34 Best Hotels in Los Angeles
Booking a hotel in Los Angeles means deciding between icons brimming with history on the east side (Hollywood) and the west (Santa Monica)—not to mention new stars all across town, including classic Beverly Hills and the constantly updating Downtown. Tough choices, we know. Our advice? Split your trip and base yourself in multiple neighborhoods—the pockets of Los Angeles are so different from one another they can feel like multiple getaways in one. Our picks span locations, experiences, and price ranges; in other words, when it comes to places to stay in this town, there's something for everyone. These are the best hotels in Los Angeles.
Read our complete Los Angeles travel guide here.
Every hotel review on this list has been written by a Condé Nast Traveler journalist who knows the destination and has visited that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider properties across price points that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination, keeping design, location, service, and sustainability credentials top of mind. This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Christian HoranhotelPendry West Hollywood
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Hot List 2022 
Readers' Choice Awards 2022, 2023Right in the heart of West Hollywood, the Pendry is across the street from The Comedy Store, excellent shopping, and world-class restaurants. The hotel includes 149 rooms, 40 residences, a rooftop pool, a stylish private social club that’ll give SoHo a run for its money, a spa, a bowling alley, and multiple restaurants by Wolfgang Puck. If you can, opt for one of their 37 suites, which feature curated art collections and over-the-top yet opulent modern furnishings in vibrant electric blues and golds that give the room a playful Hollywood Regency aesthetic.
The IngallshotelSanta Monica Proper Hotel
$$ | Hot List 2020 Readers' Choice Awards 2020, 2023Downtown LA and Hollywood have both witnessed more hotel openings in the last year than some cities see in a decade. And yet for the longest time, there have been tumbleweeds on the west side of town. Surprising, given how much the area has changed with the ascendance of Silicon Beach (home to huge Google, Facebook, and YouTube offices) and its trailing wake of tech millennials and visiting creatives. And then, suddenly, with this opening, the Westside gets the hotel of its dreams, a sort of poster child for the brand of coastal cool it lives and dies by, and the same crowd seen queuing up at Gjusta finally has a place to lay its collective head. The vibe comes thanks to famed Los Angeles-based designer Kelly Wearstler, who combines her high energy aesthetic with beachy notes to create an arresting, textured, tone-on-tone space: the shade of nearly everything—the floral wallpapers, sheepskin rugs, marble bathtubs, chubby low-to-ground sofas—seems to live on the same earth-hued Pantone color strip. The in-house restaurant, Onda, a collaboration between Jessica Koslow (from L.A.’s iconic breakfast spot Sqirl) and Gabriela Camara (of Mexico City’s Contramar and San Francisco’s Cala) serves dishes that embody LA’s Cali-meets-Mexico ethos. This, along with the rooftop pool and bar (incredibly, the only one in Santa Monica), as well as an enormous outpost of the traditional ayurvedic spa Surya, ensure that this hot spot is as much for Angelenos as is for out-of-towners.
Courtesy Hotel Bel-Air, Dorchester CollectionhotelHotel Bel-Air, Dorchester Collection
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Gold List 2018, 2019, 2022 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022Some hotels are scenes, while others are escapes. When you walk across the long footbridge that spans the Bel-Air’s Swan Lake (yes, there are actual swans gliding around) as the larks chirp among the palms and bougainvillea, there’s a sense of the whole sprawling megalopolis melting into the Santa Monica foothills. The Bel-Air has long been a sanctuary, a pastel-hued, Mediterranean-influenced refuge for the likes of Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe. Old Hollywood credentials and tinkling fountains aside, the Bel-Air is no fusty heirloom. A 2012 revamp by New York–based designer Alexandra Champalimaud gave the place a very intentional but somehow apt mid-century brightness. Rooms—all creams, peaches, and ochres in the hotel’s Spanish Colonial style—now come with heated bathroom floors and private terraces with hot tubs and fire pits. Wolfgang Puck, who has been associated with the hotel for more than 30 years, continues to evolve the menu. An alcove overlooking the lake is the perfect setting for a 34-ounce prime porterhouse and a glass of bone-dry Champagne Henriot.
