Time to book our hotel for 25th anniversary. Looking for downtown location to be first time tourists without car, using taxis, buses and tour bus. Considering Palomar, Sofitel, London West Hollywood and Renaissance. Want to go to Getty Museum, Warner's Studio, and walk to a couple of nice restaurants for dinner. Hope to get to Santa Monica for a day.

Well none of those are "downtown", but downtown is not where you want to be. Palomar is a terrific hotel that's an 8 minute bus ride to the Getty and a 13 minute bus ride to Santa Monica beach. And Westwood has the $5 "Flyaway" bus that picks up outside of your LAX terminal and takes you within a few blocks of the hotel (long walk or short taxi hop, or ask the hotel about pickup service). Good restaurants within a few blocks of The Palomar if you don't mind walking (safe upscale neighborhood)...or the hotel restaurant is good, too. The "W" hotel is another choice near the Palomar and a couple of blocks closer to the bus stops and dining.

As for WB studios from the Palomar, you'd have a 25 minute bus ride from Westwood to Hollywood, then a couple of blocks walk connecting to a 15-20 bus ride to the WB doorstep. Probably want to book a noontime tour so that you'd avoid the crowded buses before 9:30am and after 4pm. Leave Westwood around 9:15 and book maybe an 11:30am tour, leave WB on the 2:30ish bus. Between the two, your stop is in Hollywood proper, so you can also see Walk of Fame, Chinese theatre, Kodak THeatre etc. Maybe wait out the traffic by having dinner in Hollywood and heading back to Westwood after 7pm. Or you could book the "hop on Hop off" bus in Hollywood around 3pm that afternoon, take your tour and get dropped off on the westside closer to your hotel in the evening.

Great advice clarkgriswold. We also enjoyed the Sofitel - but we had a car so not sure how the bus service is from there.

All good advice. Any other thoughts?

If you actually did want a hotel downtown, the Omni is excellent. Plenty of good restaurants downtown, actually it is the hotspot.

I like the Palomar chain (Kimpton) so that would be my second choice, but I don't think Westwood is all that convenient for your intinerary.

Huh? Westwood is not "all that convenient" for Getty Center and Santa Monica and hopping on a tour bus? You'd consider downtown convenient for that? Agree that Westwood is not convenient for WB but that's one portion of the itinerary. And there are two or three different bus connections between the Palomar and WB, or an Avis right there in Westwood for an easy one-day car rental. If they did WB on their last touring day, they could even book the Avis car to return to the airport for their flight out next day, just a 24 hour rental.

Am considering the Sofitel vs Palomar. WB is not a high priority, looking into the hop on and off bus for a few days to see the basic sights. Just want to get a sense of some of the places I've heard about over the years, walk to some restaurants and relax.

topping

Sofitel requires $55 cab rides to and from LAX airport, or a LONG schedule on public transport and bus. Otherwise it has just what you're looking for...shopping and dining nearby and more of that within 5-6 long blocks walk. Bus service is okay, not as good as Westwood which is a student hub, but you can get to the Getty and to Santa Monica in 25-30 mins.

Thanks, Clarkgriswold...what do you think about the London--I know the Hop on Hop off bus stops out front.

Don't worry too much about the hop on bus, it has stops very close to every one of the hotels that you originally mentioned. What time of year will this be? If July through Sept I would stay over on the west side to have more of a breeze, definitely not Hollywood proper (Renaissance).

Going in April. Have reservations at the Palomar now, but still wondering about the London--stayed at the one in NYC and it was great. ALso any restaurant recommendations would be apprecitated near either of the hotels. Like upscale/fairly casual, but not stuffy, continental cuisine is fine.

The Getty Center has a great restaurant, open for lunch, and on Saturday nights for dinner. Nice view, excellent food. Info is on the website. The last bus leaves the Getty at 8pm though, so you'd have to have an early 6pm dinner or take a cab back to the hotel.

Oh and the Getty Center itself is open, I think, until 9pm on Saturdays. So if you have other things planned for your daytime activities, it's nice to know that Getty is open into the evening.

Couple of tips for the Kimpton. Sign up for their In Touch loyalty program and you get a few worthwhile benefits on each stay, such as free wireless internet and a $10 credit from the mini-bar.

They don't have in-room coffee, instead you need to go down to the lobby in the mornings.

There is a decent although pricey restaurant at the hotel. Since there is not much good within a few blocks, it may be worth trying for one of your dinners.

There are some restaurants on Westwood Blvd south of Wilshire as well as in Westwood Blvd, although nothing I'd go out of my way to visit.

mlgb-
I thought there were some good restaurants near the hotel...how about within 6 blocks or so, we don't mind a stroll after dinner. Will try the restaurant at the Getty and at the hotel, but need for a few more nights!

There are some terrific little Italian joints within a few blocks of the hotel, PomodoroWestwood.com is worth the walk, there's a casual brew pub or two nearby. Napa Valley Grille, Palomino, The W Hotel, and Thai House come to mind. And you're a seven minute express-bus hop to Rodeo Drive and Beverly Hills restaurant row. Are you familiar with Yelp? You can search restaurants near the address of each hotel, then filter down to "within 4 blocks" and lots of choices will pop up.

Fantastic! I'm set! Thanks much.

Another place near the hotel that will be opening up March 1st is the Skylight Gardens, at the corner of Lindbrook & Glendon (across the street from Napa Valley Grill).

It was formerly Gardens on Glendon, before that Hamlet Gardens. It is within one of the original Westwood Village brick structures and what was at one time an open courtyard is now fully enclosed, so it's like dining al fresco but inside with a glass cover.

My husband and I have been eyeing this place for months -- watching them work on the layout, the bar, and the weekend before last we walked by as the owners were just closing up after working on getting it ready for opening. Charming couple who have lived in the area forever! We talked to them and were invited to their "family & friends" check out the menu night last Saturday night.

Unbelievably good food! Turns out they snagged the chef from Pane e Vino (that wonderful Italian place that just closed on Beverly Drive)see: http://losangeles.grubstreet.com/201...decade_st.html
And a chef from Argentina.

They are serving up wonderful, unpretentious Italian food in lovely surroundings. I checked out the menu, and it's Saturday Date Night pricing.

So here's their Facebook Page with the details.
http://www.facebook.com/SkylightGardens

I can't wait until it really opens so we can go back!

They are definitely going to give Napa Valley a run for its money -- better price points, and better food. And that's saying a lot because I am a big fan of Napa Valley.

As for the Palamino, I like their bar area and their appetizers. They make a mean Pomegranate martini (with a sugar coated glass, if requested). But their regular food is, imo, not all that and their main dining room is too lit up, so not much ambiance. The bar is filled with office workers and a UCLA 21 year old girls night out crowd.