The Best Hotels In LA
BEVERLY HILLS
Avalon Beverly Hills (££)
The Avalon is about as affordable as decent Beverly Hills accommodation gets. When the property changed hands around the turn of the millennium, it was an early project for Kelly Wearstler, the all-star American designer who cast her eye over it again for its most recent refresh. Amid the faithful mid-century stylings, rooms now have tablets and Bluetooth speakers. The Viviane restaurant surrounds a curvaceous pool, which has some appealing cabana-style private spaces. ‘Urban oasis’ is a cliché that fits the bill here – the relaxed vibe will make Sunset Strip feel much further than a walk away, especially if you spend any time in the Estrella spa.
Visit Avalon-Hotel.com
The Peninsula Beverly Hills (£££)
The Peninsula is everything you’ve dreamed a Beverly Hills hotel might be. From the rooftop pool to the ground-floor Club Bar, it is classically luxurious, with just a few contemporary touches like a Roof Garden restaurant that grows its own produce. Bathrooms are marbled even in entry-level rooms, while suites and villas stand out for their chandeliers and fireplaces. The Peninsula is close enough to walk to Rodeo Drive, and for farther-flung destinations, there are courtesy cars including a Roller.
Visit Peninsula.com
The Maybourne Beverly Hills (£££)
A few blocks closer to Rodeo Drive, and within the ‘Golden Triangle’ of Beverly Hills, the Maybourne raises some serious new competition for local grande dames like the Peninsula. For its first US property, the group behind Claridge’s and now the Emory in London has brought all of its old-school charm and knowhow across the pond. Mid-century interiors and colourful artworks give the place a Californian accent, while the rooftop pool passes the Slim Aarons test, and the spa is the biggest in the city. The standout food and drink option might be Dante – a legendary New York transplant offering perfectly turned martinis and small plates next to the pool.
Hotel Bel-Air (£££)
Just outside Beverly Hills, in similarly upscale Bel-Air, sits the Dorchester Collection’s top LA property. Since it was built in the 40s, the place has hosted Taylor, Bacall, Hepburn, Monroe, Kelly and more. With tall trees and sprawling grounds, it remains an A-list bolthole today. The air is calm here – the luxury is so quiet it often isn’t heard at all – but there’s usually a buzz on the terrace of the destination restaurant, which is known for its tortilla soup. Everything else from the spa to the service is suitably elite.
Visit DorchesterCollection.com
The Beverly Hills Hotel (£££)
‘Iconic’ is an overworked word these days. The Beverly Hills Hotel is a rare place that actually deserves such an epithet. This is the ‘Pink Palace’ where Monroe and Princess Margaret stayed, where Sinatra and the Rat Pack drank in the Polo Lounge. It’s the hotel on the album cover of Hotel California. The charm and the glory haven’t faded – it’s hard to think of a better place to pass a sunny afternoon than beneath the tall palms around its pool. For the full effect, take one of the 23 bungalows spread around its lush grounds.
Visit DorchesterCollection.com
HOLLYWOOD
Palihotel Hollywood (£)
The Pali Society has six well-priced properties around LA. We’re focusing on its Hollywood outpost right on Sunset Boulevard, but all are affordable options worth checking out. In Hollywood, interiors are on the stylish Wes Anderson side of kitsch – and a nice match for a building that started out as a motel in the 1950s. At the centre of it all is a courtyard pool around which you can order a cocktail from in-house Benny’s on the Blvd. Well-designed rooms feature Smeg fridges, Nespresso machines and Diptyque toiletries.
Visit PaliSociety.com
The Hollywood Roosevelt (££)
Almost a century old now, the Hollywood Roosevelt hosted the very first Oscars ceremony. It’s right on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and, sure enough, we could reel off a strong line-up of all-time A-listers who have stayed here over the years. But instead, let’s shout out the pool, which is much loved for its underwater mural by David Hockney – cabana suites have their own private view of it. Brit art aside, the property has a classic American vibe, extending from the bowling alley and speakeasy-style bar to the in-house burger joint. At the top of the main Tower building, star hotel designer Yabu Pushelberg has blended classic and contemporary to compelling effect in a series of large, multi-room suites.