Courtesy The Beverly Hills HotelhotelThe Beverly Hills Hotel, Dorchester Collection
$$$ | Gold List 2018, 2021 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022Even if you don't realize it, you've seen this hotel before. The palm trees, pink walls, and lush gardens of the Beverly Hills Hotel are as much a part of Hollywood iconography as the sign itself. The place is the site of legends: British Royals, Beatles, and Oscar winners have slept on its pillows, Elizabeth Taylor had six of her eight honeymoons here, and a renovation completed in 2015 brought all of that history up to date so it could remain the playground it's always been. Tip: Book your reservation at the Polo Lounge at the same time you book the room.
Courtesy The West Hollywood EDITIONhotelThe West Hollywood EDITION
$$ | Hot List 2020 Readers' Choice Awards 2020, 2021, 2022Los Angeles may be the city of countless stars, but its Hollywood hotelscape, until fairly recently, had become a little faded. Among the handful of dazzling newcomers, including properties from 1 Hotel and Kimpton, here’s a place that warrants top billing. A collaborative project between Marriott and hotel alchemist Ian Schrager (the man behind Studio 54 and new-wave scene-setters the Paramount and Royalton), the Edition group has been landing around the world, from London to Shanghai and, earlier last year, Times Square. This latest, though—the first on the West Coast—is exceptional and marks Schrager's return to L.A. since opening the Mondrian here in the mid 1990s. Hidden in plain sight on the Boulevard behind a screen of specially planted trees, it brings a welcome blast of East Coast energy to the city along with pared-back interiors by minimalist designer John Pawson. It all feels ultra-modern but warm, with whitewashed larch and Technicolor pops such as the banana-yellow pool table, and all-white bedrooms that feel cooling rather than stark; the huge lobby resembles an Italian piazza, albeit one lined by canvases and with a oil-barrel mobile artwork by L.A. artist Sterling Ruby dangling above it. The rooftop bar and plant-shaded pool, meanwhile, draws a local crowd for its raw bar menu and astounding panoramic views to the Pacific and Hollywood Hills, and ground-floor restaurant Ardor takes a cue from California’s inventive vegetarian scene with a spiced-up, plant-forward menu (cauliflower cacio e pepe, whipped feta and beets). This is a hotel that’s helping reboot the L.A. scene, from a brand that understands the city.
Don Riddle/Courtesy Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills, A Four Seasons HotelhotelBeverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel
$$$ | Gold List 2020 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023The Beverly Wilshire is as close to a European grand dame as you'll find in L.A.—with impeccable service to match. It was good enough for Elvis and the British Royal Family, and exists in triumphant opposition to the informal, minimal lobbies sprouting up across the city. Regular guests love the views of Rodeo Drive and Hollywood Hills and the pool, which was based on Sophia Loren's Tuscan villa. And because this is L.A., the scene here wouldn't be complete without somewhere to eat: There's The Blvd, an all-day spot, and the Michelin-starred CUT by Wolfgang Puck, a modern-day steakhouse designed by architect Richard Meier. If you're looking for classic luxury, look no further.
Lisa RomereinhotelHotel Casa del Mar
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021An Italian palace feel on the California beach, Casa del Mar is the other iconic Santa Monica ocean-front property along with Shutters. Rooms feel romantic yet residential, with Italian linens and private patios facing a peaceful inner courtyard. You'll large marble bathrooms with the most tasteful products, then once you're dressed for the evening there's live entertainment every night in the lounge. This place is always worth it: for the views, fairytale four-poster beds, and the warm light that makes the adjustment from beach to room the smoothest possible.
