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Where to Stay in Los Angeles with Kids

by Mommy Frog on June 3, 2023 21 Los Angeles

Where to Stay in Los Angeles - PinterestTrying to decide where to stay in LA? You've come to the right place! For families traveling to the Los Angeles area, which includes Orange County about an hour to the south, there is an abundance of hotel options at every price point. While this is a good thing, it can sometimes make the decision of where to stay in Los Angeles overwhelming.

Lucky for you, this Frog Family hops over to LA quite a bit for our many visits to Disneyland Resort. (By the way, we can save you a bundle on theme park tickets and rental cars too!) Personally, we like to stay as close to the parks as we can if we're just visiting the resort — that saves time on the road and parking fees.

If we have a few days in LA, we like to explore the hotels near other major tourist spots and beaches, as well. Sometimes it pays (in time and money) to hop around! We like convenience, and a hotel that offers free breakfast is a bonus that helps save money and time.

How to Decide Where to Stay in Los Angeles

Where to Stay in Los Angeles - Santa MonicaCourtesy of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board

If you’re visiting multiple attractions across the Los Angeles area, expect to do a lot of driving no matter where you are. Visitors may want to consider booking a couple of hotels nearest to their itinerary destinations. Guests planning a few days in Disneyland and then the rest of the vacation elsewhere might want to split up the hotel stay. You can spend a few days in Anaheim and a few days in Los Angeles. If you are only planning to spend a day or two at Disneyland and the rest of your time among the other attractions, it may make sense to book a hotel in an area that offers an abundance of entertainment and dining options for the kids.

Where to Stay in Anaheim

Where to Stay in Los Angeles - Anaheim Disneyland HotelMost of the Anaheim-area hotels located near Disneyland are spread along Harbor Boulevard. A few of them are right across the street from the Disneyland Esplanade. The Esplanade connects Disneyland Park with Disney California Adventure Park. It's a five-minute walk, making these locations as convenient as some of the Disneyland Resort hotels.

Some offer family-friendly pools with waterslides, perfect for cooling off in the middle of the day before heading back to the parks, such as the Howard Johnson Anaheim or the Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance. Many others along Harbor Boulevard are still within walking distance, and many offer shuttle services, such as Delta Hotels Anaheim Garden Grove. The Holiday Inn & Suites Anaheim is one block from Disneyland and has a splash zone. The Pirate-themed suite can accommodate up to eight guests.

Where to Stay in Los Angeles - Pool at Disney's Grand Californian

Of course, Disneyland also has three on-site hotels that range in price and accommodations. Did you know that you can now book discount rooms for Disneyland hotels through Undercover Tourist? You can stay at the luxurious Disney's Grand Californian Hotel (for as low as $728 per night) with a special entrance right into Disney California Adventure Park!

Where to Stay in Los Angeles - Room at Disneyland Hotel

You can book the original Disneyland Hotel for as low as $546 a night. All the rooms were recently refurbished and have light-up headboards.

Where to Stay in Los Angeles with Kids-Pixar Place Hotel

Disney's Paradise Pier offers Pixar-themed accommodations as low as $509 a night. The hotel is fully transformed into the Pixar Place Hotel as of Jan. 30, 2024. It has a Finding Nemo splash pad and waterslide as well as fire pits.

Finding Nemo Splash Pad

Many rooms at those hotels have a pull-down couch into a bed that is perfect for a fifth-room guest. All three on-site hotels are within walking distance of the parks and have pools with waterslides. You can enjoy two character breakfasts/brunches at Disney's Grand Californian and a character breakfast/dinner at Disneyland Hotel.

Read more about these hotels and see photos from our recent stays:

Where to Stay in Los Angeles - Homewood

Some hotels on Harbor Boulevard south of Katella are within walking distance of the free Toy Story parking lot shuttle bus, getting you as close as you can to the Esplanade, such as the Hyatt Place (as low as $277 a night). Homewood Suites by Hilton (as low as $221 a night) is next door to the Toy Story lot as well. This hotel has suites with kitchens, poolside grills and breakfast included.

