Hollywood Hotel Help

Frozen2014

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jan 12, 2014
Doing research for 3 days in LA end of August. We will have a car but a good area seems like being in the tourist area of Hollywood ... so similar to where Hollywood Orchid Suites is located (i.e. near wax museum, Ripleys, etc).

Since we'll be spending 4 days at Disney and 1 day at Universal, we're flying from Ontario Canada, and we want to to other touristy things in LA (tours, Griffith Obs, etc), our budget is 'low to mid moderate'. We won't be in the hotel much but obviously want clean, safe and comfortable. An included breakfast is preferred so we don't need to run out on the morning.

I'm looking at the following hotels
  • Hollywood Orchid Suites (recommended on here) - cost is $293/day plus $10 parking/day
  • Hollywood Celebrity - cost is $260/day plus $10 parking/day
  • Days Inn Hollywood Universal Studios - cost is $250/day plus $10 parking/day
  • Highland Gardens Hotel - cost is $227/day (parking is included)
  • Magic Castle (recommended on here but although it was available the other week, it is currently sold out on Expedia)
Thoughts? I'm leaning towards Hollywood Celebrity or Days Inn because of the cost. Highland Gardens Hotel is even better on the budget, but tripadvisor has some iffy reviews (but Expedia reviews are ok...so never know how much to believe). However, having said that, we don't need much from a hotel aside from mentioned above (clean, comfortable and safe location)
 
Do you want to walk around Hollywood for more than a few hours? If you'll have a car, there is no reason to stay in Hollywood. The Days Inn and Hollywood Celebrity are motels, and not particularly well reviewed ones at that.
 
Highland Gardens is great. It's an older hotel and could use some updates but it's always clean.
I suspect the poor reviews are from people expecting a 4 star resort while paying 2 star prices.

The Hollywood Celebrity is nicer - and you pay for it. Both are in the exact same location - just
a block away from each other. Sometimes "Hollywood" concerns people; it's an area that attracts
young, homeless kids and others like any big city but those hotels are in generally safe residential
area. I lived right there for 15 years.

Days Inn (and its neighbor Comfort Inn) are a little south of the other two located in a business
area. But you get the familiarity of a chain.
 
Do you want to walk around Hollywood for more than a few hours? If you'll have a car, there is no reason to stay in Hollywood. The Days Inn and Hollywood Celebrity are motels, and not particularly well reviewed ones at that.

Not required. It just seems like a good area. Reminds me of when visiting NY with a bunch of stuff in walking distance.

Is there somewhere you recommend? I'm open to suggestions as I don't know LA at all. I guess in USD, our budget would be under $200 (prices above are quoted in CAD).

PS - From what I'm seeing Hollywood Celebrity gets good reviews...4.2 out of 5 on Expedia and 18 out of 347 on tripadvisor.
 


LA isn't like New York. That's why you need a car to get around. You could knock out everything of interest in Hollywood in a half day with just paying for 1 day to park there.

I'd probably book a hotel that avoids the parking hassle of USH. The Hilton and Sheraton are kind of the defaults. Sportsmen's Lodge and The Garland also have free shuttles.
 
Those are above our budget (e.g. Hilton at $420 a night). Sportsman Lodge is at $277 but that doesn't even include breakfast or parking.

But guess you're suggesting to stay near Universal? We can uber or taxi to Universal Studios if price-wise it makes more sense.
 
Totally different option...what about something like Century Park Hotel? I dont' know location at all, but from google maps, it's pretty central....about 30 minutes from LAX, +-30 minutes from Universal/Warner Brothers/Hollywood Blvd, 20 minutes from Santa Monica Pier.

ALso to confirm, are the hotels on Hollywood Blvd safe? I read the odd review where it is iffy.
 


Do you want to walk around Hollywood for more than a few hours? If you'll have a car, there is no reason to stay in Hollywood. The Days Inn and Hollywood Celebrity are motels, and not particularly well reviewed ones at that.

Agree with this. I too was planning to stay in Hollywood for 3 nights, mostly because of price. But it's simply not a place I want to stay after doing the touristy things. We're opting for Beverly Hills instead which is much more pleasant to walk around during the evenings and is still central to most everything.
 
Totally different option...what about something like Century Park Hotel? I dont' know location at all, but from google maps, it's pretty central....about 30 minutes from LAX, +-30 minutes from Universal/Warner Brothers/Hollywood Blvd, 20 minutes from Santa Monica Pier.