Danielle Hamilton/The Maybourne Beverly HillshotelMaybourne Beverly Hills
$$$Located in the Golden Triangle of Beverly Hills, this former Montage now has a modern California levity, while still holding true to the luxury touch points of five-star service for which one of the world’s most exclusive neighborhoods—and hotel brands—is known. It’s not unusual to experience celebrity sightings on the Terrace, where agents from the nearby buildings mix with a well-heeled jet set crowd. Sipping on the perfect gin martini from The Connaught—the sister hotel from Across the Pond—while gazing out at the plaza’s oversize fountain, you’d swear that you were in Europe, but the pooches in Prada are a dead giveaway that you’re most definitely in Beverly Hills. When you're not luxuriating in your room, make use of the 20,000-square-foot spa, which includes a stunning riad-style mineral pool, saunas, Turkish steam rooms, and Balinese inspired relaxation rooms.
Robert RiegerhotelThe Hoxton, Downtown LA
$The Hoxton blends well into the Broadway neighborhood, a newly revitalized area in the historic theatre district that's now bustling with design shops, high end fashion brands, and hotels like the Ace and soon-to-open Proper directly across the street. These newly minted DTLA digs are the ninth hotel for the London-based Hoxton brand, whose first property opened in Shoreditch in 2006. Moon Lark’s offers an all-day menu that elevates the traditional diner staples—think quesadilla with chorizo and chihuahua cheese, baked brie with almonds and honey, and roasted salmon with dill yogurt sauce. Or head upstairs to the rooftop where Chef Stephanie Izard crafts Peruvian-inspired dishes (ceviches, empanadas, alfajores) at Cabra. For a design hotel, this price point is totally within reach.
Courtesy The LINEhotelThe LINE L.A.
$$This hotel put Koreatown on the map for a number of visitors, and continues to keep it there. Minimalist rooms of all sizes get pops of color and culture in the form of Chairs upholstered in Mexican blankets and custom commissioned photography by Kevin Hanley and ACME Gallery. Stock up on a few Korean treats from the minibar and then sweat it off by taking advantage of complimentary tai chi classes and bicycles, or dancing the night away at the Break Room 86 nightclub, where you may well spot the friends you made in the communal lobby and workspace that day.
Lisa RomereinhotelMalibu Beach Inn
$$$ | Gold List 2023 Hot List 2017 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023Smell the ocean from the lobby at the Malibu Beach Inn. And, because check-in happens at the driveway, you'll have your keys in your hand before you've even stepped into the building. From the lobby continue to your bed and collapse onto super-soft sheets in Scandi-Japanese rooms, with the sounds of lapping waves sneaking in from the balcony. And while the third floor boasts the best views, you won't complain about any of the others as you dine on your private patio, watching the ocean shoot from pink to orange to black. Come here for laid-back luxury and easy beach access.
Nicole Franzen/The SurfriderhotelThe Surfrider
$$ | Gold List 2020 Hot List 2018 Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021For a low-key, personal stay in Los Angeles you can do no better. This light-filled, design-forward spot was a motel in the 1950s before a California architect and his Australian wife transformed it. Feel at ease in the cozy library, or chat it up with the staff who are Malibu natives. There’s a proper bar with stools and multiple seating areas commanding amazing beach and sunset views—including comfy linen-covered couches facing a firepit. The roof deck is only open to hotel guests, the ocean is yards away, and Bellino linens on the beds maintain that perfect balance of luxurious and unpretentious. You really do feel like guests in one big family home.
Courtesy Waldorf Astoria Beverly HillshotelWaldorf Astoria Beverly Hills
$$$ | Hot List 2018 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023Just one deep breath of the lobby's fresh scent and you're in vacation mode. You can find your place in the Waldorf's lobby among couples in artfully ripped jeans and Common Projects sneakers, hot-shot agents, and meticulously maintained ladies in Chanel, or head to your spacious room (the smallest at the hotel is a whopping 630 square feet). But don't get too comfortable down there—the rooftop pool has one of the best views in L.A., complete with an impressive lunch menu from Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
Courtesy PalisocietyhotelSilver Lake Pool & Inn
$$The LA-based hotel chainlette Palisociety now has nine hotels under its belt, but this 54 room Silverlake one feels the most significant, as the white-hot hipster neighborhood had yet to have its own boutique hotel. The desert retro decor throws some major Palm Springs meets Baja energy, which is perfect for this Eastside area. One way the hotel quickly ingratiated itself to its neighbors: offer free pool access to locals. Eastsiders just need to spend $30 at the bar—a task that's all too easy to do on a summer afternoon lounging at the pool. The largest boutique hotel in Silverlake and its surrounds, you'd be hard pressed to find a hotel that embodies the area quite as well, and at such a reasonable price.
