There are thousands of hotels in the Los Angeles area ranging from absolute dumps
to high end Beverly Hills resorts. A few for the budget traveler are
listed below. More will be added to this list as time permits. If you
have your own suggestion for LA area hotels, please email
dave@pon.net & reference this page in
your email. We will consider all recommendations - and you must have
stayed at the actual hotel you are recommending. We have stayed in the
following:
Cadillac Hotel (Venice Beach) is an 'art deco' type hotel located right next to
the ocean in Venice Beach at 401 Ocean Front Walk. This is a 4-story
hotel - parking is tight, but they do have spaces in a small lot behind
the hotel. If you stay in one of their private rooms you are given a
card to put in your car for this parking lot - parking for dorm room
stays is not provided by the hotel. Very friendly helpful
backpacker type hotel - great access to the local beach scene. Hostels
and private rooms available. Internet in the lobby or across the street
at Henry's market. Many unique and interesting sidewalk vendors call the
"strip" in front of the hotel on the beachside home - this strip runs
for a long ways all along the ocean in Venice Beach. Note, typically its
a little cheaper to reserve a room at this hotel using an online
reservation company rather than contacting the hotel direction. Winter
tends to be less crowded here, summer can be nuts! More information
visit:
www.thecadillachotel.com
Couch Surfing(Los Angeles area) - we've done this successfully several times and
have stayed with some very nice people throughout the LA area. Basically
people allow you to sleep on their couch or floor for a few nights for
free. Its a good way to meet people and sometimes allows you to see Los
Angeles from their point of view especially if you end up going out to
dinner or touring with them. The website we use for this service is:
www.couchsurfing.com
The Gershwin Hotel (Hollywood) is a reasonably priced 5 story
hotel located at 5533 Hollywood Blvd just minutes east of the 101
freeway and across the street from and very close to the Hollwood/Western
Red Line Metro stop (only 1 and 2 stops from the main part of the
touristy Hollywood). This hotel certainly has character. The 5th floor
is the hotel part of this building, there is also a hostel and the other
floors are rented apartments. The rooms are spacious with private
bathrooms - hard wood floors but nothing too fancy. If too many people
are using hot water at the same time, your shower might be a cold one.
Very wide open entrance and walkway past the pool table leading up
several steps to the antique elevator. The only downfall of this hotel
is parking is terrible. Parking is either in neighborhoods behind the
hotel, on Hollywood Blvd or on nearby large side streets. All parking in
these areas is metered during the day - typically just 1-2 hour limits.
This hotel has a 24 hour check in and often has rooms even if the nearby
hotels are filled up. Security guard supposedly hangs out around 11pm
and checks all guests entering to make sure their names are on the list.
We often entered around 1am and never had a problem with the "name
checking".
The Gershwin is undergoing a renovation through the end of 2007 - but
the typical visitor won't be too affected by this.
Main Entrance, Gershwin Hotel
Pool Table, Gershwin Hotel
Hostelling Int'l (Santa Monica) is in an excellent location at 1436
Second Street within walking distance of the Santa Monica Pier, the
beach and the famous 3rd Street Promenade Shopping area. This is an
upscale hostel which was recently renovated with 2 million US dollars.
Besides the usual groups of younger backpackers we've also seen a number
of older folks staying here. A parking garage is located across the
street - a digital sign shows how many spaces are available in the
garage at any one time. This hostel is clean, safe and well organized.
Lots of local information is available in the lobby - the hostel's
travel center is located next door and they can line up tours to pretty
much anywhere in the "southland". Internet access is reasonably priced
and is located upstairs near the movie room. Dorm rooms sleep 6 each
with 3 bunk beds. All sheets, towels and pillows included. Very clean
bathrooms. Continental breakfast is also served. About 20 minutes to LAX
- a shuttle is available. Our stay has always been good here. More info?
Visit:
www.hilosangeles.org or call: (310) 393-9913
The Vibe Hotel (Hollywood) is located right next door to the Palms Thai
Restaurant at 5920 Hollywood Blvd about 3/4 to a mile from the main
action in Hollywood. This is an interesting hotel - the staff is
extremely friendly and helpful - there are signs posted in the rooms
saying if you are loud or are fighting the police will be called. There
are some shady looking people hanging around this hotel. It has an
interesting vibe - some of the people look like out of work actors.
There is a parking lot that divides both sides of the hotel. If you
don't know where this hotel is located, its extremely hard to find - as
there is one small very narrow entrance and exit between the two parts
of the hotel. Often traffic backs up on Hollywood Blvd and you have to
wait in order to turn into this hotel.
Sometimes it can be hard to track down the front office attendant if the
door is locked and they are elsewhere in the hotel.
A dark
lounge near the main office has Internet. Sometimes this is open to the
parking lot, sometimes this is closed. There is also an Internet
station upstairs. Smoking is prohibited from some of the rooms, but
people smoke inside anyways. Private and hostel rooms available. Website:
www.vibehotel.com
