Does anyone have any information or comments about location, general info, etc. on these?

Summerfield Suites - W. Hollywood
Sportsmens Lodge
Hilton - Universal Studios
Sheraton - Universal Studios
something nice near Disneyland

We are considering staying a couple of nights
near Disney and a few nights near some of the other attractions.
Any suggestions and opinions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Becky

Gary

Becky:

The Hilton and Sheraton are practically on the Universal Studio property, and thus convenient to the tour and City Walk. In addition, those hotels are just a few miles from Griffith Park (to the east) and NBC studios (north). Also from that location, you are have an easy drive to Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, West Hollywood, and Beverly Hiils. Look at a map and trace from Universal City down Cahuenga to Frannklin, the west on Sunset Blvd--a fun little sightseeing tour. Of course the opposite route is true is you stay in West Hollywood, which is a very nice area, plus you'll be closer to the beach. After taking a few trips with my kids, I won't stay in anything but an all-suites place--ideal for comfort and continued sanity.

Thyra

Becky, I always get kind of distressed when I hear visitors to LA saying they want to stay near Disneyland. Unless you plan on staying AT the Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim is neither the most esthetically pleasing, nor interesting place in So. Cal. IMO (lots of run down strip malls). I would suggest you stay near Universal Studios and take day trips to Anaheim to visit the theme parks there. Also, there is a new Metro from Universal City that goes into Hollywood proper for next to nothing. Another good choice is the hotel in West Hollywood which is great for visiting Beverly Hills, Hollywood,(metro back "over the hill" to see Universal Studios) or the beaches around Santa Monica. Welcome to SO. CAL.

Becky

Thank you Gary and Thyra.
I am really leaning the most towards staying at the Summerfield Suites in West Hollywood. It sounds pretty central to most of the places we would be interested in seeing. Does anyone have any other recommendations?
I guess that I'm most concerned about the area of the city that the hotel is in. We've never been to Los Angeles.
I would appreciate any description you could give me.

Thyra - I think you responded to my first post about starting my research for this trip. Your help along with the other responses has helped me get a lot farther in making my plans.


My son wants to see all of the movie/TV studios that he can(although he is too young to go to most of the tapings-but thats ok) and my husband is interested in the Griffith Observatory among other things. We also would like to see the beach,etc. How is the Zoo? I've heard that the Santa Monica Pier is interesting.

Thanks for the help.
Becky

Gary

Becky:

West Hollywood: borders Beverly Hills to the east and Hollywood to the west. The main streets are Sunset, Melrose, and Santa Monica Blvds., which run in parallel east-west, La Brea and La Cienega, which run north-south. The town is a very busy place filled with smaller hotels, restaurants, clubs (comedy clubs, music clubs, etc.), and restaurants galore. If you've seen pictures of the huge billboards along Sunset Blvd., that's West Hollywood. It's a very interesting place--for more than a one-day visit, and especially at night, the area itself is rather adult-oriented.

Studios: I haven't been but have read that the Paramount Studios tour is the best. I think it's $15 per person, but there is a minimum age limit--I think it's ten or twelve. Paramount Studios is on Melrose in Hollywood, west of Los Feliz and east of Larchmont. There's a web site for the tour and show tapings:
http://store.paramount.com/studio_tour.html

Griffith Park: good for just a long drive. The observatory is beautiful, and if you have a pretty good camera, there's a great view of the Hollywood sign from there. The zoo has seen worse days--it's also seen better. Several years ago, they had some real problems, but it's a lot better now. It's big, and has some nice displays. I don't know when you're coming, but the late-summer heat can make the place not very pleasant.

michele

Becky,
Thyra's advice is excellent

The Sheraton and the Hilton and the Sportsman's Lodge are all closer to the Observatory, zoo, and the studios. West Hollywood ( I am not familiar with the hotel) is closer to Santa Monica. West Hollywood in an independent city and has some lovely areas and some not so lovely. What is the address of the hotel? I drive through West Hollywood on my way home from work and could canvaas the ares for you.

