Hollywood and Highland Hotels?? To be specific the Hollywood Celebrity Hotel!?

Question

We are going to Hollywood and LA for summer vacation and heard that it can get kind of creepy over there. We are looking at staying at the Hollywood Celebrity Hotel on Orchid Ave. Right behind the Kodak theatre and all the goodies in Hollywood. Would you reccomend that?? What are the places to avoid in LA and Hollywood? Do you know any nice/good places to stay? This would be really helpful. THANKS!

Answer 1

The side streets of Hollywood can be a little questionable at night, but you'd be in a HEAVILY touristed area and just steps from the subway. It will be busy and safe. I actually think the Hollywood & Highland area is probably safer than the Vermont Avenue location another poster mentioned (and that's not a bad neighborhood either--I've stayed at the Comfort Inn at Vermont & Beverly, one stop further south on the red line, and while it's not the greatest area, it worked great as a place to stay). What you may find is that the area is awfully noisy.

As for places to avoid in Hollywood ... the side streets (particularly the east-west streets) are best avoided at night. Stick to the big boulevards (Hollywood, Sunset, Beverly, Melrose, Santa Monica, and Franklin) or the MAJOR cross streets (Highland, Vine, Vermont). If the street doesn't have bus stops, avoid it after dark. While Hollywood has gentrified a lot, drug deals and prostitution still happen on the side streets at night. In general the neighborhoods get poorer the farther east and south you go in Hollywood.

Elsewhere in L.A., it depends a little on whether you have an aversion to "ethnic" neighborhoods. Some tourists shy away from anywhere that isn't lily white--and most of L.A. fits that description. Most of the places tourists are likely to go are perfectly safe, at least by day. Like in Hollywood, the further east or south you go in L.A., the poorer things generally get. South of Wilshire or east of Vermont (and especially east of downtown) you may get into some rough neighborhoods. There are also some very nice areas mixed in with the others, though, and by day most of the city is perfectly safe--in spite of its bad reputation.

Answer 2

I love hotel questions! My ex boyfriend's mom used to work at the Beverly Garland. It's a good choice. Nothing out of this world , but clean and in a very nice, quiet neighborhood. Also very close to Universal Studios and about 10 minutes from Hollywood by freeway. Trip advisor gave it great reviews. The "walk of fame" one got good reviews on Trip Advisor too. From the map it looks like it's in a good spot. Close to all the Hollywood sightseeing stuff, but far enough away from the noise. I'd say avoid Days Inn. It's just such a super cheap spot. We stayed in one in Anahiem and it was awful. Same for Nite Inn. I used to live in that area. Studio City is a nice town, but they have a few seedy looking spots, and that's one of them. Can't say I know of the Celebrity Hotel. Travelzoo has a deal for the Sheraton Universal, but it's a little more than what you'd like to pay. But it's right next door to Universal Studios and Citywalk. Like, you can walk across the street. Yup, that close. Personally, out of all those I think the Beverly Garland would be my choice =)

Answer 3

A little creepy. The Hollywood Hotel (Ramada) on Vermont right near the Vermont/Santa Monica Red Line Station is cleaner, and a pretty good place to base your operations.