Where Stay in and Around Los Angeles

The first thing to know about Los Angeles is that it’s a sprawling county with hundreds of cities (including its namesake LA), districts and neighbourhoods — and where you stay can really make or break your vacation.

Those in the know (aka our Travel Experts) recommend choosing accommodation by region, travel style or interest to make your trip even more enjoyable and tick off those top attractions. Want to check out the destination’s famed arts and culture scene? Downtown LA might be up your alley. Keen to hit the sand? Visit the beach cities of Venice, Santa Monica, Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo. Starry-eyed? Hollywood is calling.

Keep on reading to discover where you should stay during our trip.

• Venice and Santa Monica
• Hollywood, Burbank and Universal City
• Mid-City and Miracle Mile
• West Hollywood and Beverly Hills
• Downtown LA
• Echo Park, Silver Lake and Los Feliz
• South Bay

Venice Beach and the Santa Monica Pier have appeared in countless films and TV shows. As such, these areas can be busy and touristy — but they also give you the chance to immerse yourself in that quintessential Southern California lifestyle. You’ll encounter swaying palm trees, a sunset-backed Ferris wheel and a cast of colourful characters on the Venice Boardwalk.

While scenic Santa Monica lends itself to couples and families after a classic seaside escape with accommodation from luxe to less, the grungier Venice neighbourhood is ideal for friend groups and young travellers seeking a boho beach break.

If the hallowed ground of movie stars beckons, stay in historic Hollywood to surround yourself with famous Tinseltown attractions such as the Hollywood Walk of Fame, TCL Chinese Theatre, Paramount Pictures and the Dolby Theatre (where the Academy Awards are staged).

Film fans can also take tours of famous movie studios in nearby Burbank and Universal City, located just north of the Hollywood Sign — Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood and Universal Studios Hollywood, the only working studio and theme park, both give you a behind-the-scenes look at motion-picture magic.

Anything but middle-of-the-road, Mid-City packs a powerful punch with diverse cuisines, museums and vintage finds — it encompasses cultural enclaves such as Koreatown, Little Ethiopia and LA’s historic Fairfax District. Here, you’ll find the Original Farmers Market, The Grove open-air shopping mall, and a happening nightlife scene with bars and late-night dining spots.

Meanwhile, Miracle Mile has something to satisfy everyone’s unique interests, from dinosaurs (La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art) and cars (Petersen Automotive Museum) to cinema memorabilia (Academy Museum of Motion Pictures).

At just under 5km², West Hollywood (WeHo, to those in the know) is a compact independent city and Los Angeles’s celeb and LGBTQIA+ hangout that sits just east of the world’s most famous zip code: Beverly Hills 90210.

This is the spot for celeb sightings, clubs (comedy and night) and maxing out your plastic at designer boutiques on Rodeo Drive and Melrose Avenue. It’s also full of architectural marvels, mansions, and infamous hotspots such as Chateau Marmont and the Sunset Strip.

Downtown Los Angeles is the perfect destination for history, arts and culture. It’s where the GRAMMY Museum, The Broad, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Walt Disney Concert Hall share real estate with Grand Central Market, Chinatown and Little Tokyo.

Another bonus is its proximity to Anaheim theme parks — Disneyland Resort is just a 30 minute-drive away. It’s also home to the Los Angeles Convention Center, the Crypto.com Arena and LA’s Financial District, plus shopping malls and Skid Row. In other words, it boasts an eclectic mix of tourists, basketball fans, business types, artists and locals.

Located to the east of Hollywood, the area encompassing Echo Park, Silver Lake and Los Feliz at the base of the Griffith Observatory and Hollywood Sign is a haven surrounded by nature. Griffith Park is a popular hiking spot with hills, canyons and trails leading to amazing panoramic views while low-key Silver Lake, Echo Park and Los Feliz are beacons for off-duty celebrities and hipster Angelenos alike.

There’s plenty of shops, markets, attractions and green spaces to entertain travellers of all ages, including the swan boat-filled Echo Park Lake, Dodger Stadium, Silver Lake Meadow and Insta-worthy hidden staircases. One thing to note is Eastside Los Anegeles is less touristy so it’s less about the attractions and more about living like a local here.

Angelenos all agree that the South Bay region is the city’s best-kept secret and an up-and-coming destination for travellers, particularly families and Zoomers. It also just so happens to have some of Los Angeles’s most beautiful beaches and walkable streets — all within a 15-minute drive of LAX for easy-breezy flights to Los Angeles.

Inclusive of the cities of Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Hermoso Beach, you can swoon at its classic seaside vibes, eat your fill of seafood on the shore, visit an aquarium, catch a few waves and cycle the uber-popular 35km Marvin Braude Bike Trail.

Ready to discover Los Angeles and its top neighbourhoods? Check out our current deals or chat with a Travel Expert today.