Where to stay in Los Angeles, California, USA — the best neighborhoods for both a short visit and a longer stay. Advantages of each district, hotel and apartment recommendations, transportation, and attractions.
The best areas to stay if you’re on a business trip, sightseeing, shopping, or a beach vacation. Various accommodation options from budget-friendly to luxurious.
Important! Los Angeles and California, in general, are among the cities and regions in the USA where you’ll need a car. It’s the optimal and most comfortable way to get around the city and explore the interesting places in the state of California.
Can you manage without a car? Yes, you can. But you’ll see much less because public transportation in California exists but is limited.
You can rent a car in the USA on the Rentalcars website — it’s like Booking but for the world of cars.
Los Angeles: General Information
Los Angeles is located in the south of the state of California, USA. It’s considered one of the most famous cities in America, alongside New York.
The city combines beautiful architecture, top-notch film studios, museums, shopping, urban culture, and natural oases, making Los Angeles one of the most diverse cities on the planet.
As we have friends living here, we’ve been fortunate to visit many times over the past decades.
The city is not ordinary and, in fact, consists of several separate cities and districts connected by common infrastructure.
Simply pointing a finger on the map to choose a place to stay won’t work. There are too many nuances, differences, and contradictions.
Choosing a district to explore the city depends on your goals and financial capabilities. The good news is that there’s accommodation here for any budget, and the choice of attractions and interesting places in the city is enormous.
The main attractions can be found in this article, written for me by my friend, a Los Angeles resident.
The climate in Los Angeles is warm, with temperatures often reaching +30–32°C in summer, comfortable +25°C in autumn, and around +18°C in winter, although temperatures can drop to +10°C in the morning and evening. It’s best to visit this city in the fall, winter, or spring. Summer is also comfortable, but there are significantly more tourists, and prices are higher.
Public transportation in Los Angeles does exist but is not highly developed. There are buses and a metro, with routes passing through areas such as downtown (city center), Hollywood and Universal City, and some other districts.
The ideal transportation for this city is a car. The main advice for travelers in Los Angeles — rent a car. You can manage without one, but you’ll spend considerably more time, and the choice of interesting places will be limited.
Los Angeles has several airports. The main airport is Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The area around the airport is called LAX, according to the international three-letter code.
Best Areas to Stay in Los Angeles
West Hollywood
“West Hollywood,” abbreviated as WeHo, is considered one of the most popular districts in Los Angeles, thanks to its diverse entertainment for travelers and locals. In this area, you’ll find attractions such as the Walk of Fame, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Robertson Boulevard, Santa Monica Boulevard, and Sunset Boulevard. It’s a paradise for shopaholics with the Highland shopping center on Highland Avenue, featuring about 70 shops, restaurants, cinemas, and nightclubs.
From West Hollywood, it’s easy to reach other parts of the city by metro or bus — Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Downtown, and more.
West Hollywood offers plenty of accommodation, including some of the best hotels in Los Angeles.
Advantages of the area:
- Attractions within walking distance
- Nightlife and entertainment
- Shopping
- Accessibility to other districts
Hotel and apartment recommendations:
Brand New Luxury Apartment WeHo — an optimal choice in terms of price and quality.
Ramada Plaza by Wyndham West Hollywood Hotel & Suites — a budget option.
Sunset Marquis Hotel — an excellent business-class hotel with a pool and breakfast.
The Charlie West Hollywood — a cozy and upscale hotel.
Le Parc at Melrose — the best luxurious option for any type of stay.
Santa Monica
Santa Monica is a city located in southern California and is part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It gained popularity among travelers in the 80s.
The area has several advantages:
- Beach zone
- Various accommodation options
- Shopping
- Cafes and restaurants
- Promenade for walks
- Pacific Park
- Santa Monica Pier
- Transportation accessibility: buses and the Expo Line metro
Hotel recommendations:
Comfort Inn Santa Monica — the best budget option
Ocean Lodge Santa Monica Beach Hotel — an excellent beach hotel at a reasonable price for Los Angeles
Shore Hotel 4* — a cool resort right on Santa Monica Beach
Silver Lake & Echo Park
These two small neighborhoods in East Los Angeles are suitable for young travelers and those who enjoy a hipster atmosphere, trendy bars and boutiques, street art, and natural oases in a big city.