Most guests will want a car for their vacation in the Los Angeles area. Should you decide not to rent a car, Lyft and Uber are options for getting to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County. We do have one trick for saving on a rental car. Add the rental car to your cart when booking a hotel stay or theme park tickets and unlock even deeper discounts for up to 50 percent off the rental car!

Where to Stay in Los Angeles — Near the Beach

Where to Stay in Los Angeles - Orange County, Huntington Beach Pier

Visitors who are looking for the quintessential California beach experience for splashing in the waves and enjoying beautiful sunsets will find a number of options nestled along the beaches of Orange and Los Angeles Counties, most notably Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Long Beach and Manhattan Beach, including the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa in Dana Point and the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach (as low as $288 a night).

Where to Stay in Los Angeles - Marriott Newport Coast Villas

The Marriott Newport Coast Villas offer spacious accommodations with coastal breezes and nearby golf courses. It has walking trails, pools, barbecues, fire pits, sports courts activities and more. Plus, you can walk to the beach at Crystal Cove. In Huntington Beach (aka "Surf City USA"), the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach (as low as $426 a night) is just across from the beach and has miles of beach trails. Hop over to our post on our favorite SoCal beach hotels for more beach getaway suggestions.

Where to Stay in Los Angeles - Santa Monica ©Travis Conklin 2008 Courtesy of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board

While it’s a little more expensive, we like Santa Monica. It has great proximity to the water and the Santa Monica Pier. The pier boasts an amusement park, arcade, aquarium and more. The Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel has a heated pool and is within walking distance of the pier.  There is also a great shopping, dining and entertainment area along the Third Street Promenade. Wide, paved sidewalks run along the beach to the south toward Venice Beach, perfect for a family bike ride. Along the way, you can take in the street performers, souvenir shops, graffiti walls and sports equipment. A little bit of paradise for the whole family!

Where to Stay in Los Angeles with Kids - aquarium of the pacific

The Long Beach harbor area places you between Orange County and the heart of Los Angeles. A good option in the area is the waterfront Hyatt Regency Long Beach (as low as $203 a night), with its ocean-view suites and pool. You can explore the coast by bike path, go on a dolphin excursion, discover the new Southern California Gallery at the Aquarium of the Pacific, visit the famed ocean liner The Queen Mary and enjoy shopping at the waterfront Shoreline Village.

Where to Stay in Los Angeles — in the Heart of Tinseltown

Where to stay in Los Angeles - The Beverly Hills Hotel

Visitors wanting to be in the heart of Hollywood will find an abundance of places to stay along Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, many of which cater to children and families, including the famed Beverly Hills Hotel. The location is ideal for sightseeing. It's near many of the most famous locations in Los Angeles, including Melrose Boulevard and Rodeo Drive, and the nearby Hollywood Walk of Fame.

You can still access the beach from these areas. The Big Bus Los Angeles tour has a Beach Loop from Beverly Gardens Park that drops you off at the Santa Monica Pier. Plus, you can use the bus to see other iconic sights around Los Angeles.

Close accommodations to Universal Studios include two mid-priced hotels on the property that offer shuttle service: the Hilton Universal City (as low as $303 a night) and the Sheraton Universal Hotel. Both are a short walk to the entrance of Universal Studios and CityWalk. The Sheraton is a little further away and down a steep hill, but you can take the shuttle.

Where to Stay in Los Angeles - Universal Hilton

We hope you've found this overview of where to stay in Los Angeles hopful as you plan your visit to  LA and its surrounding areas. You'll find more resources and tips inside our Los Angeles Planning Guide.

Related: Best Los Angeles Hotels for Large Families

Related: Our Favorite Hotels for a Low-Key Beach Getaway in SoCal

Hoppy planning!

