Hotels · Our pick in Los Angeles
The grand hotels of Los Angeles: the back story
The back story
About The grand hotels of Los Angeles: the back story
Los Angeles grew up with its hotels. Film stars lived in them, deals were struck in their lounges and, in 1929, the first Academy Awards were held in one. Today they are still the city’s grandest places to eat, drink and be pampered, and you don’t have to stay to enjoy them.
Hollywood’s hotels
The Hollywood Roosevelt was built in 1927 by Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Louis B. Mayer, and it hosted the first Academy Awards; David Hockney painted the bottom of its Tropicana pool in 1988 (the hotel’s own history). Up on Sunset Boulevard, Chateau Marmont’s castle-like tower and bungalows look down on the Strip.
Beverly Hills
The Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunset, the Beverly Wilshire at the foot of Rodeo Drive and Hotel Bel-Air in its canyon are classic grand hotels. Newer arrivals such as The Maybourne Beverly Hills, The Peninsula and the Waldorf Astoria add rooftop pools, spas and restaurants to the same few blocks.
You don’t need a room to enjoy a grand hotel: book a table, a drink by the pool or a spa treatment.
By the beach
In Santa Monica, Shutters on the Beach and Hotel Casa del Mar sit directly on the sand, and the Fairmont Miramar has its bungalows on the bluff above the Pier. Further west, Malibu Beach Inn faces Carbon Beach and Nobu Ryokan Malibu is a small ryokan-style hideaway on the ocean.
Downtown
Downtown’s hotels serve business travellers and concert-goers alike: the InterContinental at the top of the Wilshire Grand Center, Hotel Figueroa, restored to its 1926 Spanish Colonial style, and Downtown LA Proper in a historic building on Broadway.
Booking and arrival
Most luxury hotels have a concierge team that can book restaurants, studio tours and cars. Ask the hotel when you book about collecting you from LAX, Burbank or Van Nuys; at LAX, taxis and rideshares pick up at the LAX-it lot, so a pre-booked car saves time.
Our advice: even if you stay elsewhere, book one grand-hotel experience, such as lunch on a hotel terrace or a drink above the Sunset Strip.
Why it's on our list
- Hollywood’s hotels
- Beverly Hills
- By the beach
- Downtown
- Booking and arrival
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with The grand hotels of Los Angeles: the back story before you go.
How far is it from the sights?
Distances from The grand hotels of Los Angeles: the back story are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Key sights
- Rodeo Drive0.3 miWalk 6 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 6 min
- LACMA2.1 miWalk 42 minCycle 14 minCar or taxi 12 min
- The Grove2.2 miWalk 44 minCycle 14 minCar or taxi 12 min
- TCL Chinese Theatre3.9 miCycle 25 minCar or taxi 17 min
- Hollywood Bowl4.5 miCycle 29 minCar or taxi 19 min
- Getty Center4.6 miCycle 29 minCar or taxi 20 min
- Griffith Observatory6.4 miCycle 41 minCar or taxi 26 min
- Santa Monica Pier7.0 miCycle 45 minCar or taxi 27 min
- Venice Beach Boardwalk7.2 miCar or taxi 28 min
- Walt Disney Concert Hall8.4 miCar or taxi 32 min
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