ALso to confirm, are the hotels on Hollywood Blvd safe? I read the odd review where it is iffy.
Ok, so, you have to take Hollywood area hotel reviews with a giant grain of salt. First, I think people expect it to be more "glamorous" for lack of a better term. Like stars are just there putting their hand prints in front of theaters and getting stars right out in the open every day. No, it's not like that. Hotels like the Universal hotels get generally good reviews because they're basically on Universal property and they're insulated from traffic, and loitering out front and crossing busy streets and a lot of stuff that you get in a city. While Hollywood does have the stars on the sidewalk which are fun to see and the hand prints which are fun to see and some other stuff that might be of interest, there are also parts of the day when it is a major artery for commuters that many people will not want to stay right in the middle of on a multiday trip. For a night or maybe 2, it's fine, if you know what you're getting. A lot of negative reviews are going to be from people who thought they were going to be on a palm tree lined street, not 6 lanes of bumper to bumper traffic. And yes, there are homeless people and shady street performers all around the Hollywood area. It's lucrative to be near tourists, it's near public transportation, lots of places are open late and unfortunately it's right on the border of where some surrounding areas dump their homeless people. I've seen people complain about seeing a homeless person on Harbor across from Disneyland. I can only imagine the negative reviews they're write if they saw 10 homeless people in Hollywood.

By Century Park you mean the Holiday Inn Express near Century City, right? It's more convenient to Santa Monica, for sure. I had no idea the Sportsmen's charged for parking, I've booked groups there, but I guess we get it in the rate. Anyway, I asked my co-worker why everyone (or the people we deal with) turn their noses up at Hollywood Celebrity. We looked at it on Yelp and decided because it's not new or a chain like W or Loew's. I'd say if you've done your research, those are decent options for the time of year and rates. I think the worst that could happen is you get tired of Hollywood and spend more time in the car driving around the city. I was looking at rates for some of the mid-range places near Westwood and Beverly Hills for something walkable, and I think end of August is just expensive with low availability. You can check Hotel Palomar for something in that area, though I have a feeling they charge for parking.
 
Thanks so much for your post SMD. Appreciate you taking the time to explain.

I'm not dismissing the Hollywood Blvd area since DH and I love city, busy areas and there is somethign to be said for having stuff in wakling distance (restaurants, museums if we have a couple hours to spare, etc), but you've give me stuff to think about. We are coming with our kids so safety is a concern too.

Century Park Hotel is the one on Olympic Blvd in Century City.
Yeah, Sportsmen charges $14 USD/day for parking (at least through Expedia)
Hotel Palmomar is over $400 Cad so over our price range.

On tripadvisor, Hotel Celebrity is rates 17 our of 347 hotels on LA. That's pretty high. We're not expecting luxury...just clean, safe and practical.

We don't mind paying extra for parking if the daily hotel rate is resonalbe. It's about the final cost.
 
If you're dead set on Hollywood area, I'd go with Orchid Suites. IMO, of the hotels you list, it has superb location, very good rates, and the rooms come with kitchens which might be useful for a family. It's also ranked 3 on TripAdvisor. I think there are more luxurious options in Hollywood like the Redbury but based on your budget, Orchid is the best option.

Again, if it were me, I'd opt for Beverly Hills area. I've had countless friends tell me that while they enjoyed Southern Cal, they didn't like staying in the Hollywood area.

There are 3 hotels in Beverly Hills which are between $200 and $300 per night. Luxe Rodeo, Hotel Beverly Terrace, and Sirtaj Hotel. All are nice boutique hotel options in that area. Luxe has the best location.
 
Thank you. Appreciate the advice. One thing to note is that we are Canadian so our budget is around $280 CAD (so guess around $215 USD), but if upper, it should include parking and breakfast.

Think I've "narrowed" it down. We still have until August so am just constantly watching.

I am keeping my eye on Orchid Suites and Magic Castle (quite pricey) as I keep hearing these mentioned on here (they are at the high end of our price range, but doable). Note that we don't need a kitchen as I am on vacation too.

Quality Inn Walk of Fame, Days Inn Hollywood Near Universal Studios, and Hollywood Celebrity are still on the list for more affordable.

Am also watching ones closer to Universal Studios...Sportsman Lodge (also top of budget as doesn't include breakfast or parking), El Royale....both on Ventura Blvd.

In Beverly Hills, only Century Park Hotel is in our budget, but also watching Farmer's Daughter (another top of budget as doesn't include breakfast or parking).

We don't want to be hotel poor...cause all the things we want to in LA costs money ....Disney (4 days), Universal (1 day), Warner Brothers, Hollywood Boulevard area with maybe Wax Museum/Ripley's/Hollywood museum, organised tour (probably Starline), California Science Centre, Griffith Observatory, Tar Pits Museum....and the flight in itself is $$$.
 
Agree with this. I too was planning to stay in Hollywood for 3 nights, mostly because of price. But it's simply not a place I want to stay after doing the touristy things. We're opting for Beverly Hills instead which is much more pleasant to walk around during the evenings and is still central to most everything.

We are planning our first visit to LA/DL this spring and right now we have a hotel in the Hollywood/Highland area booked but after reading all the post I don't think their will be much for us to do in the evening. You mention above you are going stay in the Beverly Hills area because it being more pleasant to walk around in the evening. Now I know nothing about LA so is their a section of Beverly Hills that is nice to walk around and where about is it? I would love to have a hotel near an area where we could walk out of and then go exploring and dinning. Any advice will help tremendously! Thank You!
 
