Hotel stay in W Los Angeles
 

Looking for a hotel in W Los Angeles that is in a safe area. Will be using IHG points. This would be in May for 2 adults and 1 child. For about 4 days.

Looking to do things like a Warner Bros tour visit Venice Beach, Santa Monica Pier, Universal Studios and maybe a hike through the Hollywood Hills. Thanks for any info.

First question, will you have a car or not? Those locations you listed are fairly far-flung, and not all that practical with public transit.

The IHG site is currently claiming that the're no reward availability for any hotels in that area for any date in the future, so I can't ell what's up with that (but it also means I can't compare location against points price).

No car. Was going to look into Uber...

In any case, if you definitely want to be on the west side, the IHG options are somewhat limited... there’s the IC Century City and the HIX West LA, plus the LAX properties. I personally like the CP Redondo Beach as a relatively affordable and only somewhat out of the way option, but wouldn’t recommend it without a car. Once Kimpton becomes integrated, the Palomar in Westwood and the upcoming La Peer in West Hollywood would be options as well.

In that case, I'd say the HIX West LA is a safe enough area, with plenty of restaurants within a few blocks walking distance, and a nonstop Big Blue Bus to the Santa Monica Pier (or just walk 4 miles if you like).

But you'll need that Uber for pretty much anything else.

And at any other location, you'll need the Uber for absolutely everything!

IHG doesn't have any hotels near the new Expo line (light rail for West LA), so your public transportation options (other than into Santa Monica, Westwood, or along SM Blvd toward downtown LA) would require a bunch of transferring (sometimes in less safe neighborhoods). Btw, the most unsafe neightborhood you mentioned is Venice.

LA is based on car culture, so if you pick a random location (which basically all the IHG hotels are), you need the use of a car to get most anywhere outside your immediate vicinity, or else transfer buses all day.

Not entirely true. The Expo line is just over 1 mile from the HIX WLA. All one needs to do is take the Culver City Bus (green bus) from Sepulveda and Santa Monica Blvds (2 blocks east of the HIX West LA) down to Pico Blvd. (southbound - going back north the bus is right at Exposition where the Expo line is). That's just 1.2 miles if anyone is inclined to walk it. Line 6 - Sepulveda Blvd | Culver City, CA The Expo line can take you within walking distance of the pier and Downtown Santa Monica going westbound or into the Downtown Los Angeles area eastbound where you can pick up the subway to Hollywood and Universal Studios.

I live just over 1 mile from the HIX WLA so I know the neighborhood very well. Although most of West Los Angeles is affluent and a fairly crime free area, there are homeless everywhere in Los Angeles and concentrated along the offramps of the 405 at Santa Monica Blvd and along Santa Monica Blvd. east of the 405. During the day that's fine. At night, watch yourself.

We were going to stay at a HIX in W Hollywood and was told immediately on another board to change our hotel location. While for now we're at another HIX it's not the one on South Westlake Ave. Still going to keep checking though...

There is no HIX in West Hollywood. There is one on Highland just north of the Hollywood Blvd. Walk of Fame area in Hollywood. That area is fine and has a number of great restaurants and bars. It has gentrified and is full of young millennials. I worked a few blocks from it even before the gentrification started and it was fine. The HIX in Los Angeles on Westlake is not a great area at all.

But downtown Santa Monica is even more easily reachable from the HIX West LA but walking across the street and catching the Big Blue Bus #1 (which goes into Westwood Village in the other direction). And downtown Los Angeles by staying on your side of the street and catching LA Metro bus 4 Both run along Santa Monica Blvd (aka CA State Route 2), which is what the HIX West LA is on.

I live half a mile south of the HIX WLA so I also know the neighborhood well, though you're right, I don't walk under the 405 at night (no reason to, the furthest thing north I want to walk at night is the Nuart theater, which is about 1 block south of the HIX WLA).

yes we're booked at the one on N. Highland Ave now. We were previously booked at one on South Westlake Ave and that's the one we were told to not stay at....

704. https://media.metro.net/riding_metro...images/704.pdf Fine if you are going to Century City, Beverly Hills or West Hollywood, maybe Hollywood with a transfer but going beyond that is going to take quite a long time with traffic along that street. I'd stick to the Expo for Downtown Los Angeles. The Nuart is basically adjacent to the HIX WLA. Same block separated by the alley and one business. I've never been in that HIX hotel, although they just completed a complete head to toe remodel after being closed for 7 months & I would like to now, but being that there was once a Texaco station on that lot, that's a pretty small property for a hotel. Don't forget Santa Monica Blvd. is Historic Route 66, too.

Here's the whole path (eastbound) in CA for those interested:

https://www.historic66.com/california/de1.php