Things to Do in Los Angeles Cost Calculator
Open the Menu

Where to stay in Los Angeles

The best areas to stay in Los Angeles

Hollywood, Downtown, Santa Monica and Venice, Beverly Hills and Long Beach: here is where to base yourself in LA, with hotel picks in each area and honest advice on hotel prices, getting around without a car and streets that feel run-down.

By the Things to Do in Los Angeles editorial team Prices checked 22 October 2026

Compare the 6 areas
Palm trees in silhouette against an orange sunset over the towers of West Los Angeles

Short answer The best places to stay in Los Angeles on a first visit are Hollywood for sightseeing and Santa Monica for the beach. Both sit on a Metro Rail line, so you can skip a car on most days. Pick Downtown for the most train lines, Beverly Hills for comfort, Universal City for the theme park, and Long Beach for a quieter base by the sea.

The 6 best areas to stay in Los Angeles, compared

AreaBest forKeep in mindHotels below
Hollywood First visits, the Walk of Fame and the Metro B Line Hollywood Boulevard is crowded and can feel run-down at night 4
Santa Monica & Venice Beach days, walking and cycling Far from Hollywood and the theme parks; hotels by the sand cost more 4
Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) Train links, museums, food halls and business trips Quiet on some streets at night; far from the beach 4
Beverly Hills & West Hollywood Comfort, shopping and nightlife on the Sunset Strip The most expensive area; a car or ride app helps 4
Universal City & Burbank Universal Studios and the Warner Bros. studio tour Little to do in the evening outside CityWalk; far from the beach 4
Long Beach The Queen Mary, harbor views and Catalina ferries About an hour by train from downtown LA 4

Area 1 of 6

Where to stay in Hollywood

Hollywood is the best base for a first sightseeing trip. Hotels near the Walk of Fame put you on Hollywood Boulevard, a short walk from Hollywood/Highland station. From there the B Line reaches Universal City in about 4 minutes and downtown in about 25.

It is also the closest area to Griffith Observatory: the DASH Observatory bus starts at Vermont/Sunset station. Many tours start here too, so a Hollywood city tour on your first day is easy to fit in.

Best for
First visits, the Walk of Fame and the Metro B Line
Keep in mind
Hollywood Boulevard is crowded and can feel run-down at night

Nearby guides: Hollywood and Beverly Hills tours, with celebrity homes · Los Angeles city tours and hop-on hop-off buses

Rooftops, palms and apartment blocks below the Hollywood Hills

Our picks in Hollywood

More hotels in Hollywood on Booking.com →

Area 2 of 6

Where to stay in Santa Monica and Venice

Santa Monica is the best base for a beach trip. You can walk to the pier, the beach and the shops, and Venice is next door. The E Line runs from Downtown Santa Monica station to downtown LA in about 45 minutes.

The local Big Blue Bus costs $1.25 a ride if you pay contactless. Malibu is a bus ride up the coast on Metro line 134, which leaves from Santa Monica.

Best for
Beach days, walking and cycling
Keep in mind
Far from Hollywood and the theme parks; hotels by the sand cost more

Nearby guides: Santa Monica and Venice Beach

A blue lifeguard tower with a US flag on a wide sunny beach lined with palms

Our picks in Santa Monica & Venice

More hotels in Santa Monica & Venice on Booking.com →

Area 3 of 6

Where to stay in Downtown Los Angeles

Downtown is the best area for getting around by train. The A, B, D and E Lines meet at 7th St/Metro Center, and Union Station has the FlyAway bus to LAX and trains to Anaheim and San Diego.

It suits travelers who want museums and food by day and easy train trips out.

Best for
Train links, museums, food halls and business trips
Keep in mind
Quiet on some streets at night; far from the beach

Nearby guides: Downtown Los Angeles: Little Tokyo, Grand Central Market and the Arts District · Los Angeles food tours

High-rise towers of downtown Los Angeles under a blue sky

Our picks in Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA)

More hotels in Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) on Booking.com →

Area 4 of 6

Where to stay in Beverly Hills and West Hollywood

Beverly Hills and West Hollywood suit a comfortable trip between Hollywood and the coast. You get Rodeo Drive, the Sunset Strip and quiet, palm-lined side streets.

Rail is thinner here than in Hollywood or Downtown. The D Line now reaches Wilshire/La Cienega, on the edge of Beverly Hills, but most trips are by bus or ride app.

