Los Angeles and Hollywood conjure up images of glamour and luxury. We spent three days there earlier this year and were a little disappointed. In fact, it seemed run-down and even seedy in parts. Many of the older theatres and restaurants had been closed for a number of years and were now derelict.
We stayed at the Best Western, Hollywood Hills, which is well-located for exploring Hollywood. At $99 per night (plus sales tax), it was reasonable value for money. This didn’t include breakfast, but there was an excellent diner attached to the hotel. We had traditional American breakfasts, complete with hash browns, excellent salsa and unlimited coffee. It opened at 6am, which caters for anyone making an early start.
There is plenty to see an do, although things are very spread out. Like most tourists, we headed for Hollywood Boulevard and Mann’s Chinese Theatre. Fortunately, this was within walking distance of our hotel. We went to see the hand and foot prints left by the stars. Unfortunately there seemed to be a constant stream of coaches arriving, which made it rather crowded. We took a few photos and then moved on.
Of course, there are the major theme parks, including Universal Studios and Disneyland. If you look in the hotel foyers you can usually find discount coupons for these. We chose Universal Studios, and had an excellent day. It was much smaller than its Florida counterpart, and we comfortably did everything in one day. We were even environmentally friendly and went on the new subway instead of taking the car. Universal City is just outside the park, and has a wide variety of restaurants and shops. This also saved us money, as the subway tickets were cheaper than the car parking.
We didn’t visit any of the other theme parks, as we have already been to Florida. One tip I would offer is to plan what you want to do before choosing your hotel. Disney was at the opposite end of Los Angeles and the traffic can be horrendous. The infamous freeways are as bad as they are portrayed in the movies.
The other main tourist attraction is the tour of the movie stars’ homes. We decided not to do this as we had heard reports that most of the homes were well-secluded, and there wasn’t much to see. Instead we headed out to Santa Barbara, about an hour and a half’s drive away. This is a really lovely town, and is where many of the stars actually live. With hindsight, I wish we’d spent more time here and less in Los Angeles.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
we have friends that live in LA and we visit 3 times a year, i think your review gives plenty of info for 1st timers that many be thinking of taking a trip, although a do think 3 days is not a long enough to appreciate the area..
litebite 26.09.2001 00:38
I lived in LA for a year and I don't think it's a great tourist place. It's spread out and there aren't any real 'sites'. However it is a great place to live. I found SB boring!
Paiceyjohn 09.08.2001 19:35
If you hang around the Chinese theatre long enough people come around looking for volunteers for studio audiences. Cool, huh? Great op.
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Advantages: Learn the hotspots in LA and brush shoulders with your Hollywood infatuations and you get to be the envy of all your friends Disadvantages: Relying on Luck and Film Premiers
Advantages: movie history, one of the best cities in the world, great beaches, Disadvantages: so spread out - you NEED a car, smog at some times of the year
flashpointz 08.03.2001 (16.11.2001)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Los Angeles (California)
Jun 26th, 2001
very helpful by (90%):
helpful by (8%):
somewhat helpful by (3%):
