Four epic LA road trips
Los Angeles was made with cars in mind, but once you’ve got your wheels, you’ll find there are plenty of reasons to explore beyond the city. Mike MacEacheran shares his four great drives from Los Angeles.
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All the culture of the city, all the fun of the beach: why would you want to go on holiday anywhere else? If it’s good enough for Hollywood’s finest stars, then it’s good enough for us. We love LA, and we want you to love it, too. We can help you plan and book your perfect LA holiday.
Take in the latest art exhibition at The Broad, hunt down the best stores on Rodeo Drive, or check out the celebrity handprints on Hollywood Boulevard. Don’t miss Disneyland® Resort – and if you’re going down the whole theme park route, try Knott’s Berry Farm and Universal Studios, too – where film buffs can see museum-worthy props and their kids can go crazy on the rides.
If Los Angeles is just the starting point and you’ve got a big trip planned, with multiple cities – you can book that with us too – just use our multi-centre trip planner. If you’re staying in LA, that’s ok, too. But we wouldn’t want you to go without knowing about the best bits of the city – our travel guide is full of tips and videos. Start getting ready for your amazing holiday in Los Angeles.
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A good holiday starts when you book the right hotel: browse below for our best holiday options. We’ve done the legwork for you and found our best hotels in Los Angeles, in all the essential areas. Couples will adore The London West Hollywood which enjoys a stylish rooftop bar. Sip cocktails from your cabana, whilst you take in the picturesque Hollywood Hills at this award-winning boutique resort. Experience a slice of luxury at the iconic Hollywood Roosevelt. Located on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, this A-List favourite is in the heart of Los Angeles city – and close to action of Universal Studios Hollywood. If you’re a beach lover, soak up the sun at Hilton Santa Monica Hotel and Suites, just minutes from the famous John Paul Getty Museum. For endless family fun, visit Hyatt Regency Orange County, Disneyland® Resort’s neighbour hotel with a shuttle bus that gives you direct access to the theme park.
Accommodation in the swankier districts of LA can really flex your credit card, but with a little bit of research you can find some great affordable places to stay – from beachside hideaways, to a more urban experience, minutes away from great shopping, art galleries and restaurants. Stay at a historic landmark with the Millennium Biltmore Hotel which has been home to presidents, kings and Hollywood celebrities since it opened in 1923. Or discover, nestled in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, located off the 110, 101, and 5 freeways. Experience the alluring fusion of Latin American and Southern Californian styles at Hotel Maya, a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, which is a stunning waterfront resort situated across the harbour from Downtown Long Beach and its mesmerizing skyline. Or book a stay at the Best Western Plus Sunset Plaza Hotel on the Sunset Strip making it the perfect base for a visit to Los Angeles and all it has to offer, especially the nearby areas of Beverly Hills and Hollywood.
Budget won’t stretch to five stars but still want a taste of luxury? We have plenty of four-star hotels in LA to choose from, from beside the sea to in the heart of the city, with great restaurants attached and facilities to please any holidaymaker. Hotel Indigo is a great example of the growing number of stylish hotels found in Los Angeles Downtown. The Garland is ideal for families and for exploring Hollywood, Beverly Hills and more. Experience the artsy, multicultural, and vintage style of the Freehand Los Angeles, this attractive hotel located in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. Enjoy personalised service and a memorable stay at Kimpton Palomar Los Angeles Beverly Hills. Or book yourself into the home of the very first Academy Awards (1929), the Hollywood Roosevelt. This hotel was built as a glamorous gathering place for the screen colony and is located directly on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Make your holiday extra fabulous with our collection of five-star luxury hotels. Whether you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind experience, state-of-the-art facilities or the location of a lifetime, we only bring you the best of the best – so that your stay in LA is one to remember. Hotel Viceroy Santa Monica has just the kind of beachfront poolside glamour you’ve been looking for. Or book the W Los Angeles – West Beverly Hills where they welcome hotel guests to its urban retreat with highly personalized service, high-energy interiors and luxury amenities. The luxurious, full-service Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills is situated amid well-tended grounds in the centre of Los Angeles.