John

Becky, can I also put in a plug for staying in the beach towns (Manhattan, Hermosa, Redondo, Santa Monica or even Westwood? I think your family might find the air a little cleaner and fresher, the beach is a great resource for kids and tired feet after forced marches through tourist attractions, and there's plenty of variety for adults, too. I frankly think W. Hollywood is a more adult area than many traveling families want. The drive from the beach to the studios or Disneyland is a little longer, to be sure, but I wouldn't let that be the determining factor. There are lots of different types of accommodation in the beach areas.

Thyra

Becky, I just went online and got the address for the Summerfield Suites in Weho (West Hollywood) I called the hotel, got their cross streets and looked it up on Mapquest! Nice area actually, just a mile or two away from our house. On the boarder of Beverly Hills, and close to the Sunset Strip, I would have NO problem staying at that hotel, and in terms of things to do and visual impact of neighborhood you may be happier there then at any hotel in the Valley... Paramount Studios for example is closer to W. Hollywood. The website sure looked great! I would stay there myself.

Patrick

I just posted my comments about Summerfield Suites here a few days ago, did you see that. I just booked an apartment there for a full month this summer Aug-Sept. It will be my fifth stay there and I love it. Wouldn't stay anywhere else in the entire LA area. As to driving, my favorite thing is staying off the freeways except for long distances. We left downtown the same time as friends once in two cars to meet again at Santa Monica. We drove all the way out Wilshire, then Santa Monica Blvd, while they took the expressway. We arrived about 45 minutes before they did!

Becky

Thank you again for these helpful responses.
The more I read, the more questions come to mind.
The West Hollywood Summerfield Suites sure sounds like a good place and it would be pretty easy to find the places that we would like to see.
My main question now is the close proximity -or not?- to the Sunset Strip area. I'm sure that it is an interesting place to see, but will we have to drive by the more adult oriented clubs and strip joints(for lack of a better description) in order to get to the places we will be going? I personally think it would be interesting to see (since there is definitely nothing like that around here) but I really don't think that some of it is appropriate for kids.

Thyra - Thank you so much for taking the time to look up the hotel address and for your help!

John - The beaches are a good idea too. Which one would you suggest that I look into? Is one more convenient than the rest?

Patrick - I'm sorry that I missed your posting about the Summerfield Suites. Do you remember which topic it was posted under? I'd really like to read it.

Becky

Patrick

As usual, I can't seem to find my previous post with a search even though it's only been a few days since I posted it. Anyway, I love Summerfield Suites because of its great location, its very nice suites (usually we do a suite that has a sort of open raised bedroom area with a railing separating it from the living area that has a sleeper sofa, a couple of comfortable chairs, desk, and a gas fireplace.) The kitchen is compact but complete and there is a complimentary small health club, rooftop pool and whirlpool with great views, and complimentary breakfast buffet. They have just been refurbishing the entire hotel this past few months alhtough I didn't think it needed a thing, so must be even nicer now than before. The staff is always so friendly and helpful, and there is under-building parking with card access (push the issue and maybe they'll add the parking for free -- or maybe they only do that for us because we stay so long). Regarding the strip clubs, etc.: we seldom drive down the seedy part of Sunset Blvd, but it is not all that risque or seedy anyhow. You can walk right over the hill onto Sunset (up some steps that lead through a parking lot backing some nice cafes, restaurants and shops on a short, trendy area of Sunset, or down a couple of blocks to Santa Monica Blvd. which has a lot of gay bars and establishments mixed with other shops and cafes, but I would not call them offensive. I certainly wouldn't worry about the drive through the adjoining areas at all. We walk a lot and sometimes even walk all the way to Century City by walking through Beverly Hills (about 4 or 5 miles, I suppose) to see an afternoon movie, although no one believes we do it. In LA you are supposed to use your car to go to the 7-11 just around the corner, walking is forbidden!

