Where to Stay in Los Angeles

For guests traveling to the Los Angeles area, there are an abundance of hotel options at every price point geared toward families with children. While this is a good thing, it can sometimes make the decision of where to stay in Los Angeles even more difficult.

Courtesy 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, for example, and then the rest of their vacation elsewhere might want to 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

Most of the Anaheim-area hotels where Disneyland is located are spread along Harbor Boulevard. A few of them are right across the street from the Disneyland Esplanade that connects Disneyland Park with Disney California Adventure Park, a 5 minute walk, making them as convenient or more convenient than some of the Disneyland Resort hotels. Many others along Harbor Boulevard are still within walking distance, and many of those that are not, offer shuttle service.

Most guests will want a car for their vacation in the Los Angeles area. Should you decide not to rent a car, many of these hotels have shuttle service to and from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County via the Disneyland Resort Express. We have partnered with Mears to bring you a number of shuttle options. You'll find them under Transportation on our Los Angeles Tickets page.

Beyond Disneyland

Visitors will find accommodations in most every part of this large geographic area. No matter your itinerary, there will be at least a few hotels nearby. Visitors who are looking for the quintessential California beach experience will find a number of options nestled along the beaches of Orange and Los Angeles County, most notably Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Long Beach and Manhattan Beach.

©Travis Conklin 2008 Courtesy of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board

While it’s a little on the pricey side, we like Santa Monica for its proximity to the water and the Santa Monica Pier, which boasts an amusement park, arcade, aquarium and more. There is also great shopping, dining and entertainment area along the Third Street Promenade. A little bit of paradise for the whole family!

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. The location is ideal for sightseeing many of the most famed locations in Los Angeles, including Melrose Boulevard and Rodeo Drive, and the nearby Hollywood Walk of Fame. West Hollywood is also convenient to Universal Studios Hollywood in nearby Universal City.

There are closer accommodations to Universal Studios, including two mid-priced hotels on property, the Hilton Universal City and the Sheraton Universal Hotel, that offer shuttle service. Both are a short walk to the entrance of Universal Studios, although the Sheraton is further away and down a steep hill.

Guests wishing to stay closer to Six Flags Magic Mountain will find picturesque views of the mountains and a handful of lodging choices in Valencia and neighboring Santa Clarita.

We hope you've found this overview of when to visit Los Angeles helpful in planning a visit to Los Angeles. You'll find more resources and tips inside our Los Angeles Planning Guide.

Tags: Planning Guide, Southern California Family Vacation, Los Angeles Family Vacation