lauramsgarden

Hi, we have about a 10 hour layover in LA (arriving at midnight) and I'd like to find the closest possible hotel for us to snatch a few zzzs and a shower. Does LAX have an attached hotel such as Philly and Dallas do, or does one need to take a shuttle off site? thanks

michele_d

There are not attached hotels to LAX but dozens within a mile or so. You might want to check if they have a shuttle that will return you to the airport the next day. A taxi might be the easiest from the airport to your hotel as LAX is very chaotic even at midnight. Finding the right shuttle stop can be frustrating for a newbie.

Jean

The closest is the Hyatt Regency. It's possible to walk between the hotel and Terminal 1 (Southwest Airlines). It might be a 1/4 mile, and from Terminal 1 you could catch the airport shuttle that circles to all of the terminals. The Bradley Terminal (International) at the far end of the airport is less than a mile from the hotel.

If you want a more budget option, look at the Hampton Inn and Suites or the Aloft Hotel, both located on Sepulveda Boulevard in El Segundo. Both offer airport shuttle service and are within walking distance of several restaurants of the fast food or budget variety. There is also a Fairfield Inn and Suites, but I don't think it offers shuttle service.

The big hotels on Century Boulevard (Sheraton, Marriott, Crowne Plaza, Hilton, etc.) are all full-service, and there are no stand-alone restaurants to walk to.

I agree about taking a taxi on arrival.

newsphotographer

Take an Uber instead. Uber/Lyft are allowed to pick-up at LAX in the upper-level. Their pick-up spots have signage indicating 'A' though 'E' on the upper-deck only. They are spaced equidistant, so each one is perhaps a 100 meters or more from each other. We usually wait at 'D' which is right before terminal 5 (American) and just south of the international terminal.

Moat of the hotels are on Century Blvd. Note that there's nothing to "see" on Century Blvd. and is a relatively high-crime area. El Segundo is much safer, but there is also nothing to "see." If it's just a layover go to the closest hotel nearest terminal one that the above poster suggested. Good luck!

doug_stallings

While the hotels on Sepulveda are close to the airport and in a safe area, they aren't exactly "budget". I stay at the Hampton Inn frequently for work, and it costs over $200 a night, ditto for the Aloft. There's a cheap Travelodge across from the Hampton Inn, but it looks really seedy. There's also an Embassy Suites and a Fairfield Inn (the latter is usually cheaper). There are some fast-food restaurants within easy walking distance of all but the Embassy Suites.

Uber or Lyft would definitely be the best way to travel. They are usually significantly cheaper than a taxi, but the shuttle is reliable, especially returning to the airport. It's more difficult to get it to the hotel because you have to call ahead (it doesn't just circle).

janisj

Almost all the hotels in the area have shuttles - no need for taxi/uber/lyft.

Jean

IMO, the Uber/Lyft option doesn't work well for pick-ups at LAX. The designated area is not on the arrivals level, so you have to walk/escalator/walk to get there, whereas the taxi stands are right outside the arrivals doors. I would also take a taxi over waiting for a hotel shuttle. As michele_d mentioned, LAX can be chaotic if you're looking for a specific place to stand/wait. In a taxi, you can be on your way in a couple of minutes.

mrwunrfl

The hotel shuttles are pretty easy to find. There is a big sign. Many of the shuttles are on a regular service, every 20 or 30 min. No need to call. They are free.

Taking a taxi is a bad idea. That driver didn't go tot the airport and wait in line and be ready there at the curb just to take you and luggage on a quarter mile trip for fifteen bucks.

Jean

We take taxis from LAX every time, and we live just 10-15 minutes away. Taxi drivers have been greatly impacted by Uber/Lyft. One driver told us that he doesn't get long distance fares much anymore, so I think they would rather get a short ride than no ride.

