LA Hollywood Hotel Post Carnival Cruise

[caa]

We stayed with our teenage daughter at the Best Western on Highland a couple of years ago and were comfortable walking down to the mall and along several blocks of Hollywood Blvd with her during the day and early evening. The only drawback is you have to walk uphill to get back to the hotel. Hollywood Blvd is crowded and touristy, so you should hang onto your belongings and avoid becoming a target for pick-pockets. Not that it's a bad area, or that I've ever seen anyone get robbed there, but just that you should use good common sense. We were back in the hotel room by 10:00 PM, so I can't say how the atmosphere changes late at night, but I doubt you'll want to be out exploring with your kids that late anyway.

 

My husband and I also spent a night at the Celebrity on Orchid Ave when we saw Cirque du Soleil in December. We both said we'd stay there again, or try the Orchid Suites if we were back in the area. Orchid is a short street that dead-ends at the back side of the Hollywood and Highland mall, and you can walk in from there and go straight through to Hollywood Blvd. It was super convenient for what we wanted to do.

[Fritzie]

We've stayed at the Renaissance twice with kids. The first time, the Kodak theater next door was hosting a tribute to Warren Beatty and we were fortunate to be thisclose to the red carpet to watch the stars go in the theater. The second time we watched them film an episode of some makeover show for the Style network and watch the setup of the red carpet etc. for some movie premiere. So, either we're just very lucky or there's always something going on there.

The location was excellent for wandering around Hollywood. We almost didn't need a car.

I highly recommend the Warner Bros. VIP tour. We've seen some stars on each tour. Finally, another great tour is dearlydeparted. They take you around in a van (so no crazy crowds) to places of Hollywood's macabre history (ie., house where Michael Jackson died, Black Dahlia sites, the Viper Room, one of Marilyn Monroe's many homes...) They point out many stars' homes, too (Johnny Depp's weathervane!) And the tour guides love old time Hollywood history. Very cool stuff.