Courtesy Palihouse Santa MonicahotelPalihouse Santa Monica
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2019Upon entering the wrought-iron gates of Palihouse Santa Monica, you'll feel a strong urge to extend your stay before it's even begun. The gates frame a 1920s Moorish-style manor house turned 38-room hotel, and lead you to the lobby through a tree-lined courtyard with a fountain. Most rooms come with fully equipped kitchens. Ask for a front-facing room to guarantee your view out over a gorgeous manicured garden. All of the produce comes from the local Santa Monica Farmer's Market, and it wouldn't be West L.A. without the weekend on-call yoga instructor. Just blocks from the beach, this is California independence at its best.
Spencer LowellhotelAce Hotel Downtown Los Angeles
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021The Ace has done it again. Stay here for everything that has made the brand synonymous with contemporary travel—young professionals working in the lobby, a pool inspired by Donald Judd's in Marfa, and an in-house theatre that hosts concerts, talks, live podcast tapings, and screenings. This is New Hollywood, anchoring the revival of L.A.'s hottest neighborhood, with a nightclub on the roof as good as the feeling you'll get crashing into bed after visiting it.
Murphy O'Brien/Courtesy Hollywood RoosevelthotelThe Hollywood Roosevelt
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022To get a sense of the place all you need to know is that the The Hollywood Roosevelt hosted the first ever Academy Awards. If you want to experience Hollywood up close, this is its Times Square, complete with room views of the Hollywood sign (and soundproof walls so the hustle outside doesn't encroach). The hotel stays alive until the wee hours—the chicken tenders and shoestring fries are always available to order, before it's time for a morning refresher in the David Hockney-painted pool—which you might have already seen in plenty of fashion shoots over the years. It's also home to a couple particularly hip bars—The Writer's Room and The Spare Room.
Courtesy Cara HotelhotelCara Hotel
$$ | Hot List 2021This tranquil newcomer’s location on a ho-hum stretch in LA's Los Feliz makes passing through its olive-and-palm-tree-lined courtyard all the more delightful. The name Cara means “friend” in Gaelic, and the idea of warm, convivial hospitality is played up throughout its 60 breezy rooms. The lobby’s custom crown molding, pearlescent plastered walls, and sky-high cove ceilings carry an Old World grandeur that’s mellowed by modern local artwork and plenty of honeyed SoCal sunlight. The outdoor restaurant is perfect for Angelenos’ favorite pastime—alfresco cocktailing— with seating that spills out around a long reflecting pool, creating the feeling of a Moroccan riad. Though the Cara was once a 1950s motel, this is far from the typical flip. The down-to-the-studs renovation expanded rooms to include courtyard- facing balconies, and the decor eschews midcentury nostalgia for a strict shades-of-white approach that amplifies the texture, shape, and quality of the materials: nubby upholstered headboards, crisp linens, matte ceramic lamps. The only real accents come from the black of the leaded windows and curlicue wrought iron. The overall result is an elegant, restful retreat in a town that usually goes all in on drama.
