Hotel in LA Recommendations

[Piperpals]

We are doing a Mexican Riviera cruise on Princess out of San Pedro in March. We will be leaving on the Amtrak the day after we arrive back in San Pedro. I am looking for recommendations for a hotel in LA for the night we arrive back. We would like to spend the day sight seeing in the city so a hotel in the city is preferable as we like to walk around and within reasonable taxi ride from Union Station. Am looking for info on either good hotels or perhaps areas to look in (and areas to avoid) have seen areas listed as; Hollywood, Beverly Hills, LAX but don't know what is close to sights. Budget is probably up to $200 night but cheaper is obviously better and don't mind older hotels with character or history. Any help is welcome.

 

Thanks

[chinita415]

What/where do you want to see in your one day in town? That might help narrow down your choices.

[riffatsea]

LA is very spread out and "sights" are in many different locations. I agree that it would help to know :

What sights you plan to see?

Will you take a tour?

Will you use public transportation?

LAX is the airport and not convenient to any sights OR to public transportation except for the flyaway bus which will take you to Union Station.

IF you want to use public transportation then staying in Hollywood will give you easy access. You could also stay downtown which is also near Union Station.

[PatriciaF]

I have a couple of suggestions--search this board for posts by Bruin Steve--he has some good ideas of where to stay.

 

But--for only one night, I think I would stay near Union Station. I googled "hotels near union station los angeles" and several came up and many have good reviews. The Miyako is the hotel used by Federal employees travelling to LA for work when they are meeting at the Los Angeles Federal Building. Co-workers that have stayed there were very complimentary. I don't know if it is within your budget though. From the greater Union Station area, you could easily get to the red line into Hollywood or pick up a tour bus which may be the best way to get an overview of the area in a short amount of time.

[chinita415]

I also think staying downtown would be a good idea for its proximity to Union Staion, especially if you have an early train.

Here is a recent discussion regardling downtown LA: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1290114&highlight=downtown

 

I had friends visit town recently for a basketball game and they stayed at the Westin Bonaventure. The hallways can use some updating, but the suite they had was recently remodeled. It was very spacious, clean, and most importantly, had amazing views of the city at night. The Bonaventure is a glass and steel behemoth that has 4 glass elevators on the outside. Quite a thrill for the kids who were visiting! We also had people stay at The Standard. If you are looking for historic and character, probably not your cup of tea. Think hipster modern.

 

The JW Marriot complex near LA Live/Staples Center has a Marriot and a Ritz. If you want to splurge, I am sure it would be a great stay and they can arrange sightseeing for you.

 

If this is your first trip to LA, you may want to join a tour for a whirlwind trip around town so you can say you visited the big mainstream sights. But if you have been here before and want to stay in Downtown, there is actually a lot to see and do, especially if you are interested in architecture. Think Bradbury Building, Disney Hall, Main Library, Angel's Flight, etc.

 

ETA: If I think historic in Downtown LA, the Biltmore Hotel probably fits that bill. Ornate, Old World decor, with lots of history. Their AAA rates are probably within your budget.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I'm going to give the same advice that I give for people who ask about staying near LAX: unless you have an early flight (in your case, an early train), consider staying elsewhere. My hubby works downtown (at city hall), and he agrees that downtown really isn't a great place to be at night.

 

Why not consider staying in Hollywood, where there's more interesting sights, and then getting a taxi or shuttle to Union Station the next morning? There are parts of Hollywood that are iffy, but if you look for Bruin Steve's recommendations, I think you'll be happier in the long run. Especially as you are not familiar with Los Angeles.

 

One option to consider is checking with companies such as Grayline that do tours. They probably don't pick up at the pier, but maybe there's a tour that starts late enough that you can get to a nearby hotel in San Pedro or Long Beach and get picked up there. You'll see the sights and have transportation too.

[Bruin Steve]

With only one night and wanting to sightsee and walk around...and leaving from Union Station, here is what I would do...

 

I would NOT stay in Downtown or near Union Station...

I just don't like the area for tourists...

 

There is a Metro line that goes from Universal City through Hollywood to Union Station, making it fairly easy, assuming you have no large amount of luggage, maybe just a couple of rolling bags, to get from those areas to the station...

 

Since you are arriving in San Pedro in the morning, your biggest concern is getting from San Pedro to a hotel in this area and I would guess a shared shuttle might be the best answer...

 

The next problem is budget...and hotel choice...

I would recommend, in your case, staying in the heart of Hollywood itself...my top choice there would be the Renaissance at Hollywood and Highland...but it might be a bit pricey for your budget...

 

http://www.renaissancehollywood.com/

 

Only a block or two away, tucked into an off corner behind the Hollywood & Highland complex is this one:

 

http://www.hotelcelebrity.com/

 

I don't know the hotel, but someone on this board recently reported staying here and thought it to be a reasonably priced, nice enough hotel...The location puts you a very short walk from Grauman's Chinese, the Walk of Fame, etc.

 

[The Metro Station, BTW, is under Hollywood & Highland]

 

This location will allow you to wander around the heart of Hollywood...

 

If you'd prefer to spend your time in the Universal City area (Universal Studios, CityWalk, etc.), then note there is another Metro Station right down the hill from Universal...

 

There are two very convenient hotels right on the Universal property--a Hilton and a Sheraton, but again, both may be pricey...the alternatives in this area are the Sportsmen's Lodge and the Beverly Garland--both of which will shuttle you to Universal or to the Metro...

 

http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/BURUCHF-Hilton-Los-Angeles-Universal-City-California/index.do

 

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=83

 

http://www.slhotel.com/

 

http://beverlygarland.com/

 

By the time you get off the ship, to a shuttle and check in to any of these hotels, you can probably write off any formal full day tours...Some tour companies have half day tours which may pick you up from these hotels...and, of course, there is the HOHO bus that does go by all of these...

 

But you may also be able to get around these areas by walking, using the Metro and/or local buses...just do a lot of research and know where you are going...

 

IMHO, staying in these areas is better than staying near Union Station...and your big difference is only in getting to Union Station the next day...which can be done cheaply by Metro, or easier, but more expensive, by taxi...

 

Good luck...