The Aster (££)
The Aster is a members club that offers its 35 suites to non-members. As well as enjoying the spacious, on-point accommodation, overnight guests get access to the club’s outdoor pool, gym, weights room and lounge. Up top, The Lemon Grove restaurant is a leafy spot with Hollywood Hills views and seasonal Californian menus.
Visit TheAsterLA.com
Thompson Hollywood (££)
Rooms at the Thompson Hollywood are exercises in tasteful understatement, punctuated by greenery and occasional pieces of vibrant art. Brooklyn’s finest, DS & Durga, supply the bathroom products. You can see the Hollywood sign from the hotel’s pool, which shares roof space with Bar Lis and a sun-catching terrace. Down below, there’s a classic lobby bar for cocktails, while the well-equipped fitness centre was designed by celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson.
Visit Hyatt.com
WEST HOLLYWOOD
Sunset Tower (££)
Once an art-deco apartment block for the likes of Monroe and Sinatra, the Sunset Tower is now an adults-only hotel with a couldn’t-be-closer-to-the-action location on the famous boulevard. Its restaurant is a walnut-panelled delight that draws a starry crowd, and maintains firm rules about dress and technology usage. The Tower Bar occupies what used to be the apartment of gangster Bugsy Siegel, and now spreads onto a poolside terrace. Both pool and gym are present and correct, and there’s a spa in John Wayne’s old apartment.
Visit SunsetTowerHotel.com
The West Hollywood Edition (££)
At the Beverly Hills end of WeHo, this outpost of Ian Schrager’s expanding Edition group is a cool addition to the neighbourhood. Veteran British minimalist John Pawson helped style an attractive array of rooms and suites that tend to let the floor-to-ceiling windows and what lies outside them do the talking. The rooftop pool has a terrace where you can explore a tropical-tinged cocktail menu, before venturing down to Sunset, which hosts weekend dance parties. Restaurant Ardor is all about healthy, veg-first Cali cuisine.
Visit EditionHotels.com
1 Hotel West Hollywood (££)
Tucked into the bottom of the Hollywood Hills, the 1 Hotel is a leafy retreat from the Sunset Strip. A rare new-build hotel when it opened in 2019, it stands out today for its cool, calm eco-luxe vibes and some outstanding views. Its own organic garden and beehives supply the kitchens of its three dining spots. Our pick is Harriet’s Rooftop, where the food runs from cheese boards to tartares, and burgundy awnings frame the city skyline.
Visit 1Hotels.com
Chateau Marmont (£££)
Chateau Marmont doesn’t just take its name from a French castle. Commissioned in the 1920s, it’s a faithful copy of a specific gothic pile in the Loire. Celluloid celebs have loved it ever since it opened almost a century ago, and A-list sightings remain common now it’s run by André Balazs (Chiltern Firehouse). This is a place where trends are ignored and, in isolation, some elements of the décor could seem dated, but service is second to none and the overall effect is a marvellous evocation of golden-age Hollywood.
Visit ChateauMarmont.com
Pendry West Hollywood (£££)
The HNWs who occupy the exclusive Pendry Residences complex around the corner enjoy full use of this luxe Sunset Strip hotel, and you might care to join them. Grandmaster chef Wolfgang Puck keeps an eye on Merois – a rooftop fine-diner with a statement raw bar and notable sushi menu. Bar Pendry is the place to try seasonal cocktails like a Golden Spritz (Moet, Lillet, Abricot Roussillon, Suze), while Spa Pendry uses Babor’s Cleanformance range and Priori products to deliver on a profoundly nurturing treatment menu.
Visit PendryResidencesWeHo.com
SANTA MONICA
Hotel June (£)
Okay, Hotel June isn’t strictly in Santa Monica. It’s on the other side of Venice Beach, which means it’s close to the ocean at Playa Vista and in striking distance of the airport for quick in-and-outs. In an attractively redone mid-century building with a cool pool club, it also earns a mention as potentially the most affordable property on this list – especially if you’re willing to split one of the double queen rooms that can comfortably sleep four. If you do want to be by the sea, you could do worse than check out Hotel June’s resort-style sister place over in Malibu.