Best for
Comfort, shopping and nightlife on the Sunset Strip
Keep in mind
The most expensive area; a car or ride app helps

Nearby guides: Hollywood and Beverly Hills tours, with celebrity homes · La Brea Tar Pits, LACMA and Museum Row

A quiet Beverly Hills street lined with tall palm trees

Our picks in Beverly Hills & West Hollywood

More hotels in Beverly Hills & West Hollywood on Booking.com →

Area 5 of 6

Where to stay in Universal City and Burbank

Universal City is the best base if a theme park day is the heart of your trip. Universal City/Studio City station is on the B Line, one stop from Hollywood.

Burbank, next door, is home to the Warner Bros. studio tour. It is calmer than Hollywood, and from Universal City you can reach downtown by train.

Best for
Universal Studios and the Warner Bros. studio tour
Keep in mind
Little to do in the evening outside CityWalk; far from the beach

Nearby guides: Universal Studios Hollywood tickets

The grey wall of a film soundstage marked Stage 24

Our picks in Universal City & Burbank

More hotels in Universal City & Burbank on Booking.com →

Area 6 of 6

Where to stay in Long Beach

Long Beach is a calmer seaside base, and you can sleep on the Queen Mary itself. The ship is now a hotel, and it is one of our picks below. Other hotels by the Queen Mary sit across the harbor in downtown Long Beach.

Catalina Express boats leave Long Beach for Avalon on Catalina Island, about an hour away. The Metro A Line runs to downtown LA in about an hour.

Best for
The Queen Mary, harbor views and Catalina ferries
Keep in mind
About an hour by train from downtown LA

Nearby guides: Day trips from Los Angeles

A downtown Long Beach street with palm trees and traffic lights at dusk

Our picks in Long Beach

More hotels in Long Beach on Booking.com →

Best area to stay in Los Angeles for a first time visit

For a first visit, Hollywood is the best area to stay in Los Angeles for sightseeing, and Santa Monica is best for a beach trip. Both have a Metro Rail station, so you can see a lot without a car. You can also split a week: a few nights in Hollywood, then a few by the sea.

LA is huge, so the area you choose decides how much time you spend in traffic. Our guide to Los Angeles neighborhoods explains each part of the city in more detail.

Los Angeles hotel prices and the hotel tax

A typical 4-star room in Los Angeles cost $150 a night for two adults, with most between $123 and $188. Those are Google Hotels prices for stays from October 2026 to August 2027, read on 22 October 2026 for the 2026 Los Angeles Travel Cost Study, our look at Los Angeles trip cost.

The City of Los Angeles adds a 14% hotel tax (transient occupancy tax) to the room rate. Other cities in the area, such as Santa Monica or Beverly Hills, set their own rate, so check the final price before you book.

Where to stay in Los Angeles without a car

Without a car, stay within a short walk of a Metro Rail station. Downtown, Hollywood, Universal City and Santa Monica all qualify. A ride costs $1.75 and you never pay more than $5 a day.

See our guide to getting around Los Angeles for trains from LAX, day trips and when a rental car is worth it.

Questions about where to stay in Los Angeles

Where to stay in los angeles?
Stay in Hollywood for sightseeing or in Santa Monica for the beach. Pick Downtown for the most train lines and Universal City for the theme park.

Where to stay in los angeles reddit?
Whatever forum you read, our answer is the same: Hollywood for a first sightseeing trip, Santa Monica for a beach trip, and a hotel near a Metro Rail station if you have no car.

Where to stay in los angeles first time?
Hollywood is the easiest first base. It is on the B Line, close to the Walk of Fame, and one stop from Universal City.

Where to stay in hollywood los angeles?
Stay near Hollywood/Highland station, close to the Walk of Fame. You can walk to the sights and take the B Line to Universal City or downtown.

Where to stay in downtown los angeles?
Stay near 7th St/Metro Center or Union Station. Four Metro lines meet at 7th St, and Union Station has the FlyAway bus to LAX.

Where is best place to stay in los angeles?
There is no single best place: Hollywood is best for sightseeing, Santa Monica for the beach, and Downtown for trains. Pick by what you want to do most.

Where to stay in los angeles tourist?
Tourists do best in Hollywood or Santa Monica. Both have plenty of hotels, things to see on foot and a Metro Rail station.

Hotels checked on Booking.com on 22 October 2026: each link opened in the browser and showed the hotel, rated 8.0 or higher there. We list no ratings or prices because they change daily; Booking.com shows the live ones.

Facts checked on 22 October 2026 against: City of Los Angeles: transient occupancy tax · LA Metro: fares · LA Metro: B Line timetable · LA Metro: E Line timetable · LA Metro: A Line timetable · LAWA: transit to LAX · Big Blue Bus: fares · Catalina Express: schedule and fares · Griffith Observatory: getting here · Visit Burbank: Warner Bros. Studio Tour.

Written by the Things to Do in Los Angeles editorial team.