Where to sleep in Los Angeles? – All the information and tips
It's important to know which area is best to book a hotel or apartment in Los Angeles, to fully enjoy what the City of Angels has to offer.
The six most popular areas for tourists visiting the city are:
- Hollywood Boulevard – The most glamorous and vibrant area in Los Angeles
- Santa Monica Beach – Beachfront hotels and plenty of fun for the whole family
- The Beverly Hills Golden Triangle – Extravagant luxury and wealth hotels
- Downtown Los Angeles – Stay in the heart of the action
- The Sunset Strip – Entertainment and nightlife hub
- Disneyland Resort – The perfect fun with the kids
Click here to check availability and prices at hotels in Los Angeles…
It's recommended to avoid South Central and parts of East Los Angeles due to relatively high crime rates and limited tourist infrastructure. We'll get into this soon.
Map of Accommodation Areas in Los Angeles
Here's everything you need to know about the neighborhoods and lodging areas in Los Angeles – to choose the perfect base for your stay.
Los Angeles is the largest city in the western United States and an important and attractive tourist destination. The city has a lot to see and do, including the glamorous world of Hollywood. In Los Angeles, you'll find amazing beaches for relaxation and fun, some of the world's largest theme parks like Disneyland and Universal, numerous excellent museums, fascinating sites, and places with iconic views where the most popular movies were filmed. The lodging experience in Los Angeles feels like it comes straight out of the movies.
- The city is a paradise for shopping, restaurants, entertainment, nightlife, sports, and everything that makes the holiday and trip dreamy
- Los Angeles is bursting with hotels of all types and levels. Since it's a spread-out city with several urban centers (Downtown, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, etc.), it's important to know where you're staying and plan your travel route accordingly.
The cost and location of hotels in Los Angeles are crucial factors that influence your trip's budgeting and experience. On this page, we'll help you figure out what’s what in Los Angeles and its surroundings, where it’s recommended to stay and where it’s not, and how you can find great deals at the best quality hotels in the city.
6 neighborhoods and cities where you should definitely stay in Los Angeles
Hotels on Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard, where the famous stars (of the famous) are embedded on the sidewalk, is the number one tourist destination in Greater Los Angeles. The area is a bit crowded and packed with tourists, but it's truly the place to get a taste of movie star glamor and the world of fame. Near Hollywood Blvd, there are many great places to stay, restaurants, shops, malls, and everything you need as a perfect base for exploring all of Los Angeles.
Click here to check availability and prices for hotels in Hollywood…
Advantages – Location, location, location – a short drive from everything you must see in Los Angeles
Disadvantages – Not so cheap and feels crowded
General level of hotel industry – Good to high level
Hotels on Santa Monica Beach
Santa Monica is a stunning city with the best beaches of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. From Venice Beach in the south to Will Rogers State Beach in the north (The Baywatch beach), there's tons of sand, beautiful people, and a dreamy Californian vibe. Along the shoreline, you'll find plenty of great hotels as a base for your vacation and trip, ideally as close as possible to the city's lively pier. Near the beach, there are many areas for shopping, dining, entertainment, and more.
Click here to check availability and prices for hotels in Santa Monica…
Pros – The Californian dream embodied – sun, sea, restaurants, high-quality entertainment areas, and simply stunning scenery
Cons – Hotel prices are often expensive, especially the better ones, but there are many small hotels at more affordable prices.
Overall hotel standard – Good hotels, where the quality rises with the level of the hotel. The luxury beach hotels are simply the peak of the Californian experience.
Hotels in the Golden Triangle of Beverly Hills
The most luxurious area in the USA also includes many large and magnificent hotels rated five stars and above. In the Golden Triangle of Beverly Hills – Wilshire Boulevard from the south, Santa Monica Boulevard from the west, and N Crescent Drive from the east, there is an endless list of leading hotel brands offering exclusive accommodations. The streets and boulevards are filled with opportunities for (very upscale) shopping, dining, entertainment, and more, all on the more expensive side of the wallet.
