Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [123]
West Hollywood & Mid-City
With its trendy nightlife, shopping and dining, West Hollywood is a perfect choice for the lifestyle crowd and urban explorers. Mid-City still puts you close to, but not in the middle of, the action but is excellent for easy access to Museum Row.
BUDGET
Orbit Hotel & Hostel (Map; 323-655-1510, 877-672-4887; www.orbithotel.com; 7950 Melrose Ave; dm incl tax $20-22, r incl tax $60-100; ) Fun-seekers should thrive at this retro-styled hostel within staggering distance of hip shopping, boozing and dancing. Staff-organized movie nights, Sunday barbecues and club shuttles are ideal for meeting up with fellow-minded travelers. Dorms sleep six in full-size beds and have lockers, while private rooms come with TV; all rooms have a private bathroom.
Saharan Motor Hotel (Map; 323-874-6700; www.saharanhollywood.com; 7212 W Sunset Blvd; r incl breakfast $85-95, child under 12 free; wi-fi) The cool neon sign should tip you off that this property is not exactly of recent vintage, but thanks to a makeover it’s a value-for-money pick, at least if you’re not too picky. It’s reasonably close to nightlife and sights and across from a big supermarket, but the adjacent strip clubs probably don’t make it ideal for families.
Beverly Laurel Motor Hotel (Map; 323-651-2441, 800-962-3824; 8018 Beverly Blvd; r $95-120; ) Ride the retro wave on the cheap at this slicked up 1950s motel near the Farmers Market/Grove. Rooms wrap around a tiny pool and are just above basic, but framed photographs and diamond-patterned bedspreads add a stylish touch. The attached Swingers hipster diner Click here makes colossal burgers and wicked Bloody Marys. Pet-friendly.
Cinema Suites (Map; 323-931-0604; www.cinemasuites.biz; 925 S Fairfax Ave; s/d $100/120; ) It’s not the fanciest B&B but the location is central, the price is right and you’ll be sleeping in a wi-fi-enabled old Hollywood mansion where Greta Garbo used to buy her fur coats. The three rooms share a bathroom, and there’s a kitchen where you can help yourself to a simple breakfast anytime. Check-out is at a hangover-friendly 2pm.
MIDRANGE
Grafton on Sunset (Map; 323-654-4600, 800-821-3660; www.graftononsunset.com; 8462 W Sunset Blvd; r $120-280, ste $350-600, child under 18 free; wi-fi) We like this charismatic boutique hotel for its feng shui aesthetic, enormous swimming pool, and rooms sporting such nifty touches as organic bath amenities, iPod docks and plush robes. Staying here puts you within a whisker of the strip’s high-velocity club scene (ask the concierge about VIP access). Stargazers should scan the crowd at the hotel’s Balboa bar and steak house. Parking is $24.
Secret Garden B&B (Map; 323-656-3888, 877-732-4736; www.secretgardenbnb.com; 8039 Selma Ave; r incl breakfast $125-170; wi-fi) Near the Sunset Strip, this gay-friendly hideaway has a romantic Rapunzel tower tucked away in a dreamy garden and a charismatic owner-chef who whips up magical meals on an antique stove. All five rooms bulge with character and eclectic furnishings. For more privacy book the separate guesthouse with slate floor and a sleigh bed.
Standard Hollywood (Map; 323-650-9090; www.standardhotel.com; 8300 W Sunset Blvd; r $150-275, ste $500; ) Kind of yesterday’s news but still a good standby, this Sunset Strip haunt has you shacking up in shagadelic rooms with silver beanbag chairs, orange-tiled bathrooms and Warhol poppy print curtains. Its ‘hidden’ Purple Lounge (enter from Sweetzer) still sees some A-listers like James Blunt popping by for beers. Parking costs $24.
Farmer’s Daughter Hotel (Map; 323-937-3930, 800-334-1658; www.farmersdaughterhotel.com; 115 S Fairfax Ave; r $160-250; ) Denim bedspreads and rocking chairs give this flirty farmhouse, ah, motel, a contempo ‘urban cowboy’ vibe. It draws a mixed-age,