Laure Joliet/Courtesy Kimpton La Peer HotelhotelKimpton La Peer Hotel
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2020This West Hollywood hangout confirms that boutique group Kimpton has the design chops to rival the NoMads and Firmdales of the hotel world. In large part that is down to the bold aesthetic of the interiors by Gulla Jónsdóttir, a West Hollywood resident who channeled the lava fields and waterfalls of her native Iceland with a frosty grey-and-black palette in the guest rooms and lobby, with leather walls, bulbous light fixtures, and a collection of Saba sofas. Bright blooms from star florist Eric Buterbaugh undercut the heaviness of it all. Things perk up outdoors, where a sun-flooded bar that’s already a hit with the cool kids of West Hollywood wraps around the small swimming pool. Artworks from graffiti pieces by Retna to a topographical installation of the city are on display behind the front desk. Even the walls of the elevator are covered in floral murals by Japanese graphic artist and Apple collaborator Kahori Maki. Staff may let you ride it all the way to the top to peek at Jónsdóttir’s nature-inspired wood, metal and stone furniture in the 1,400-square-foot penthouse. As West Hollywood continues its reinvention as a design district, Kimpton La Peer is a worthy anchor of it all.
Adrian Gaut/Courtesy Freehand Los AngeleshotelFreehand Los Angeles
$ | Hot List 2018 Readers' Choice Awards 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023Every hotel prizes its design, but Freehand's affordable hostel space in collaboration with Roman & Williams takes the category to a new level. Have a drink under soaring ceilings in the 1930s tiled bar as you sit in Craftsman-inspired furniture, or take dinner in the restaurant where mosaics of owls line the floor (the building used to house the Owl Drug Store). And of course, as at other Freehands, there's an outpost of the James Beard Award-nominated Broken Shaker bar. You won't really believe you're in a hostel until you see the bunk-bed rooms—which are better designed and more comfortable than a number of private suites we've stayed in.
Courtesy Palihotel Culver CityhotelPalihotel Culver City
$$Boutique brand Palisociety is quietly creating a mini empire of pretty patterns and breezy living room-style salons around greater L.A., having opened four hotels with less than 50 rooms from Santa Monica to West Hollywood in the past decade (a fifth arrives soon). Culver City, a Westside neighborhood of old film studios that’s having a creative renaissance, marks Pali’s entry into an emerging Los Angeles scene. The hotel rises above a residential corner with walls painted like the brand’s signature wallpaper, topped with a neon sign. Something about the design, which lands on the smarter side of kitsch, with heavy woods, flannel blankets, and groovy floral prints, recalls the classic, ‘60s Frankie Avalon film Beach Blanket Bingo. Yet there are no teen idols cutting a rug in Pali’s indigo-blue outdoor bar. Instead the hotel is drawing in the cool kids from Silver Lake who have finally started taking Culver City seriously and who are likely to be discussing the latest detox over mushroom sandwiches and salad Niçoise at its Simonette restaurant. As the Los Angeles hotel landscape is starting to mature quickly, Pali’s fun, young vibe is a refreshing counterpoint that taps into the SoCal spirit in a way big-wig arrivals just can’t.
Courtesy Hotel Figueroa/Cafe FighotelHotel Figueroa - The Unbound Collection by Hyatt
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023Upon entering Hotel Figueroa, you'll notice the Spanish contemporary design and Old World charm. There's a gorgeous cocktail bar and lounge in the lobby, but the seats next to the massive fireplace offer the best perch for people watching. Our Deluxe King room had high wood-beamed ceilings and a comfy seating area with warm fixtures and homey accents. The bathroom had a glass-enclosed shower with rain showerhead and bright fig-leaf wallpaper evocative of the hotel’s nickname: the Fig. There’s no shortage of great dining and drinking options. With great access to DTLA's thriving arts, culture, and food scenes, this is a real urban oasis—for a great rate.