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Pros – Incredible quality and literally rubbing shoulders with the celebrities and the rich
Cons – Very expensive
General Hotel Standard – The best hotels in the world with prices to match. Less luxurious hotels can also be found on the outskirts of the Golden Triangle
Hotels in Downtown Los Angeles
Los Angeles is a very gritty city in some parts (in fact, most of it). Downtown LA is right on the borderline between the wealth and luxury of the northern strip (on the slopes of the Santa Monica Mountains) and areas better avoided, generally referred to as South Los Angeles. The downtown area itself is undergoing improvement and gentrification, and in some places, it’s even becoming trendy. The place is full of sites and attractions, restaurants, markets, shopping, and more, all under the shadow of towering skyscrapers.
Click here to check availability and prices in Downtown Los Angeles…
Pros – The heart of the action in Los Angeles and an exciting urban experience
Cons – You need to stay focused because there are places in downtown that you'd best not visit. Also, be sure to check the parking situation at the hotel in advance.
Overall hotel quality – loads of large and relatively new hotels in the tall towers, mostly four-star level
Hotels on the Sunset Strip
The Sunset Strip in West Hollywood is the most fun and youthful place in Los Angeles after dark. On this vibrant boulevard along the hillside, there’s a great concentration of entertainment spots, stand-up comedy clubs, excellent hotels, trendy restaurants, and more. The Sunset Boulevard strip is the perfect lodging spot for the young at heart who come to enjoy and have fun in Los Angeles until the wee hours of the night.
Click here to check availability and prices for hotels on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood…
Advantages – The liveliest and most vibrant place in Los Angeles in the evening and night
Disadvantages – Not so cheap, and sometimes noisy even at night
Overall hotel quality – many hotels of all types and levels
Family Hotels at Disneyland Resort
Disneyland Resort in Anaheim is probably the most attractive tourist destination in Los Angeles, even more so than visiting the city itself. Created from the imaginative mind of Walt Disney, the resort has two thematic amusement parks with loads of attractions and fun for kids and parents. The resort includes three themed hotels where you can meet Disney characters at breakfast and just before bedtime. On South Harbor Boulevard east of the park, there's an endless line of great hotels and motels right across the street from the resort.
Click here to check availability and prices at Disneyland Los Angeles hotels…
Advantages – The happiest place on Earth
Disadvantages – Not cheap, a bit far from Los Angeles
Overall Hotel Quality – Excellent level of hotels both in Disney's resort and at the hotels and motels near the park
How to find great hotels in Los Angeles?
How to find accommodation in Los Angeles for the whole family?
Los Angeles is a very sprawling city, with a downtown that's not so attractive (currently undergoing a revitalization process and improving) and a series of cities and neighborhoods at the southern foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, where all the glamour and charm of the metropolis reside.
It's worth finding a centrally located accommodation providing easy access to all travel destinations (Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Downtown, Long Beach, Disneyland, Pasadena, and more) and planning your travel outside rush hours, as traffic jams on Los Angeles freeways can be quite heavy.
- The beach hotels of Santa Monica serve as both city hotels and, in many aspects, vacation hotels
- Close to LAX airport, you'll find many great four-star hotels from all the major chains. Thanks to the airport's proximity to the city and its location near highway 405, staying at the airport is a convenient solution offering good access to the city's attractions, often at a much friendlier price.
- A trip to Los Angeles really requires a car. While the city's public transportation isn't too bad, parking is generally easy to find in most areas, and it's truly not worth getting into the city's guts, which can seem pretty intimidating. Therefore, it's wise to check parking options ahead of time near your lodgings or close by.
- Almost all hotel rooms in Los Angeles are spacious (especially compared to New York), providing comfortable accommodation for families with children.
- The higher the hotel quality and the further you get from downtown, the larger the rooms usually are, making it comfortable to stay with children.
- The roadside motels are almost an ideal lodging solution for a family; there are no parking issues, and the room comes with two queen beds.