This recent thread on Tripadvisor mentions long waits for Uber after reaching the designated waiting area:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...alifornia.html

mrwunrfl

Jean, it makes sense for you to take taxis as there is no free shuttle to take you to your front door. But, yeah, my thinking goes back to the days of the Hacienda Hotel and LAX Motel. Maybe taxi drivers will take what they can get these days.

Jean

One estimate is that taxis have lost 45-50% of their business city-wide since the advent of Uber, Lyft, etc.

L.A. Yellow Cab has an app that offers promos and discounts, including 25% off rides booked on the app with a stored credit card, 10% discount for seniors over 65, etc.

MoBro

Jean

Most do, but I'm not going to name particular hotels in case I'm not up to date. I only mentioned two specific hotels upthread because I looked at their websites. People need to verify this amenity directly with hotels they are considering.

doug_stallings

Almost all the hotels offer a free airport shuttle, but meeting the shuttles is in my opinion more confusing than finding an Uber. Each terminal has only one meeting spot, and these are not well-marked with the construction (and it's not true that they all have regular pick-ups). You really do have to call some of them (the one for the El Segundo hotels, for instance, only offers pick-ups on demand, though drop-offs follow a regular schedule). It's no more difficult to find and meet an Uber or Lyft, but the warning about wait times is worth considering; they do pick up only on the upper level, but that usually means just going up an escalator instead of immediately out the doors from baggage claim. A taxi is always faster because there's almost always a line waiting to pick up passengers. They will take you anywhere you want to go, even a short trip. That's not the issue; rather, it's cost because there's a minimum charge, which is typically double the cost of a ride-share to a nearby airport hotel. Traffic at LAX is definitely a mess at times; it's taken me 30 minutes just to get out of the airport from Terminal 3 (for Delta). Under normal traffic conditions, it's about 5 to 10 minutes to the Hampton Inn on Sepulveda.

clarkgriswold

Uber and Lyft do not have a pickup spot outside the International terminal, you'll have to walk over to Terminal 4 for that. Taxis also require a bit of a walk they are not right outside the terminal exit doors like they are at other terminals.

MoBro

I don't know if this is true in LA, but in Denver this weekend, we arrived at the airport and DH wanted to take a cab instead of calling Lyft/Uber, as we usually do. Simply because the taxi line was more convenient to the baggage claim area, and we were tired.

Big mistake. First off, a couple ahead of us was asking a million general questions about Denver, of the first taxi driver in line. We had to wait, as they wouldn't let us just get into the next taxi. This couple didn't know Denver and was asking random questions they should have researched in advance. They finally finished quizzing the driver and walked away without getting a cab.

The cab we got in was nice enough on the outside but ratty inside. The driver had no GPS and didn't know where we were going, so we had to give him turn-by-turn directions. Had we been going to an address we weren't familiar with, it would have been a problem. Because the driver kept wanting to go to our address on the southside of town. Nope. We live north. Plus, it cost literally twice as much for the ride. Never again.

Jean

At LAX, the taxi supervisor would have directed you to the next car in line and the people behind you to the third car. The supervisor usually works pretty hard at loading cars as quickly as possible, having enough cars in the line to accommodate the ebb and flow of customers, matching the number of customers and luggage to the appropriate sized vehicles, etc. I've never refused a cab, but if I was offered a ratty or dirty car, I'd ask for another.

lauramsgarden

Thanks all, since the objective is to get as much rest as possible I shall probably go with the closest and easiest. I do appreciate all the local insight.

starrs

My choice would be the Hilton Garden Inn. I like the brand a lot. It offers the free shuttle from LAX as well -
https://hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com/...GGI/index.html

mlgb

Always worth calling the hotel in advance to be sure their shuttles run 24/7, too. Not all do.

For a nearby destination such as Manhattan Beach, the taxis have some flat rate addons from LAX so you're looking at about $30 if not too far away, say within 5 miles. In my limited experience, out of LAX, taxi rates are about double what Lyft would charge. (I use Lyft instead of Uber, although some drivers work for both).

The hotels on Century Blvd are a bit closer and I think they all or nearly all have shuttles that run frequently.