James Baigrie/Courtesy 1 Hotel West Hollywoodhotel1 Hotel West Hollywood
$$ | Hot List 2020 Readers' Choice Awards 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023Although it spans just under two square miles, the little city of West Hollywood (WeHo) is, like much of Los Angeles County, having a big hotel moment. What makes the arrival of 1 Hotel West Hollywood so special—in a wave of openings that includes the Edition’s first West Coast property and the Pendry—is its sharp focus on sustainability. Interior design star Tony Machado used elements of biophilic design (incorporating the natural world—materials, light, vegetation, views—into a built space) by adding greenery to every corner imaginable: a hanging garden at the entrance; a moss-covered wall that imitates the famed Hollywood sign; huge stone planters scattered around the lobby; and no less than three potted plants per bedroom. And almost everything—the flooring, the keys, the enormous sculpted tree-trunk reception desk—is made of reclaimed wood (around 72 tonnes of pine and olive trees downed during storms), while carpets are fashioned from repurposed ocean plastics. The effect of these materials and all the sunshine streaming in from enormous windows is a blurring of the inside and outside and an undeniable sense of wellbeing. The actual outdoor spaces—the rooftop pool and bar—have views of downtown and Laurel Canyon and, on a very clear day, all the way to the beach, while a 5,000 square-foot garden is filled with native plants. It feels like a small miracle that this spacious, verdant retreat exists on buzzing Sunset Boulevard.
The IngallshotelHotel June West LA
$ | Hot List 2021Consider June the playful, adventurous kid sister to Proper Hotels. This 250-room lifestyle-driven property offers all the trappings savvy travelers have come to expect: beautifully designed common areas just right for co-working; a state-of-the-art gym outfitted with battle ropes, Assault bikes, and a Tonal machine; wireless charging docks right where you need them; and food and beverage options that reflect the local sensibility. And did we mention there’s a stylish swim club that looks like it was dropped straight out of Tulum? Needless to say, this LAX-adjacent property is everything but an airport hotel. AV geeks will relish in the fact that their expansive top floor suites have views of the tarmac—an incredible spot to watch airplanes take off over the Pacific at sunset with a glass of the hotel’s Pool Party rosé in hand. But the rooms are so well sound-proofed, and the interiors so polished, that’s the only time you’d even realize you were so close to the Tom Bradley International Terminal. California cool is the through line at Hotel June West LA. Their Scenic Route restaurant helmed by chef Angie Lee showcases ceviches, tacos, and salsas that are proof of her native Angeleno status. (Do not skip on the mind blowing oysters with michelada mignonette.) There’s also an extensive selection of agave-based spirits curated by LA bar impresario and Food & Beverage Partner Steve Livigni, and his musical stylings to match, meaning that come summertime, the Caravan Swim Club will undoubtedly be the place to hang out for both travelers and locals.
Laure JoliethotelSunset Tower Hotel
$$ | Gold List 2018, 2019, 2020 Readers' Choice Awards 2020, 2021Piercing the blue Californian skies on Sunset Boulevard, this elegant Art Deco tower has long been a landmark of the city, home to Hollywood greats since its arrival in 1931, courtesy of architect Leland A. Bryant. In those days it was Clark Gable and Greta Garbo, Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner—and John Wayne, who apparently kept a cow on his balcony to ensure fresh milk for his coffee. Now it’s shiny again after a multi-million-dollar renovation, and 21st-century stars are coming here just for a night or to grab a drink at the see-and-be-seen Tower Bar on the notorious Sunset Strip. The maître d’ discreetly juggles regular guests such as Jennifer Aniston with those who prefer dim lighting or need private corners for tête-à-têtes, while the bottom of the menu firmly reads: "No photographs. No phone calls." The spicy tuna tartare is nearly everyone’s favorite; the seared scallops with black leek and truffle sauce a close second. The 81 bedrooms are done up in dusty pinks and browns with dazzling bathrooms clad in metallic gold wallpaper designed by fashion illustrator Donald Robertson, and there’s a Joanna Vargas spa for those red-carpet moments. The newly refreshed outdoor terrace overlooking the small but beautiful pool is one of the loveliest spots—in a city with a strong alfresco game—for a breakfast of mashed avocado on sourdough with poached eggs, or simply to relax for an hour or so, taking in the spectacular views of L.A. and basking in that brilliant golden sunshine.