DoubleTree by Hilton Buena Park
£669pp
The Garland
£860pp
Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa
£904pp
Pasea Hotel and Spa
£1014pp
DoubleTree by Hilton Buena Park
£669pp
Los Angeles holidays
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Los Angeles is a large city with lots of diverse neighbourhoods, making it easy to find somewhere to suit every budget. Our handy budget planner will help you work out how far your money will get you each day, covering your hotel, food, activities and more.
Unlike many other cities, Los Angeles doesn’t have a centre as such. Instead, it’s made up of many different neighbourhoods, each one with something unique to offer.
WeHo is right in the heart of LA – within easy reach of many of its sights. The Design District and the MAK Center for Art and Architecture are both in the area, and you could drive just north of here to reach Runyon Canyon park – the place where locals like to hike. Cruise down Santa Monica Boulevard and Sunset Strip – once home to the area’s most famous clubs and bars – and book into Hotel Ziggy, a good-value boutique hotel with a pool.
Restaurants with farm-to-table menus and ‘avo’ toast, a pier with an illuminated, solar-powered Ferris wheel, and a relaxed pace of life: staying in Santa Monica, right on the beach, is close to idyllic. The area prides itself on being less car-choked and a little more eco-conscious than the rest of LA. There are plenty of bike paths, so you can breeze straight down from Ocean Avenue to the pier, then all the way down to Muscle Beach and Venice Beach beyond. The beaches here are busy, but big, sandy and beautiful, with crashing Pacific surf.
Downtown isn’t just for business travellers. The Walt Disney Concert Hall, designed by LA-native Frank Gehry, is the home to the LA Philharmonic, but it’s no longer the only eye-catching building in the area. The Broad, a contemporary art gallery, opened here in 2015, and there’s also the FIDM fashion museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Stay at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown so you can stay out and experience the Downtown nightlife.
Even the zip code is famous: 90210, Beverly Hills – like Bel-Air and Brentwood – is one of the expensive areas of Los Angeles Westside. Street names here will be familiar from films, songs and musicals: like Rodeo Drive, the swanky shopping strip that famously featured in Pretty Women. You aren’t far from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, one of the west coast’s biggest art galleries. If you want to stay here, try the Beverly Hilton, one of the area’s most iconic hotels.
An entertainment district like no other, Hollywood has a mixed reputation. It’s exciting and busy – but you’ll need to stay on your toes to avoid getting enticed into any tourist traps. Hollywood Boulevard has the Walk of Fame, and celebrity signatures are immortalised in cement outside the Chinese Theatre. If you’re a film nut, go see the film props and fast rides at the famous Universal Studios. Above it all, nine white letters, almost 14 metres tall, shine from Mount Lee: the immortal Hollywood sign.
A perfect mixture of hip and easy-going, seek out the Los Feliz neighbourhood if you’re after a lively, community feel. Expect old-school dive bars, restaurants to suit every budget, a single-screen cinema where films are still shown on the reel, Frank Lloyd Wright-designed constructions and Griffith Park on your doorstep (great for good views of the Hollywood sign). It’s a winner with younger visitors.
There’s one massive, mouse-shaped reason you’d visit Anaheim: Disneyland® Resort. The city is dominated by the resort and its surrounding expanse of family-friendly hotels. Kids will love it here. There are two parks: Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, and a heap of magical activities.
Whatever type of LA holiday you are looking for, you won’t be short of places to go and things to see. Here are our top five suggestions:
Our top tip? Book tickets in advance wherever possible – it’ll save you having to queue, leaving you more time to explore this sprawling city.
At weekends, rock ’n’ roll-loving kids drive up Interstate 10into Joshua Tree National Park