Where should you avoid booking a hotel in Los Angeles?
Los Angeles is a very wealthy city (technically, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica are independent cities, but practically it's a unified urban fabric) in its northern part and very problematic in its southern part.
- In general, avoid finding accommodation outside one of the city's better areas as detailed above.
- Los Angeles has some really dangerous areas with hotels and motels that should definitely be avoided despite the price
- Within the metropolis, along the main traffic arteries, there are many motels, and it is really not recommended to sleep there.
- There are some neighborhoods in the north with good locations but really not recommended, such as Korea Town.
Kid-friendly Hotels at Disneyland
There are plenty of accommodation options within the Disneyland Resort, nearby, and even throughout Los Angeles. It's worth dedicating at least two full days to the Disneyland Park experience, one day for each themed park, including time to stroll around Downtown Disney in the complex. Therefore, it's advisable to spend at least one night close to the resort.
Click here to book special kids’ rooms in Disneyland hotels…
The Disney Hotels in the Resort Area
- Disneyland Hotel
- Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
- Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel
The Disney hotels offer the Disneyland deal 24 hours a day, including rooms with Disney decor and a breakfast meet-up with Mickey Mouse. This lodging experience is uniquely fun and something special, with costs to match. The advantage of these hotels is direct access into the parks right in the morning, without needing to drive, deal with traffic, or find parking.
Hotels and Motels on South Harbor Boulevard near Disneyland
While Disney's hotels are located right within the resort complex, there is an abundance of hotels of all levels and great motels right across from Disneyland.
- On the South Harbor Boulevard, which runs along the eastern side of the park, there is a sequence of dozens of accommodations from all international companies and of all levels
- These hotels, ranging from two-star motels to four-star hotels like Marriott, Westin, Sheraton, and others, also offer a great lodging experience at a much more affordable price than the resort hotels
Map of Recommended Lodging Areas in Disneyland
Important Tips and Information for Finding the Perfect Accommodation in Los Angeles Hotels
First, look up information about the hotel online
There are dozens of booking sites online, and all of them allow you to leave reviews about the hotel. Whether you book through Booking, Kayak, or even through a local agency, take some time to learn about the quality of the hotel you're heading to. It's essential to read reviews on Booking (reliable as only those who stayed at the hotel can write a review) or TripAdvisor (less reliable – open to anyone who wants to write).
Click here to check availability and prices at hotels in Los Angeles…
- Look for reviews in your native language – Most accommodations abroad won't bother to fake reviews in a language other than English. If you see a review in proper language (not a Google Translate version), assume it's a genuine review. Reviews in any language will usually focus on the same things that would interest speakers of that language.
- How many reviews were written about the hotel? – If there aren't many reviews, it could be suspicious. Focus on hotels with hundreds of reviews.
- Filter out suspicious reviews – The fake review industry is thriving. When you review a hotel, be skeptical of overly positive reviews (no hotel will write negative reviews about itself).
- Identify reliable reviews – The most reliable reviews are those that are balanced. If you see a mix of good and bad points in the same review, consider it reliable.
- Spot repeating patterns – If many reviews mention that the hotel is noisy from the outside, unfortunately, it probably is. Conversely, if many reviews praise the bed as super comfortable, then great, it really is very comfy… Good night.
Guy's hot tip – Take a stroll down the hotel's street using Google Street View
Google Earth has opened up a world of opportunity for travelers like us to preview our destinations. Take a tour with this cool software, which lets you check out the hotel's quality and its surroundings. Are the windows openable or are they grimy? What's the state of the building from the outside – is it renovated? Check if there are broken doors or windows and so on.
Also check the immediate surroundings of the hotel. Is the street where the hotel is located overly noisy? Or on the flip side, is the street abandoned or neglected? Are there homeless people on the street? Abandoned businesses? Piles of junk? Etc. In Los Angeles, in terms of personal safety, it's always better to choose a noisy hotel in a bustling street over a quiet one in a side alley, and it's always good to know the exact location of the hotel.
