Hotel Help Please
 

Hi

We are planning a trip to LA in March. 3 days to see the Price is Right Jay Leno and tour Hollywood. Do we need a car? Would cabs be better? The tour that we are going on will pick up at the hotel. What hotel would be a good place to stay in the middle of all this. I know some hotels offer shuttle services to and from the airport that are cheaper than cab. What is the weather like in March?

Thanks for any info

First, I'd recommend against trying to use cabs in LA.... It will cost you a small fortune and they are much harder to find outside the airport and certain downtown locations.

Renting a car is probably your best bet if you are flying into LAX. While many of the airport (and a few west-side) hotels have free pickup at LAX, those closer to Hollywood & Burbank almost certainly do not....and will just refer you to car or van services. Some of the cheaper car rental agencies tend to have sub-$20 a day specials (Advantage, Fox, etc.) in off-season like march.

You might consider flying into BUR, which is closer to all of the sites you mention than LAX. It is marginally possible to use public transit if you are flying into Burbank and you are not hevily burdened with luggage... (see http://www.mta.net/) Car rental options are not as diverse, and you are not apt to find any real bargains....but the same prices as you'd expect from the majors at LAX.

Weather in March? Usually pretty good. The temp. usually runs in the low 70s and upper 60s, with nights in the lower 60s and 50s. It's technically the "rainy season" although that's only about 3" in the entire month. You could see days in the high 80s...or the occasional night near to freezing, although those are rare. Classic local weather discription on the Hollywood side of the hills: "late night and early morning low clouds and fog burning off to a sunny & mild day." I think most of the weathermen have that taped... :rolleyes:

Hi

Thanks for the info. Any ideas on hotel. Not too pricey.

It would be helpful to know your per diem budget. Not too "pricey" is kind of vague. March is normally lovely in Los Angeles. Staying in Los Angeles often comes down to where you would like to be located; beach, Hollywood, Beverly hills, Disney area? Please try to elaborate.
Thanks..

I am thinking Hollywood but it is a safe area at nite???? or Beverly Hills

Hollywood is perfectly safe at night but still slightly seedy (though an order of magnitude less seedy than it was a decade ago). BH is much more expensive (triple the price). Hotel prices in LA range from under USD 100 to over USD 500 so you really need to specify what you are looking for. Most Hollywood accomodation is cheap and more motel than hotel, while BH is mostly aiming at a different market (so not really comparable). Hollywood is not for everyone but it might be right for you, it is one of the more fun parts of LA.

Hollywood is an option...but it tends to split between high-end overpriced hotels and slightly seedy motels. Most is safe at night, but some is a bit marginal. I'd instead suggest staying in Studio City or North Hollywood just over the hill. There's a Comfort Inn & Suites on Lankershim in NoHo I've heard positive reports on. Or a Holiday Inn in Vineland that's O.K., and of course if you want to spluge, the Hilton Univesal City is right next to Universal City Walk. All are within minutes of your destinations, and you can easily reach them by streets without fighting the freeways...which can be daunting for an out-of-towner.

Does the tour you have mentioned above provide only transportation to and from the television show tapings, or do they provide additional transportation and/or activities?

The thread linked below provides some information on other FlyerTalkers who have attended 'Price is Right' tapings (although their circumstances were different, there's a good deal of good information):

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthrea...er+Price+Right

.

Hi

Thanks for all the info. We have narrowed it down to Hyatt West or Magic Castle. Any one know any thing about them??

Both have the reputation of being lovely hotels, although neither are what I'd call "not too pricey." If I had to choose, I'd probably go with the Magic Castle, if for no other reason that it includes access to the Magic Castle Club, which is truely an amazing experience, and that the hotel is within walking distance of Gruaman's Chinese and Hollywood Blvd. On the other hand, the Hyatt is on the Sunset strip, and within walking distance of great restauruants and nightclubs.

Hyatt on the strip is in a great location. ^

Hi again

Thanks for all your help. When I first started this I was going with a package deal but that fell thru waited too long and then it wasnt available so when I went back to the hotels separately they are a little pricey. I have heard about Hollywood Celeberity Hotel in the same area. Any thoughts. The tour that we are thinking about is the Star Lines tours and they pick up at your hotel but we will be right there so we shall see. Again I really appreciate that you are willing to give me your thoughts. I am also glad that we are booking separately because if there is a problem it can be dealt instead of I have already paid and am stuck. I think if you are familiar with the area a package deal is great but for a first timer to a city a little scary.

I know it's terribly old-fashioned
 

but have you even taken a look at Fodors and Frommers? Or in a different price range, howzabout Lonely Planet and Let's Go? LA is full of hotels and it's really tough to pick one, but those will give you good starting suggestions.

Please don't try and "do" LA without a rental car. Posters on other forums can get very self-righteous and almost fanatical about how it's possible to use buses and subways to get around with no problem, but I really don't see that happening. LA is a city designed for cars, period. Mass transit is an afterthought and unless you happen to be going between 2 of the few points with it, you're going to have bad luck. You also can't stand on a corner and flag a taxi, they don't cruise; you have to call to order one or jump into a line outside a hotel. And their rates ... sheesh; nothing here is near anything. Figure 45 mins for almost any drive you make. Esp. if you have a few people in your party, the cost of a car is well worth it.

You might also consider semi-apartment joints like a Residence Inn, if you want a place where you can cook some of your own meals and have some room to stretch out.

You will need a car in Los Angeles, no question about it. You will be looked at funny if you walk across the street instead of driving from one parking lot to the other. LA is an unusual place that way.

May I suggest that you try to bid on Priceline for your hotel? The West Hollywood Hyatt is the usual 3* in the Beverly Hills/West Hollywood zone (however the Crowne Plaza Beverly Hills is also a possibility). Latest reports have the winning bids for the West Hollywood Hyatt at $87/night. See www.betterbidding.com or www.biddingfortravel.com for more details.