Hollywood/Santa Monica in July

Hi SoCal folks,

I’m looking for some recommendations for a cool place to stay in both Hollywood and Santa Monica when I am out in July. I know it may seem strange, but I am debating whether to pick a different hotel for a 1 night stay in each area. I have a friend in NE LA with whom we can probably stay with as a backup but I wanted to give my traveling friend a bit of a feel for what it’s like to be in the center of things, just like a tourist going to NYC for the first time might actually want to stay in Times Square, even though the locals may pooh-pooh it.

I figure one day spent walking around the Chinese Theater/Walk of Fame/Hollywood Blvd/Melrose/Sunset strip (I know the Sunset strip bars are not that close to downtown Hollywood) so a place right by the Whiskey/Rainbow/Viper Room would be cool. One day doing the whole Venice Beach/Santa Monica Pier, Father’s Office, and visiting Roberto at the Wine Expo would be next, or before.

Pricing of course does not look particularly appealing right now. $200 a night for the Comfort in by Roberto, $800 for the Four Seasons Beverly Hills.

Would I be better off looking at AirBnb? Should I just buy our mutual friend a really nice bottle of wine and some Flannery steaks and stay with him for 3 days and Uber/bus/Subway around? Any advice and input is appreciated. TIA.

Hey Brent - I’d take a look at air bnb and consider a place walking distance to the metro. A friend once stayed at a place around the corner from the Vista Theater (metro is a 2 blocks away). You can metro down to Hollywood to see the touristy stuff. There are tons of places to eat and drink near Hollywood Blvd. If you have place to stay that’s a big plus. Uber/Lyft are super easy and relatively cheap. If you have more specific questions shoot me a PM. I’m in the NELA area, so happy to assist or even meet for a beer.

Crazy as it seems I’d consider renting a car. LA is sprawling and while some areas are served by public transportation most are not, or it’s cumbersome. For instance, just getting from downtown Santa Monica by the pier up to Fathers Office on Montana is only possible on the Big Blue Bus, but that only comes every 30 minutes. You could burn half your day waiting for the bus or Expo line. It’s not like Chicago or NYC where Public transport is the best option. Plus if you have your own car you can drive up to Mullholland and cruise down PCH. Parking is much cheaper than other big cities. I lived for 6 years in Chicago with no car, but LA is just designed for cars. If you don’t want a car then Uber-X is the way to go. All over the city and cheap.

Hotels in Santa Monica and Hollywood are tourist geared so they are pricey in the summer. Check out hotels in Westwood near UCLA, good central location and cheaper over summer. I’d do one centrally located hotel over two in the more expensive areas. On the weekends crossing the 405 isn’t bad.