Keep hopping, Mommy Frog!
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Sep 1, 2023 at 8:09 a.m. Bel Says...

Hi there

We will be in LA for a couple of nights in Jan before we go and stay in Anaheim for a few nights. We have two kids so we want to spend the day at universal but also do the big bus and some hollywood sites. Any recommendations of where to stay?

Reply
Sep 1, 2023 at 9:58 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Bel!

We have a separate post about places to stay around Universal Studios Hollywood if you want to hop over and take a look!

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Reply
Jun 26, 2023 at 10:10 p.m. Nadina Says...

Traveling to LA in July with 3 kids, looking to stop at the Santa Monica Pier, check out the callejones in LA and just family friendly fun. Love bakeries, coffee shops, outdoor activities. Thought of splitting up our stay but just too difficult, so looking for a good location between Santa Monica and LA, what city do you recommend?

Reply
Jun 30, 2023 at 10:40 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Nadina!

We do love Santa Monica and the area always has a lot going on, plus it has the most outdoor activities (along with shops and restaurants). However, if you're not wanting to stay there, Silver Lake has become a trendy neighborhood with walking paths and recreational facilities around a reservoir as well as a number of restaurants and coffee shops.

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Reply
Jun 15, 2023 at 12:06 a.m. Scott Says...

Planning a trip to LA with an 8 years old child in mid August 2023, will be renting a car. We want to head to Universal Studios, beaches, shopping, and anywhere else fun for our child. Plan to hotel hop, what are 3-4 areas you suggest to stay at?

Reply
Apr 7, 2023 at 8:21 p.m. Pauliina Says...

Hello! We are coming to LA in June 2024. My kids are then 12 and 13. We are not really interested in renting a car but is it really necessary while being in LA? Just read so many comments everywhere that it can be hard to move around without it.

We would love to see Hollywood sign, Walk of fame, maybe Beverly Hills and one or two famous beaches. Plus some other sights possibly, too. Which area would be best to find a hotel and as I said rather without renting a car :) Price for the hotel reasonable and we need a family room because there are four of us. Breakfast included would be great, too. Could you give me any ideas where to start searching the hotel? Thanks :)

Reply
Apr 11, 2023 at 1:34 p.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Pauliina!

It depends! If you're planning to stick within a certain area (for instance, it sounds like you'd want to stay relatively close to the Hollywood area for most of your trip), then you could potentially get by without having a car. But if you're wanting to venture out to multiple areas, such as Disneyland or a variety of beaches, then it may make more sense to rent a car. As a way to help you decide, we'd recommend researching the LA B Line (formerly the Red Line) which hits several popular spots to see how you might be able to move around using public transportation. If you're able to hit most everything, then you might find out you wouldn't need a rental car or could just limit a rental car for a day or two to get to the beaches rather than using one for your entire trip. You could also look into bus tours to help with hitting multiple attractions and having transportation available.

As for hotels, you can search for hotels here and filter the search results by price and/or amenities.

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Reply
Mar 7, 2023 at 1:55 p.m. Adam Beatty Says...

Hi - I am coming to LA with my wife and 3 daughters (aged 10, 10, 11) for 5-6 days. We will be hitting Disney and Universal and probably also a beach or two, Beverly Hills, Malibu etc. Thinking we might want to Air BnB. Can you recommend a neighbourhood? Is Malibu too far?

Reply
Mar 7, 2023 at 5:36 p.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Adam!

Malibu is far, especially since it covers a long area of the coast away from most of these areas. The Greater LA Area is spread out, so finding the best central location for all of these locations will be difficult. If you want to stay at one spot, then we'd suggest staying in a beach location and renting a car to get to the theme parks. Huntington Beach, Seal Beach and Newport Beach are in Orange County, which is closer to Disneyland (but they are further from Universal and Hollywood/Beverly Hills). Santa Monica would be a closer city near the beach than Malibu, but it still would be across LA from Universal and well northwest of Disneyland. Another option is to split up your stay. Focus on being near Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Universal, and then move south to Orange County halfway through the trip (or vice versa) if you don't want to spend much time traveling back and forth.