We are planning our first visit to LA/DL this spring and right now we have a hotel in the Hollywood/Highland area booked but after reading all the post I don't think their will be much for us to do in the evening. You mention above you are going stay in the Beverly Hills area because it being more pleasant to walk around in the evening. Now I know nothing about LA so is their a section of Beverly Hills that is nice to walk around and where about is it? I would love to have a hotel near an area where we could walk out of and then go exploring and dinning. Any advice will help tremendously! Thank You!

Well I'd recommend the obvious, Rodeo Drive. Doesn't really get more pleasant for walking around than that. And you're essentially right in the middle of everything. Most hotels are extremely expensive but there are a couple of boutique hotels which are really nice. I'm cashing in some points to stay at the Waldorf Beverly but if you're paying cash, I'd recommend Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel. A beautiful boutique with excellent location. Price should be between $250 and $300 per night.
 
Why don't you look at Burbank? Takes minutes to get over the hill, usually no parking charges at the hotels (or minor) and solid neighborhoods. Plus you get all the glory of being right in the Warner Bros/Disney/Universal Studios neighborhood. Quieter, less crowds and less costs. Best Western on Alameda is right across the street from the Disney Channel building and walking distance to several great restaurants. The Downtown Burbank Hotels (Media District) have a phenomenal walk street with a shopping and dining condo neighborhood. If you want a little cheaper - the Burbank Empire Center shopping plaza area hosts a Courtyard and Staybridge Suites.
 
Why don't you look at Burbank? Takes minutes to get over the hill, usually no parking charges at the hotels (or minor) and solid neighborhoods. Plus you get all the glory of being right in the Warner Bros/Disney/Universal Studios neighborhood. Quieter, less crowds and less costs. Best Western on Alameda is right across the street from the Disney Channel building and walking distance to several great restaurants. The Downtown Burbank Hotels (Media District) have a phenomenal walk street with a shopping and dining condo neighborhood. If you want a little cheaper - the Burbank Empire Center shopping plaza area hosts a Courtyard and Staybridge Suites.

Thanks for the suggestions. I did a search and the Best Western is $356 CAD, Courtyard Mariot is $332 CAD so both above.
Couldn't find the Staybridge Suites. I'm guessing you meant Springhill Suites? Seems to have similar pricing.
Any specific hotel in downtown burbank?

The ones near Universal / Burbank that are in our price range are El Royale, Burbank Inn and Suites, Studio City (and watching Sportman Lodge if it drops a bit). Do you know anything of those?
 
We are another group from Ontario planning a California trip. It looks like you are searching for one hotel only. Have you thought about one hotel while you are in the LA and another when you are doing Disney? We are going to do a few LA days and then move down to Anaheim for our Disney/beach days. Just a suggestion!

I popped into the thread because I am also looking for LA hotels for the start of our stay. We need two rooms, so trying to keep it to $200 USD/night also.
 

We are another group from Ontario planning a California trip. It looks like you are searching for one hotel only. Have you thought about one hotel while you are in the LA and another when you are doing Disney? We are going to do a few LA days and then move down to Anaheim for our Disney/beach days. Just a suggestion!

I popped into the thread because I am also looking for LA hotels for the start of our stay. We need two rooms, so trying to keep it to $200 USD/night also.

Hello. It's exciting planning. Sounds like you are doing a similar trip. When are you going? We're about to purchase our Disney tickets and get the 25% off deal. Not bad as it basically saves the bad exchange :-).

To answer your question...yes, we already booked Desert Inn & Suites for our Anaheim/Disney days. It's very reasonable with breakfast and they have suites and larger rooms so you may want to check it out. It's our first time there so can't comment from experience but we liked the cost for what you get and location.

We have booked Hollywood Celebrity. I am still keeping my eyes open since we can cancel with full refund but at least we have it for now. Any specific hotels you are looking at in LA? I find it pretty challenging figuring out where to stay in LA. It's so large and definitely more expensive than Anaheim.
 
Hello. It's exciting planning. Sounds like you are doing a similar trip. When are you going? We're about to purchase our Disney tickets and get the 25% off deal. Not bad as it basically saves the bad exchange :-).

To answer your question...yes, we already booked Desert Inn & Suites for our Anaheim/Disney days. It's very reasonable with breakfast and they have suites and larger rooms so you may want to check it out. It's our first time there so can't comment from experience but we liked the cost for what you get and location.

We have booked Hollywood Celebrity. I am still keeping my eyes open since we can cancel with full refund but at least we have it for now. Any specific hotels you are looking at in LA? I find it pretty challenging figuring out where to stay in LA. It's so large and definitely more expensive than Anaheim.
We are not going until November 2017, so we have quite a bit of time still. My family of four has been before, in August, and we are specifically going back to see the Haunted Mansion Nightmare Before Christmas overlay and run the Infinity Gauntlet challenge. We are bringing our family friends with us because we introduced them to WDW last year and now they want to see Disneyland too.

We have a short-term vacation rental home with a backup Desert Inn and Suites C2 suite for a week and are looking for an LA hotel for the first two nights. I am only really intrigued by The Magic Castle so far, and waiting to see how the price moves. I need other suggestions, which is why I looked in here!
 

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