Patrick

OK, I found the other post, but actually it is less complete than the posts here. See "Nice/affordable" post that I brought to the top for you.

onyxx

Universal Hilton is better than the Sheraton.

Sportsman's Lodge is for the manly man - Not quite the same ** rating as a Hilton or Sheraton.

I live around the corner from universal - I'd say stay at Universal - you'll have more fun.

Karen

Patrick, Becky, Thyra..I have been following all your posts and just reserved a room at Summerfield Suites for May 2,3&4. Excellent price! We will have a rental car, end of drive from SF, and we were wondering if we should turn in the car and either taxi or public transit around LA. We will be doing the major tourist sites, Beverly Hills, studio tour etc. Also Patrick, could you recommend any reasonably priced restaurants in the area. Thank you all....my husband and I just returned from New Orleans and the advice on these message boards provided us with the absolute best trip!

Becky

We also decided on the Summerfield Suites and reserved a suite for a week in March. Like Karen, I'm interested in the nearby restaurants. We will eat some meals at the hotel, but would like to visit some local places also.
We will be renting a car at the airport.
Also, I wondered which tours are the best for a tour of the city. I would like to take a tour so that we can enjoy the sites without having to read a map while we look.
Thanks,
Becky

Thyra

Becky, Patrick is right on the money, Sunset Strip isn't seedy at all, unless you call a bunch of college aged, rich kids out at fancy clubs seedy! Some of the most exclusive clubs in LA are there.. the Standard, Skybar, places it's tough to get over the ropes. Definately DO NOT get rid of your of your RENTAL CAR!! Public transpo in LA is so so at best...HOWEVER, Just this past weekend spouse and I took the new Metro Redline (subway) from Hollywood Blvd. to Universal Citywalk, $2.70 per person, round trip. When you consider that parking at Uni Studios os over 10$ it's a pretty good deal!
Please email me directly if you would like more info. As I mentioned I live right near that neighborhood and I have some Restaurant info/tour info that may be helpful. See you in SO. CAL in MAY

Patrick

First to Karen: Thyra is right. KEEP YOUR CAR! (yes, I know that all caps are considered shouting, but I needed to shout that one). Secondly to Becky: you won't be eating meals at Summerfield. They only serve breakfast, partly because their short-lived attempt to offer dinner was a bust --too many good restaurants in the area. As for recommendations, I'm hoping Thyra will be good enough to post some here.
Inexpensive? No, but I'd still splurge by making an advance booking at Spago (the original one right up on the hill above Sunset). It is just a shrine to me, where the entire "California" cooking started. It is not outrageously expensive and I think it totally lacks the "attitude" you'd expect. In fact, I always find the servers friendly and welcoming.
But right above Summerfield Suites is a one block area of cafes on Sunset that spills out onto the sidewalks. My favorite and a very inexpensive one is called "Chopstix" (?? Thyra is that right?). If you go down the hill (yes, you can easily walk) at the southwest corner of La Cienega and Santa Monica Blvd. is a converted gas station (at least that looks like what it once was). It's a really fun inexpensive Italian restaurant that usually commands a short wait in the bar upstairs. I don't think they take reservations. Sorry, don't remember the name of it.

michele

I think Patrick means Chin Chin ; popular Chinese cafe. Also, Petit Bistro on La Cienega; very good, very busy, reasonably priced French bistro fare ( grilled lamb chops, roasted chicken, mussels, etc). Keep your car.

Patrick

Thanks, Michele, Chin-Chin is right. I knew something seemed wrong about the Chopstix name -- wasn't that a place on Melrose at one time?

Gary

Becky:

Another popular, inexpensive place to eat is "Versailles," on the west side of La Cienega south of Olympic. It's a little Cubamn place with great chicken dishes and a very casual atmosphere. It doesn't look like much, but the food is great, and so is business--but you can almost always get a table just waking in.