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Reply
Oct 1, 2022 at 7:15 p.m. Matt Says...

Hi, we're looking to come to LA in January 2023 with our kids (2y and 9 months then). We'll need a separate room for our oldest child (I'm snooring) and a kitchen.

Do you have some recommendations for us?

Greetings from Europe

Reply
Oct 3, 2022 at 8:48 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Matt!

Is there a specific area in Los Angeles where you want to stay? That would help us narrow down any recommendations we may have.

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Reply
Jul 17, 2022 at 2:01 p.m. Amanda Says...

We are coming in town to take the kids to the All Star game this week and HR derby at Dodgers stadium!! ANy recs on where to stay close by?

Reply
Jul 18, 2022 at 4:04 p.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Amanda!

Dodgers Stadium is close to downtown, so there are options such as the Millennium Biltmore Hotel and Hotel Indigo Los Angeles Downtown. If any frogs in the Frog Pond know of any others, feel free to chime in!

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Reply
Dec 5, 2019 at 5:13 a.m. maria Riggio Says...

I am looking to bring my teenagers for vacation in La from 12/29-01/3. Ages 17(girl) and 15 Boy. Where to stay? what to do? Help please

Reply
Dec 6, 2019 at 10:41 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Maria!

There are tons of family-friendly options in the area, so it will depend on what you're looking to do with your kiddos! If you are mostly sightseeing in the LA/Hollywood area, you'll want to stay nearby. If you are hopping to Disneyland, there are a ton of options close by (some even within walking distance!). The same goes for local beaches and Universal Studios Hollywood. If you search for hotels here, you can choose to view your options on the map to see exactly where they're located, then narrow them down by price and amenity from there :)

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Reply
Mar 30, 2019 at 4:38 p.m. Margo Says...

Hi!

I’m looking to come to Cali next month! I’m so confused, it will be myself my son (10) and my mother. I have no clue where to stay and I’m having anxiety about driving in California Traffic!! So far we only have Universal Studios on are radar and we’re planning to do the usual LA tours. We would like to stay by the beach. Is there any place you would recommend or any advice you could give about the area? Thanks!

Reply
Apr 1, 2019 at 10:01 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Margo!

You can find out complete guide to Los Angeles here, and information about hotels here. Keep an eye out for "Frog Family Favorites" and check out the details to see if the amenities meet your needs.

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Reply
Feb 22, 2017 at 10:19 a.m. kylie Elston Says...

Hi We are doing California trip and will be coming from Anaheim on Thursday am to stay somewhere towards universal studios then onto international airport on Saturday night - so will have 2 nights in LA. Where be a good area / accommodation suitable for this?

Thanks

Reply
Feb 22, 2017 at 8:05 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Kylie,

There are lots of options in the Universal City/Burbank area for hotels near Universal Studios. You can search by price an location over on our Hotels listings.

Hoppy Planning,

Mommy Frog

Reply
Aug 25, 2016 at 8:34 p.m. Leanne Says...

Hi, my family and I are looking to holiday in Los Angeles next year and have no idea where to stay! We have 3 kids, 2, 11 and 15 years old. I'd like to do Disney for a day or 2 but then experience LA with the beach, shops and tourist spots. What area is best to stay in at a decent price? We are travelling from Scotland, and would prefer a pool or beach near by to relax! I have no idea!! Thanks.

Reply
Sep 14, 2016 at 2:36 p.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Leanne,

You may want to consider splitting hotels. We would recommend picking those that are close to Disneyland (preferably walking distance). Then you could decide if you want to visit the Orange County or LA beaches and look for best accommodations. If you definitely want to have only one hotel, you may consider staying in one of the Orange County beach cities such as Laguna Beach or San Clemente, although some of these hotels can be pricey.

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Reply
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