Courtesy Soho House DTLAhotelSoho Warehouse
$ | Hot List 2020Nick Jones’s members’ clubs have become a litmus test for an area’s cool. And while the other Soho Houses around Los Angeles are in hipper-than-thou Malibu and sceney West Hollywood, this iteration—a seven-story hotel and private club inside a huge early-1900s warehouse—plumped for a still gritty but rapidly gentrifying corner in Downtown’s Arts District with plenty of space to play: a rooftop pool, three restaurants and bars, and the huge two-floor gym (this is LA). Bedrooms have an intentionally homey, vaguely '70s feel with ceramic lights and plenty of plants, nodding to a time when the building was used as a recording studio. In keeping with the neighborhood—powerhouse gallery Hauser & Wirth and other indie outfits are nearby—there’s art everywhere, from the loading-dock-entrance mural by Shepard Fairey to a huge acrylic number up on the roof by LA-based Australian Paul Davies and pool chairs covered in a custom print by local illustrator Ethan Lipsitz. Even graffiti tags from the days when the warehouse lay abandoned are preserved. For those who thought Soho House was (whisper it) losing its cred, this is a sneakers-and-skateboard example that it still has its finger firmly on the pulse.
hotelThe Georgian
$$$When it first opened in 1933, The Georgian was the place luminaries like Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, and Charlie Chaplin came to see and be seen. During Prohibition, it was also home to a speakeasy that attracted folks like Al Capone and Bugsy Siegel. In the decades that followed, the hotel changed ownership often, fell into disrepair, and was even a retirement home for a brief period. Finally in 2020, it was purchased by BLVD Hospitality (the folks behind Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles, The Hoxton DTLA, and Soho Warehouse) who took two years to bring it back to its former glory. Since reopening in January 2023, The Georgian has quickly reclaimed its place as Santa Monica’s First Lady, a nickname it acquired in the ‘30s when it debuted as one of the first skyscrapers on Ocean Boulevard. You can feel the energy and spirit of the place the minute you step inside the lobby, with its arched ceilings, bespoke Art Deco-inspired furniture, and vibrant color scheme that feels very Cuba. Black-and-white archival photos and art by actor Sharon Stone hang on the walls; guests and locals alike sip cocktails at the bar; friends dine in the terrace, soaking in the glow of the California light.
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Alsace LA
$$Set in historic West Adam—one of L.A.’s oldest neighborhoods and a hub for Black artists and creatives where you can still walk by century-old Craftsman bungalows, Mediterranean-style villas, and Queen Anne mansions—Alsace is relatively unassuming on the outside. But step inside to find a dreamy Bauhaus-inspired oasis —think desert-hued palette of ochre, sandstone, and grey, mosaic murals, terracotta-tiled floors—where a mix of stylish creative types dressed in distressed denim, Converse hightops, and black-rimmed glasses mingle in the cozy lobby. There’s no restaurant on site, however, complimentary coffee and pastries are set out in the morning, which guests can enjoy in the 2,000-square-foot interior courtyard, a secluded oasis with cozy lounge seating and potted cacti.
The AsterhotelThe Aster
$$At the iconic intersection of Hollywood and Vine sits this private club hotel. Swathed in understated elegance, with spacious suites anyone can book (the smallest is 750 square feet), this adults-only hotel draws Tinseltown execs, actors and writerly types who can be found sitting poolside in the inner courtyard by the shade of sweet-smelling lemon trees, sipping cocktails by the firepits in the rooftop, and working out in the gym. Whatever you can think of, the staff at The Aster can bring to fruition, be it booking a helicopter sightseeing ride or a one-on-one personal training session with a trainer to the stars. While the indoor cinema is for members only, screenings in the rooftop patio under the stars and by the warmth of a fire pit are open to all guests.
