thepointsguy

OK- NYC gay here.. partner and I travelling to WeHo next week- my first time so I have some ?'s

We're booked at London W Hollywood.. I know it just opened recently- anyone stay here? Tripadvisor reviews seem pretty positive..and for a 750 sq foot suite for $297 a night, I was sold. I'm SPG Gold and have a room reserved at the W Westwood for the same price ($300/nt), however I feel like the London is a much better location (walking distance to Abbey and others, right?). Is it easy to get to WeHo from Westwood? The W has the free Acura service, so im trying to decide if it makes sense to stay there (though Ive never taken advantage of the Acura deal, so not sure of the restrictions). I'd love to rack up the SPG points and I like W's..however my gut is to forego the points in order to stay in a better location.

Secondly- I generally use black car svc in NYC when going to the airport, because it makes sense (i get a corp rate of $44 from Manh to LGA and $60 to JFK- usually cheaper than cabs). I started to look around and it seems like car service from LAX to WeHo is over $100 (whereas cabs are around $50?) Does anyone know of a good car company or should I just take the cab? (We get in at 1030am a Thursday- would we have to wait for cab?).

Thirdly- any good restaurant/ bar suggestions? I booked the Ivy for lunch (i know its so pase, but its my first time in LA and when in Rome...) We are in our 20s and just looking for good food (I love anything truffle) and fun bar scenes.

Any insight would be appreciated! Hope everyone enjoyed Pride.. I am still exhausted from NYC pride!!

WillFlyer

Hi Brian:

The London is about a 15-20 minute walk from the bars in Weho but note you'll be walking up a steep hill when going back to the hotel at the end of the night. Westwood is only about a $10 taxi ride from Weho, and I don't consider it too far away from Weho to be practical unless you plan to shuttle back and forth between the hotel and Weho frequently.

I don't really have any fancy restaurant suggestions for you, but if you like Persian food there are some great Persian places along Westwood Blvd south of Wilshire near the W. In Weho itself I recommend Bassanova opposite the Abbey and Tango Grill on Santa Monica Blvd. Both great inexpensive fun places with good food.

Let me know what kind of bar scene you're looking for and what night(s) and I'll give you some suggestions. In short Abbey, here, Fiesta Cantina, eleven, and the Factory are all good. Note that here is lesbian on Friday.

I don't have any car recommendations for you, but your hotel might. A taxi should be no problem.

PM me if you have any more specific questions and have a good trip to LA.

jgoodm

I think the London is maybe a 10 minute walk. Its only a couple of blocks but it is a steep hill. There probably is a car that you could call the front desk to come get you if you don't want to do the hill.

W hotel to Weho is about 5 or 6 miles.

JumboJetLA

^HI! You can also look at www.westhollywood.com for all the events and places to eat.
Ivy is nice but fairly overpriced for the selection. There are nice cute places on La Cienga and Santa Monica like Mark's (Monday margarita madness)
If you like French food... right in center of weho there is Cafe E'toile that has pretty good consistent service.

as far as the other posters said YES it is a VERY VERY steep hill.. Think steep or steeper than SF streets... easy to roll down but stumbling back isn’t the best...

Not to put fear in you but do try to cab it at night... it might seem like a short walk but there have been a few hate crimes (sad!) over past few years so using a cab that drops you right off in the center is best

ALSO I live in Hollywood so Private msg me if u have others questions.. Tuesday nights if you are into Jazz there is a Jazz/Wine Tasting at the Kodak Theater/Hollywood and Highlands from 6-9pm... It’s not a gay thing but a great place to sample wine and listen to jazz... and it’s PACKED

MSG me if you like or if you have other questions

_christian

BlissWorld

With all the above fantabulous recommendations, I also need to tell you:

YOU WILL NEED A RENTAL CAR IN LOS ANGELES.

Thanks.

JumboJetLA

YES THAT IS VERY TRUE! use priceline

also get ready to hear over and over "oh its about 25 minutes away".. everything in LA is '25 minutes away'

thepointsguy

Thanks for the advice so far.. are cabs easy to get (esp at night)? We aren't doing rental car for the first 2 days because of ridiculous hotel valet and the fact that during the day we will be at the rooftop pool and at night we don't want to drive (for obvious reasons). We are staying in Santa Monice on our 3rd night, so we got a rental car for that (so we can be touristy and drive around and see whatever).