Advantages of the area:
- Elysian Park and Griffith Observatory, Silver Lake
- Urban street art
- Autry Museum
- Sunset Junction
- Bars and restaurants
Hotel recommendations:
Comfort Inn Los Angeles near Hollywood — the best option in terms of price, quality, and location
The Lexmar – Dodger Stadium Hollywood — a budget option in the Echo Park area
Historic District and Downtown Los Angeles
This area houses most of the city’s landmarks and architectural monuments. Downtown is a bustling business district with many bars, cafes, restaurants, and various accommodation options.
Advantages of downtown:
- Central location
- Convenient transportation
- Business center
- Attractions
- Bars and restaurants
Hotel recommendations:
The Delphi Hotel 4* — an excellent 4* business class hotel at a good price
Sky Rise Apartments — 4* apartments with panoramic views of skyscrapers in a modern building, well-equipped for leisure
Kawada Hotel — the best budget option in downtown
Level Los Angeles — Downtown South Olive — a luxurious option with a pool amidst skyscrapers and modern designer apartments
Venice Beach
Venice Beach is the second beach area in Los Angeles and one of the best for living if you want to be near the ocean. The area is known for its bohemian style, numerous nonconformists, and artists.
Advantages of this area:
- Beach
- Street art
- Souvenir shops
- Bohemian atmosphere
Hotel recommendations:
Samesun Venice Beach — a stylish and affordable hostel, the best value for money
AIR Venice on the Beach — a budget option right on the ocean, less than $100 per night
Inn at Venice Beach — a cozy boutique business class hotel, near the marina and ocean promenade
Beverly Hills
The famous and wealthy Beverly Hills is located at the foot of the Santa Monica Mountains near West Hollywood. The entire area is filled with luxurious mansions, among which Rodeo Drive stands out with hundreds of shops, expensive restaurants, boutiques, fashion centers, and cafes. Notable attractions include the MGM and Warner Brothers studios, Mulholland Drive with views of Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley.
Advantages of the area:
- Opportunities for luxurious shopping
- Rodeo Drive and Mulholland Drive
- Restaurants and cafes
- Two film studios
Hotel recommendations:
Carlyle Inn — a cozy small hotel near Rodeo Drive, optimal price-quality ratio
Westwood Los Angeles
The Westwood area is located west of Los Angeles and is home to the University of California (UCLA), shops, cinemas, restaurants, and cafes. Other characteristics of the area include nightlife in bars, a lot of student youth, and the ability to meet movie stars. It is easy to reach other areas from Westwood by bus, including Beverly Hills and Santa Monica.
Advantages of the Westwood area:
- Proximity to the international airport
- Restaurants and cafes
- Lower housing prices than in other areas
Hotel recommendations:
Hotel Angeleno — an optimal choice in terms of price-quality, a comfortable modern hotel with a city panorama and a pool
LAX Airport Area
Staying near the airport is a good choice if you are in LA for transit for 1–2 days. In this case, the choice is ideal. The area has bus routes, and you can travel to other areas or use airport taxis. One notable attraction in the airport area is the Theme Building, built in the futuristic Googie style. This building is an observatory with the best view of Los Angeles Airport.
Advantages of the area:
- Best area for transit
- Theme Building
- Public transport
Hotel recommendations:
Conclusions
If you are in Los Angeles for the first time, the best area to stay and explore city landmarks is West Hollywood. Downtown is also a comparable option, especially if you don’t plan to rent a car.
If you are traveling with children, choose Santa Monica for a combination of beach, ocean, amusement park, and shopping.
For a beach vacation, choose accommodation in Santa Monica or near Venice Beach. Both are excellent areas for beach activities, and they are not far from major attractions. Venice Beach has a more bohemian and hipster atmosphere, while Santa Monica is more suitable for family vacations. These places have completely different atmospheres, so choose what suits you best.
If shopping is important, almost any area will do, including the budget downtown and luxurious Beverly Hills.
Among all the mentioned areas, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica are considered the safest.
Regarding nightlife, any area from the list of the best is suitable. West Hollywood has many LGBT bars, while downtown has more upscale rooftop bars, and Venice Beach has a more relaxed atmosphere.
For transit, not only the airport area or Westwood but also Santa Monica or Venice Beach are suitable. You can easily take a taxi from there at an affordable price.
To experience hipster urban life with a minimum of tourists, it’s best to visit the Silver Lake or Echo Park areas.
Accommodation in the surroundings of Los Angeles
If you don’t want to live in LA, there are several pleasant towns in the vicinity — Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach. All three are quiet, peaceful towns with long beautiful beaches.
Find and book accomodations in Manhattan Beach >>
Find and book accomodations in Hermosa Beach >>
Find and book accomodations in Redondo Beach >>