Conrad Los AngeleshotelConrad Los Angeles
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2023The Walt Disney Concert Hall has long been the crowning jewel of historic Bunker Hill, and famed architect Frank Gehry has upped the ante with the opening of his first hotel project in Los Angeles. Located just across the street from the striking stainless steel home of the L.A. Philharmonic (also designed by Ghery), the Conrad is the ideal outpost for an art-obsessed traveler, within walking distance of The Broad Museum, The Music Center, Angel’s Flight Railway, and MOCA. The entrance to the Conrad is a jaw-dropping one, with the elevator opening up onto floor-to-ceiling views of the swooshes of the Disney Concert Hall. Corner rooms offer similarly spectacular vistas, and on a clear day, you can see all the way down to the Dodger Stadium and San Gabriel Mountains. But it’s not just the exteriors that are top-notch. Extra touches in all of the spaces include full blackout shades, motion-activated nightlights under the bed skirts, and Byredo Mojave Ghost bath products. The spa treatments stand up to the city’s best, and considering there are five separate culinary experiences curated by Chef José Andrés, this is the kind of hotel where you could easily drop your bags and never leave. From modernist cocktails at Sed and Spanish tapas at San Laurel to laid-back, beachy rooftop dining at Agua Viva, there’s truly something for every traveler.
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The Ingalls/Hotel Per LAhotelHotel Per La
$$ | Hot List 2023 Readers' Choice Awards 2023This hotel is the third act for the beautifully preserved Giannini building in downtown Los Angeles, but it may be the most meaningful one yet. Built in 1922 as the Bank of Italy in an ornate Neoclassical style, the building later found fame after years of neglect as The Nomad Los Angeles. When the pandemic shut down the world, the building went dark once more. Now after an ownership and management change, the hotel has begun anew as Hotel Per La, Italian for “for the,” which was inspired by the building’s original use as the bank for the people. That “for the people” feeling begins at the new entrance on Olive Street where guests walk through a mirrored tunnel—an obvious Instagram backdrop—but it also serves as an appreciation for guests. It says both “Welcome to Los Angeles” and “Wow, look at you.” The 241 guest rooms and suites have kept the thoughtfully decorated apartment style that was put in place by Jacques Garcia with soft beds, antique knick-knacks, and a mix of vintage and current photography. Yet up on the roof is where Hotel Per La shines, quite literally when the sun engulfs the pool deck and bar, encouraging guests to relax however they want. The future feels bright here again.
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Trevor TondrohotelThompson Hollywood
Readers' Choice Awards 2022This grown-up Hollywood hotel in the heart of the action offers more sophistication than nearby red-rope properties that cater to the twenty-something It crowd. Located in what’s being dubbed The Vinyl District, this 11-story hotel by mega-developer Relevant Group includes 190 chic guest rooms, a gym by celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson, a French fine dining restaurant called Mes Amis helmed by chef Lincoln Carson, and a beautiful rooftop pool that’s flanked by an ultra-chic French Riviera–inspired lounge called Bar Lis. Be sure to book a spacious corner suite, which boasts floor-to-ceiling windows for an abundance of natural light and a large L-shaped velvet sofa, giving rooms a luxury apartment ambience.
The IngallshotelDowntown L.A. Proper Hotel
$$ | Hot List 2022 Readers' Choice Awards 2023A true feast for the senses, this playful, design-driven property calls on the creative energy of DLTA with enough visual and cultural interest to make it a self-contained vacation. The entrance is a grand one, with vibrant jewel-toned, hand-painted frescoes on the domed ceilings that nod to California’s affinity for Spanish and Moroccan design during the 1920s (when the property was initially constructed). Each of the 148 rooms features cozy appointments like Fili D’oro linens, Aesop bath amenities, Parachute Home robes, and thoughtfully curated artwork. But the real showstopper of the property is the 2,777-square-foot Proper Pool Suite, featuring a full-size indoor swimming pool accented by a ceramic mural.
Courtesy Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows.hotelFairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023The Fairmont Miramar is a classic Santa Monica stay—as much of a garden hideout as a beach basecamp. Frette linens cover the beds, while suites on the top floor have two balconies (although the 31 residential Bungalows are the choice pick). One hidden perk of staying here? Access to the exclusive Miramar beach club—the staff will even drive you from the lobby in BMWs while you pretend you're in a music video. This one gets the gold star for service.
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