Also- anyone ever eat at Ketchup??

jgoodm

I agree you need a car in LA.

If you stay at the London though, I still say walk to Weho (if you are physically able) or ask the hotel to give you a lift up the hill. I live right in the area (Norma Triangle) and although there have been some hate crimes in the last 6 years I have been there, they are far and few between, never happen on a major street like the one you will be walking, have mostly been involved in bad choices related to Craigslist dates, and there is a sheriffs' station on the corner of Santa Monica and San Vicente. The London is at Sunset and San Vicente. As in any major city, keep an eye on your surroundings, but that being said, West Hollywood (and more particularly the part you are thinking of visiting) is a very safe city.

If you go to Bossa Nova for dinner, I recommend the Lambada Sandwich.

P.S. Did I mention that the valets at the London are cute?

jimyvr

Abbey on N. Robertson seems to be the new WeHo Gay Mecca because it is always packed nightly. It is mainly a restaurant/bar, but also has some club atmosphere. One of the places in WeHo that you might be running into celebrities unexpectedly.

here lounge, next to Abbey, is one of the newest (well, that title went to Numbers on Santa Monica above the Coffee Tree and Tea Leaf now) and busiest bar/club at night. here lounge on Wednesday night (Starts at 10) is a guaranteed packed night because it's the "Porn Star of The Week" features porn stars appearance and go-go dancing, signing autographs and stuff. On Friday night from 630 to 9pm, it's the "Porn Star Alley", features the live interviews with porn stars. (To be honest, even if you're not into porn, I still strongly recommended because all the questions and answers can be very stunning and funny.) On Saturday night, starting 9/10pm, it's called "Destination here", also a guaranteed packed night.

Rage, on Santa Monica and San Vicente, Thursday night is the pop night. Although the idea is the same as here lounge on Saturday night, but the patrons tends to be more of 18-25 where as here lounge is 18-35.

Those are the must-do activity for me when I'm in WeHo and something I will always recommend.

jimyvr

If it's 25 minutes away, I always make that 40-50 minutes by bus and walk. I usually stay at the hostel near Fairfax + Melrose and it usually took me 25-30 minutes just to walk to the clubs/bars.

As for cabs, it is quite easy to catch a cab at night, especially near abbey and here lounge.

RonGinDC

It's not nearly as easy to find a cab in LA or WeHo as it is in DC or NYC.

I've stayed at (what is now) the London when it was the Wyndham Belage and I don't think the walk up the hill was bad at all...even after a few too many.

BlissWorld

LA? Not so much, but there are always cabs waiting outside of Barney's Beanary (my favorite place to hang in weho--no actor wannabe's/attitude queens/minimum wage idiots like Abbey...very laid back with great beers) near La Cienega/SM. Also, another great place to grab a nice hefeweizen and a quick bite is the Village Idiots on Melrose....

bigguyinpasadena

And there are taxi stands in front of the East West lounge also.
It depends how much driving you plan on doing-I could(and have)done weekends in WeHo without driving.
That said parking in WeHo after 7 can be a real bear-and having a rental car towed because you did not see the posted notices happens ALL the time(think it happpned to a FT'er attending a get together in WeHo)not worth the cost-hassle.Take a cab to and from the club.
London is VERY nice.I do miss the Russian Restaurant in the Whyndham however-that was a slice of another time and place.

BlissWorld

There are secret parking lots/structures all over weho . I always park next to my favorite bar for as low as $3 for the entire evening without having to fight with people Also, having multiple friends living in multiple zones in WeHo also helps

PM me for locations

thepointsguy

Thanks everyone.. I really appreciate everyone's feedback... I just pulled up a "pay in advance" rate for the W Westwood and its now $239... vs $297 I'm currently booked at the London. The London is most likely a nicer hotel, but its brand new and I hear there are lots of kinks..almost considering switching to the W, because I know I will get impeccable service and probably an upgrade (since it seems pretty empty). Decisions, decisions. It's my first time to LA so I really want to enjoy it... I feel like Westwood is a really dead area (UCLA, right?). They both have rooftop pools, which is key (this vacation is all about relaxing during the day and fun at night).

If you all had the choice.. $239 at the W (for a 500 sq foot suite (probably more) or $297 for a 750 sq foot suite at the London for $297.. what would you pick?