Visit TheHotelJune.com
The Georgian (££)
This art-deco gem on Ocean Avenue disappeared from the scene for a while but, as it closes in on its century, it is newly revived as a note-perfect homage to its former self. Rooms will throw you back to the city’s golden age, as will an Italo-Californian meal at in-house Sirena. There’s no pool here, but that’s because the Pacific is a few sandy steps away – something you won’t fail to notice if you take an ocean view room. The Georgian does, however, have Gallery 33 whose art pop-ups are always worth checking out, and the delicately curated shelves of the Library always feature something enticing from a local like Joan Didion. Start your stay, though, with a martini in the oceanfront Georgian Room.
Visit TheGeorgian.com
Fairmont Miramar (£££)
This top-end century-old resort only reveals itself once you’re through its handsome wrought-iron gates. Look to the higher floors of its main Ocean Tower for Pacific views, or try one of the 1930s bungalows dotted around the flourishing gardens for something a bit different. The gym has everything you need, as does the spa. There’s a coffee shop and exclusive sushi bar on site, while a shuttle will run you to the private beach club. The main Fig restaurant is an indoor-outdoor affair that uses farmers-market ingredients for its seasonal bistro fare.
Visit Fairmont.com
Hotel Casa Del Mar (£££)
Casa Del Mar was an exclusive beach club back in Hollywood’s golden age. Today, after some excellent work by designer Michael S. Smith, the glories of that gilded era have been recovered. The original architecture is Italianate, and that country’s influence extends to the marble in the bathrooms and the menu at the laid-back Terrazza restaurant. There’s a pool for anyone who’s daunted by the idea of a dip in the Pacific. Come evening, there’s live music in the lounge and dinner-only Catch opens its raw bar.
Visit HotelCasaDelMar.com
DOWNTOWN
The Hoxton (£)
As the US pulls away from the UK economically, we’ve come to rely on The Hoxton as an affordable option for city breaks across America. The London-born group has made it all the way to the West Coast now, and this LA outpost exemplifies its winning formula. The pared-back rooms are well designed as ever, but it’s the restaurants that really impress: rooftop Pilot is all about seafood that’s best enjoyed on its poolside terrace; Sibling Rival is a cool take on an old-school American diner.
Visit TheHoxton.com
Moxy Downtown LA (£)
If your LA hotel is going to be a base for exploring a new city, rather than a destination in its own right, consider joining the younger crowd that appreciates the Moxy’s competitive room rates. There’s a pool and fitness centre, but no spa. Also keeping costs down, there’s no room service and accommodation can be small. It’s quiet, though, and beds are comfortable. Not so quiet are the rotating rooftop bar and cathedral-style nightclub that the Moxy shares with its sister hotel AC.
Visit Marriott.com
Hotel Per La (££)
A century ago, this building started life as the Bank of Italy. It only became Hotel Per La a couple of years ago, but the original Italianate stylings are so charming you wonder what took the world’s hotel designers so long to notice its potential. Happily, Per La is here now and everyone involved in the conversion has done a fine job. With terrazzo floors dotting the rooms, the riviera vibes are strong throughout. Head to Ristorante Per L’Ora for its daily aperitivo hour at 5pm, or start earlier at the poolside with a signature rainbow spritz from Bar Clara. Ground-floor Café Ora is appropriately serious about its gelato.
Visit HotelPerLa.com
Downtown Proper Hotel (££)
Proper is an expanding mini chain that started up the coast in San Francisco – if you’d rather be closer to the beach in LA, keep its Santa Monica property in mind. Its Downtown place is a landmark building that was once a sports club – one of its suites used to be a basketball court. Kelly Wearstler drew on Moroccan influences for the vibrant interiors. Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne have run a host of great LA restaurants and now look after Caldo Verde, which embraces the flavours of the Mediterranean. Rooftop Cara Cara keeps things more local with colourful salads and al pastor tacos. Dahlia is a pretty-in-pink lounge offering botanical cocktails.
Visit ProperHotel.com
Conrad Los Angeles (££)
The Conrad’s sculptural building was designed by Frank Gehry – the Guggenheim Bilbao architect whose Walt Disney Concert Hall is just across the road here. The old master has made a feature of an outdoor pool, and gifted chef José Andrés spaces for San Laurel – where he’ll use Cali ingredients to deliver a high-end take on Spanish cuisine – and Agua Viva, a rooftop beach club where he’ll serve crowd-pleasing ceviche and a burger. In the rooms, muted palettes ensure centre stage is given to the downtown views.
Visit Hilton.com
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