These are the hippest places to stay in LA, from hotels oozing old-school glamour to the sleekest and chicest new sleeps on the block.
The accommodation choices in Los Angeles are as eclectic and overwhelmingly huge as the city itself. You can find all the usual big-name hotel chains and identikit motels, if that’s your thing. If it’s not, there are plenty of options for those who like their accommodation a little on the cooler side.
From sleek design gems and quirky properties filled with art and history to hip hotels with rooftop pools, we’ve cherry-picked some of the coolest places to stay across the city.
Best for beating a retreat: Chamberlain West Hollywood
This area is both timelessly chic and fabulously fun, and the Chamberlain West Hollywood manages to reflect both sides. The ivy-clad building sits elegantly on a leafy side street, close to the restaurants, bars and nightclubs of Santa Monica Boulevard and Sunset Strip, yet tucked away enough so no noise seeps into the rooms.
And what rooms they are – gorgeously decked out with black-and-white floor tiles, plush sofas, fireplaces and balconies. The restaurant, Fits, serves upscale New American cuisine in a breezy, tucked-away space that potters out to a leafy patio, and is reserved only for guests.
The rooftop pool, lined with cushion-topped loungers and cabanas, is small but perfectly formed – and, just like the rest of the hotel, manages to be a peaceful haven despite being steps from the neighbourhood’s buzzy streets.
Best for poolside parties: The LINE
Koreatown, or K-town, is the place to be if you like your nightlife served well-chilled. The neighbourhood is dense with cocktail bars, karaoke joints, bubble tea shops and all-night dining spots, though it lacks the pretension of some of the city’s nightlife.
The LINE is more than a place to sleep in between all the action: it’s part of the action. From happy hour cocktails in the subtly stylish lobby to karaoke and 1980s nostalgia in Break Room 86, the party is right here.
Openaire, a plant-filled greenhouse right by the pool deck, is one of the area’s – and LA’s – hottest tables for weekend brunch, with bottomless cocktails and zingy, colourful dishes. It’s worth checking out whether or not you’re checked in, and stay around for poolside dancing, too.
For those who do stay overnight, rooms with muted tones, bold sculptures and luxurious textures offer (probably much needed) cosiness and serenity.
Best for art lovers: Hotel Figueroa
It’s actually pretty tricky to find an uncool hotel in Downtown LA (or DTLA, if you’re hip enough to pull it off). New hot spots are opening all the time, proving that the area’s revival is more than a passing fad.
Hotel Figueroa has more cool cred than most, and that’s partly due to its storied past. The 1926 building was originally a YWCA and later evolved into a hotel with Moroccan-inspired decor.
It’s also due to years of sensitive, painstaking restoration. The hotel reopened in 2018 with the building renovated to its original California Mission style and the rooms a beguiling blend of bright whites, warm textures and bold prints that wouldn’t look out of place in a souk.
All artworks displayed throughout the hotel, including in the three bars and two restaurants (Mediterranean and Basque), are by female artists – a nod to the hotel’s feminist roots.
Best for rustic elegance: Farmer’s Daughter Hotel
The Farmer’s Daughter Hotel, in central LA’s funky Fairfax District, is the kind of place guests keep returning to, perhaps because it manages to blend effortless cool with toasty-warm hospitality and ambience. It’s also completely devoid of pretension, from the pool bobbing with rubber ducks to the down-home denim duvet covers in the rooms.
Other cosy touches include rocking chairs, rooster motifs and a daily happy hour (actually three hours) at Tart, which also has a seasonally focused food menu and an intimate neighbourhood vibe.
Guests have access to complimentary bikes for pedalling around the neighbourhood (home to the city’s first farmers’ market) and beyond.
Best for old-world glamour: Mr C
A break in Beverly Hills calls for timeless luxury, and Mr C delivers it with subtle elegance and a fuss-free flourish.
Owned by the Cipriani family, which founded legendary Harry’s Bar in Venice, there are touches of Italian glamour and style in every polished floorboard, leather sofa and impeccably crafted aperitif.
Room decor ranges from breezy shades of white to soothing shades of caramel and coffee, while quilted leather sofas, marble bathrooms and framed black-and-white photos recall the glamour of 1950s Hollywood.
Best for funky fun: The Kinney Hotel
You may not end up spending much time in the room if you stay at this colourful Venice Beach hotel. Not because there’s anything wrong with them. They’re rather lovely, in fact, with bold patterns, pillow-top beds and high-end toiletries. There’s just so much more going on right outside your door.
Accommodation is arranged around The Quad, a courtyard hangout that’s designed to bring guests together for fun and games – or just flopping on a chaise lounge by the fire pit. It also has a bar, ping-pong tables, a pool and hot tub.
Funky decor, from candy-stripe chairs to potted palms and wall murals, add to the quirky vibe, which feels right at home in this offbeat neighbourhood.
Main image: Booking.com
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