All products featured on Vogue are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
Looking for the best hotels in Los Angeles? We all have our moments of West Coast wanderlust—for close to a century, L.A. has been broadcast to the world as the epitome of glamour, from the Hollywood movie stars that live there, to the beaches so beautiful that countless songs have been dedicated to them.
For those who finally want to make that California dream a reality, there are several hotels—from Sunset Boulevard to Santa Monica—that are worth the trip. If you’re seeking a once-in-a-lifetime Los Angeles experience, look no further at the grand dames like the Hotel Bel-Air, while those wanting to experience the famous surf culture should look to the Santa Monica Proper or the Surfrider in Malibu. And don’t rule out West Hollywood, where you’ll never feel more like a movie star than among the billboards of Sunset Boulevard.
Below, the best hotels in Los Angeles.
The Beverly Hills Hotel (Beverly Hills)
The Beverly Hills Hotel is the most famous hotel in Los Angeles. In fact, it even existed before Beverly Hills did: it was built by a wealthy widow Margaret Anderson and her son in 1912—two years before the neighborhood was officially incorporated, and just as the Golden Age of Hollywood began. Fred Astaire read the Hollywood Reporter by the pool, and Gloria Swanson rented a bungalow during her divorce. Elizabeth Taylor, meanwhile, spent six of her honeymoons there.
Today, the Beverly Hills hotel retains much of its old-school magic: their iconic banana leaf wallpaper still lines the wall and pink-striped cabanas still sit at the pool. Well-dressed patrons still sit outside at the Polo Lounge and order their famous McCarthy chopped salad. Yet their guest rooms are all very much up-to-date with the latest technology, featuring modern art and sleek interiors.
Hotel Bel Air (Bel Air)
If the Beverly Hills Hotel is where you go to be seen, Hotel Bel Air is where you go to get away. It’s tucked away in the hills—far above the neon signs of Sunset Boulevard and the ritzy shops of Rodeo Drive—and suite-style guest rooms are built into the hillside covered in a leafy canopy of trees. You’ll never even see your neighbors, let alone hear them. (Unless, that is, you decide to meander down to the bar during the evening or lie around the pool in the afternoon. A sign strictly forbids photos.) Take a detour on your walk to the valet and you’ll stumble upon a pond where several swans peacefully swim throughout the day. The gardens, meanwhile, are a dream wedding destination for many who seek an enchanted place of peace that’s still close to an urban center.
The Peninsula Beverly Hills (Beverly Hills)
%2520PC%2520Vanessa%2520Tierney%2520Photography.jpg)
This writer is continuously impressed with the service at the Peninsula Hotels, which exceeds expectations no matter what city you’re in: press a button on your iPad and you’ll have anything from housekeeping in under five minutes, while the front desk knows your name the moment you check in. The Peninsula is a top choice for anyone, but especially those traveling for business where everything needs to be a well-oiled machine between meetings. Plus, you can order a strong drink at the moody club bar afterwards.
Maybourne Beverly Hills (Beverly Hills)
The Maybourne Beverly Hills is part of a storied hotel group: its sister properties include Claridge’s, The Connaught, and the Maybourne Riviera. Rooms are adorned in grounding whites, creams, taupes, with slight touches of Pacific Ocean blues—a calming yet luxurious oasis right off of Rodeo job. Dante, ranked in 2019 as the best bar in the world, is also located on its rooftop. Have a cocktail (or two) while overlooking the hills that give the neighborhood its name.
Holloway House (West Hollywood)
Holloway House in Los Angeles is part of Soho House, the creative private members club that has dozens of locations around the world. Yet, despite the company’s global roots, this feels quintessentially Los Angeles: the rooftop boasts a mural by local artist Jessalyn Brooks, and its whole art collection is composed of works by artists under the age of 40. The restaurant serves a mean avocado toast and grain bowl in an atrium with a biophilic-focused design. The guest rooms, meanwhile, take cues from 1960s SoCal culture with light woods, floral cushions, and velvets that wouldn’t look out of place in Laurel Canyon.
Cara (Los Feliz)
Cara is pronounced with a hard r: car-rah. It’s as boutique as one can get: There’s no lobby, but rather an entrance hall with a Venetian plaster ceiling further adorned with floral crown molding. On your left is a concierge desk. On your right, the bar. With only 60 rooms, the staff knows their guests by name even before they introduce themselves. Located in Los Feliz, Cara is a drive away from the more popular tourist areas of Hollywood, West Hollywood, and Beverly Hills. But if this isn’t your first time in Los Angeles—or you just want to explore the city’s East Side—Cara might be the hotel for you. An added bonus? It’s a few minutes walk away from Griffith Park and its sprawling mass of hiking trails.
The West Hollywood Edition (West Hollywood)
The West Hollywood Edition is for those who want to feel smack dab in the middle of everything: located on Sunset Boulevard right near private member’s club Soho House and the iconic Los Angeles haunt of Whiskey Go-Go, it’s one of the few hotels you can have a number of experiences only minutes walk away. The rooms are swathed in creams and other neutral accents, creating an overall feeling of zen. If you feel like being more social, a trip to the lobby should do the trick which has an impressive bar as well as a pool table. If it gets late enough, you can even try the basement club. The West Hollywood Edition also boasts a rooftop pool with a breathtaking view of Los Angeles’s urban sprawl, all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Although it’s hard to imagine leaving their chaise lounges, guests would also be remiss not to visit the spa which has a five-star rating by the Forbes Travel Guide.
The Georgian (Santa Monica)
.jpg)
“With its bright turquoise exterior, striped awnings, and quirky Art Deco architecture, the building looks like something straight out of a Wes Anderson film. Located just a few blocks north of the iconic Santa Monica Pier, it presides over the bustling waterfront like a pastel beacon, begging to be admired,” Vogue contributor Cristina Perez wrote of The Georgian Hotel when she visited in 2023. The storied hotel, which opened in 1933, had just undergone a complete transformation thanks to BLVD Hospitality and their design firm Fettle. (The latter adorned the interior in a style they describe as “Havana Deco” with lush jewel tone interiors and bursts of botanical accents.) Since then, The Georgian has gone on to receive impressive critical acclaim: earlier this year, they were given a “Michelin Key” designation by the Michelin guide, which recognizes the most exceptional hotels in the world.
Santa Monica Proper (Santa Monica)
The Santa Monica Proper is housed in a 1920s landmark building, but its interiors—created by AD100 designer Kelly Wearstler—are decidedly contemporary: Wearstler adorned the space with geometric yet coastal accents like a reception desk that resembles an abstract seashell and a floor that mimics the top of a beach umbrella. Tobia Scarpa Soriana chairs are positioned throughout, accompanied by local artwork. With its strong structural and design elements, Wearstler kept the color scheme mostly neutral, focusing on browns and creams. There’s a rooftop pool as well as an on-site restaurant, Calabra, which serves Mediterranean and California cuisine with views of the Pacific Ocean.
The Surfrider (Malibu)
There are only 20 rooms at The Surfrider in Malibu, which sits just off the Pacific Coast Highway. It feels more like the beach house of your highly successful interior design friend who is also a bit of a surf bum: there are white walls and teak detailing, and wicker accents abound. Meanwhile, many of the hotel rooms have hammocks. As the name implies, this hotel is meant for guests wanting to catch a wave: you can rent wetsuits and borrow surfboards—or store your own in the locker room. Surf lessons can be arranged upon request.
