My husband and I (20s and 30s) are going to LA in a few weeks for job interviews, and would like to get a good feel for the city. I do not want to stay somewhere completely residential and removed, would rather be in an area fairly walkable and then we will spend a day or two driving around the other neighborhoods. My plan was to stay at either the Thompson Beverly Hills or the London West Hollywood during the week, and spend the weekend at the Huntley in Santa Monica (or a Malibu rental, though they are way pricier)

Does anyone know these hotels and do you recommend? Are the neighborhood choices ok given that we love to eat and drink out, and may only rent a car part of the time? Lastly, is Malibu worth the huge premium for the weekend or is Santa Monica still quite nice? (Was also considering San Diego for the weekend, but again everything on the water seems to be in the 400/nite range)

I havent been to LA since I was 13 so thanks for any advice!

I wouldn't rent in Malibu on a summer weekend. Traffic on the coast highway is horrible, and one fender-bender can cause miles-long jams. Walking (except along the sand) is unpleasant and in spots dangerous.

Where are your job interviews? BH and WH are nice locations for the walking/dining options, but if your interviews are in the airport area or the Valley or downtown L.A. (as examples) you'll need a car, a map or GPS, and lots of patience.

Here's a brand new resort on the ocean in L.A. County (Palos Verdes Peninsula). Weekend rates start around $300 but resort fees and taxes bump it up closer to $350. If you called, you might be able to negotiate a better rate. They're struggling.

We toured here a couple of weeks ago. It's beautiful. (Despite the website's menu, the golf course isn't open yet.)

http://www.terranea.com/spas-southern-california.php

I meant to add, if Terranea won't budge on the room rate, at least ask them to waive the resort fees. Their radio ads say they're doing that, at least for the time being.

Terranea would be too remote and not in a place that you can walk to restaurants!

If you are in your 20's- 30's you might enjoy a weekend in Manhattan Beach at the Shade Hotel, Hermosa Beach at the Beach House or Redondo Beach at the Portofino. There are lots of restaurants and clubs within walking distance of these hotels. You won't need a car, and these beach cities are a 5-15 minute cab ride to LAX. They are also less congested & urban than Santa Monica and less expensive & remote than Malibu.

www.beach-house.com/hermosa-beach-hotels.html (this is the only hotel located right on the beach)
www.shadehotel.com/
http://www.hotelportofino.com/

Terranea does not have restaurants within walking distance, but there have several restaurants on site. We ate at Nelson's (the oceanfront pub) last weekend, outside, by the fireplace. The atmosphere was very nice, but the menus at all the Terranea restaurants are limited right now. I'm hoping they expand their options once they become more established. There's no other night life there, though.

I checked rates for the weekend of July 25-26. The Beach House is well over $400. Shade is just under $400. The Portofino's rate is about $320. Not all have availability on Friday, July 24.

Yes, Terranea's location is remote, but it's one of those resorts where I could imagine just hanging out for two days. Or three -- one day at each pool! There are additional dining options at the nearby Trump resort.

Hmm tough choices! To clarify, it looks like we will be renting a car the whole time, but just enjoy walking to some nightlife if possible. For the beach weekend, proximity to nightlife is not near as important, just looking to relax. The office I need to go to is in century city - from the map BH and WH seem not too inconvenient but let me know! Thanks for all the responses so far, looking at photos as we speak

Santa Monica would be a great choice, I think. You could be so close to the water that moving for the weekend might be unnecessary. You can walk along the water, and go to lots of shops and restaurants.

We liked the Sheraton Delfina property there. It's very nice, and it has free parking. Just for fun, I looked at July 23- July 30, and the King room is $271, including all taxes and fees.

Hey Rachel,

Sounds like you've done lots of research already because you've narrowed it down to the right places.

For the week, if the interview is in Century City, BH is the closest (10 minutes or so to drive there) but it'll be sleepier at night than West Hollywood. If you are a NYC girl, you'd probably enjoy the energy of West Hollywood for the week nights.

As for the weekend, Santa Monica or Manhattan Beach is def my recommendation. Between the two, I'd go for Shade in Manhattan Beach. It's part of the MetLox Center (lots of good restaurants, 1/2 block from Manhattan Beach Blvd and maybe 3 blocks to the beach). It's an upscale neighborhood but beachy laid-back. Better than Malibu, which is lovely but very sleepy and a bit of a trek from the city. The Huntley would be a good choice too. Great location off the promenade, renovated not too long ago, little further from the beach than Shade. Lots of great places for eats/drinks (walking distance) including some fun ones on Wilshire (Rustic Canyon, Riva -- don't get me started on food Lol.)

Enjoy LA!

If you want to walk to nightlife, the place where we stayed 2 wks ago would be great. Le Parc Suites in West Hollywood. Also the great space for bathroom and dressing room/walk in closet would be a real plus in getting ready for job interviews. Plenty of room for 2 people to share! And you have a LR and separate BR area for the price of a hotel room. It was a really nice place in a hip neighborhood. We were able to book a bed and breakfast rate that included free parking and tax included in the price.

In March, we stayed at the Hotel Elan, within walking distance of the Beverly Center, in a neighborhood full of small shops and dining spots.

Its a small boutique hotel. Very nice staff, and comfortable rooms. Our rate of about $135 a night included an extensive breakfast and evening wine and snacks in the lobby.

Some of the others stayed at the Sofitel about 2 blocks away. Also great location, but about twice the price.

thanks for all of the advice! after this and a few convos with local friends there, i think we will stay in west hollywood for the week at the London, and spend just the last couple of days at the Viceroy in Santa Monica. Hope they are good choices!