Where to Stay in Los Angeles: A Neighbourhood Guide

Short answer: for a first trip, split your stay if you can: a few nights in West Hollywood for the city, then a few in Santa Monica for the coast. With one base, pick West Hollywood if you'll drive, Santa Monica if you want the beach, and Downtown if you'll rely on the Metro.

Factor in parking. Most hotels charge for it per night, and it adds up if you rent a car for the whole stay.

Santa Monica

Clean, walkable and by the sea, with the pier, shops and restaurants close together and the E Line to Downtown. The easiest base for a first trip, but far from Hollywood and the east side in traffic. Our Santa Monica and Venice guide covers the area.

West Hollywood

A small, separate city between Hollywood and Beverly Hills, with the Sunset Strip's bars and music venues, a lively LGBTQ scene and many restaurants. Central for most sights, and walkable within its own streets.

Downtown

The transit hub, with hotels in restored old buildings and new towers, near the Broad, the concert hall and Grand Central Market. The Arts District and Little Tokyo are next door. Some streets are empty or rough at night, so choose your block carefully.

Hollywood

Central, on the B Line and close to the Griffith hills, with some stylish hotels. The boulevard itself is busy and gritty. It suits a short, sight-focused trip more than a relaxed one.

Venice

Guesthouses and small hotels near the canals and Abbot Kinney. Characterful and close to the beach, though the Boardwalk area is noisy and uneven after dark.

Beverly Hills and the Westside

Grand hotels, quiet streets and high prices, midway between Hollywood and the beach. The D Line will reach Beverly Hills in its next phase, which will make it easier without a car.

Book early for summer, holiday weekends and big events (see the seasons guide), when coastal hotels fill first. Beach hotels go first; Downtown usually has rooms.

For a concert in Anaheim

The Honda Center is in Anaheim, beside the ARTIC station on the Metrolink and Amtrak lines and close to the Disneyland Resort. In evening traffic it is a long way from West Hollywood or Santa Monica, so for a show there a night in Anaheim is the simpler plan. Journey play the Honda Center on 24 November 2026 on their Final Frontier farewell tour; our tour cities guide has the details.