Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [127]
Hotel Bel-Air (Map; 310-472-1211, 800-648-4097; www.hotelbelair.com; 701 N Stone Canyon Rd; r $395-625, ste $825-4000; wi-fi) An urge to splurge is well-directed towards this classy country estate where white swans preen in romantic gardens and rooms come with private entrances and classy French furnishings. The pool is solar-heated and vegetables are harvested from the on-site organic garden. Price tag too steep? Come for afternoon tea or drinks by the wood-burning fireplace. Parking is $28.
Culver City
Staying in this up-and-coming neighborhood, with its increasingly sizzling restaurant, art and design districts, will give you bragging rights about being on the cutting-edge of urban development in LA.
Villa Brasil Motel (Map; 310-636-0141; www.villabrasilmotel.com; 11740 Washington Blvd; r $75; ) Splashed in orange, blue and green, this little motel run by an amiable Brazilian family is quite literally a bright spot on otherwise drab Washington Blvd, not far from Sony Pictures. The tropical looks continue in the rooms, which are a tad twee but come with cable TV and ceiling fans; some have kitchenettes.
Culver Hotel (Map; 310-838-7963, 888-328-5837; www.culverhotel.com; 9400 Culver Blvd; r $150-325, child free; wi-fi) This 1924 heritage hotel sits smack-dab in newly hip and happening downtown Culver City, close to excellent eating, culture and galleries. It’s loaded with movie history – the Munchkins stayed here while filming the Wizard of Oz. A mahogany-paneled lobby gives way to rooms with antique furnishings and marble bathrooms but surprisingly few amenities.
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TOP FIVE HOTEL BARS
Industry – Writer’s Bar (opposite) at Raffles L’Ermitage
Luxurious – Stone Rose Lounge, Sofitel hotel
Romantic – Bar Noir at Maison 140
Sexy – Standard Rooftop Lounge
Trendy – Zinc Lounge at Shade Hotel
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Malibu
Malibu makes for a nice city retreat and offers pretty camping, but it is rather remote from anything else.
Leo Carrillo State Park Campground (off Map; 818-880-0350; reservations 800-444-7275; www.reserveamerica.com; 35000 W Pacific Coast Hwy; campsites $20-25; wi-fi) This kid-friendly campground sits on a famous 1½-mile stretch of beach about 28 miles northwest of Santa Monica. Offshore kelp beds, caves, reefs, tide pools, plus the wilderness of the Santa Monica Mountains create a natural playground. There are 135 sycamore-shaded sites, flush toilets and coin-operated hot showers, so you won’t have to rough it. Bookings for summer weekends should be made six months in advance.
Malibu Creek State Park Campground (Map; 818-880-0367; reservations 800-444-7275; www.reserveamerica.com; campsites $20-25) Another beautiful spot in the Santa Monica Mountains, this park’s movie credentials include M*A*S*H and Planet of the Apes. Laced by a creek, the hiking here is excellent with trails leading past craggy oak and stately sycamores. The park is about 5 miles north of the Pacific Coast Hwy via Malibu Canyon Rd.
Malibu Bella Vista (Map; 818-591-9353; www.malibubellavista.com; 25786 Piuma Rd; r $85 & $125; ) Hosts Michael and Beth treat everyone staying at their lovely, if remote, ranch-style B&B (also their home) like family. It’s right in the Santa Monica Mountains, just behind the Saddle Peak Lodge gourmet restaurant (Click here) and framed by a vineyard. Choose from two rooms, one with a wood-burning fireplace and both with adjacent private bathrooms.
Malibu Motel (Map; 310-456-6169; www.themalibumotel.com; 22541 Pacific Coast Hwy; r $120-220; ) This 18-room motel has been redone in retro-on-the-cheap. Beds are comfy and draped in crisp linen but amenities are limited to a mini-fridge and small plasma TV. Come on, no alarm clock or coffeemaker? Light sleepers should