11 beautiful boutique hotels in Los Angeles
The city of angels is known for being big and bold, from the glamorous mansion hotels of Beverly Hills to Malibu's beautiful beachfront properties. But look a little closer, in trendy Downtown, stylish Santa Monica and beyond, and you'll find plenty of places to stay that are filled with boutique style and charm.
Hotel Figueroa, Downtown
This property was built in the first half of the 20th century as a YWCA hostel, and this heritage is kept alive throughout, not only in the preservation of original architectural detail such as the organisation’s triangle logo, but by focusing on the work of local female artists. Even the lifts have been given the creative treatment, with the doors on each floor individually designed with elaborate patterns. In its previous incarnation the hotel was Moroccan styled, but has now been restored to its former Spanish colonial glory, replete with arches, tiling and rustic wooden beams.
Read the full review: Hotel Figueroa, Los Angeles
Petit Ermitage, West Hollywood
Tucked between West Hollywood's Santa Monica Boulevard and the Sunset Strip, this hotel has an artsy, bohemian air. A trellised front entrance opens into an intimate lobby space, where a mish mash of antiques, art and shabby-chic furnishings mix. Cosy hallways with colourful carpeting and painted murals and artwork on the walls lead toward the guest suites, or you can step out into the grassy rooftop garden for fresh air, flowers and a saltwater pool.
Read the full review: Petit Ermitage, Los Angeles
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Mr. C Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills
Inside an all-white, high-rise building, this boutique hotel exudes class. A baby grand piano, overstuffed sofas and marble floors adorn the lobby. Outside, rose bushes and California citrus trees bloom on landscaped grounds that are hidden from the street by a high wall, making it almost like a private retreat. Mr. C's 125 rooms and dozen suites are each furnished like an urban pied-à-terre, complete with in-room bars, Italian furnishings, brass lamps, leather recliners and luxury mattresses. Best of all are the city-view balconies, set with rattan chairs made for lounging. Concierge staff are top-notch, as is the on-site restaurant by Cipriani's of New York.
Read the full review: Mr C Beverly Hills, Los Angeles
Ace Hotel, Downtown
Located in the thick of Downtown, Ace is a hipster-meets-LA Noir party palace. The website encourages you to ‘Vogue poolside’ so expect the type of clientele that will be au fait doing that. The hotel occupies the former United Artists Building, a multi-storey paean to Gothic architecture inspired by Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia. Inside, it has a shabby but considered look: original poured concrete columns and decorative detailing is still in place, complemented by a mish-mash of local designers’ artworks and interiors, such as irreverent LA-inspired ‘hieroglyphics’ – think palm trees, Hollywood scenes and local legends – that adorn the walls in public areas.
Read the full review: Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles
Palihouse West Hollywood, West Hollywood
The loft-like rooms at Palihouse West Hollywood are a hip mash-up of periods and styles – white Chesterfield sofas, Saarinen tables, Bertoia chairs, dark wood cabinets, exposed brick and Noguchi lamps. 36 loft-like spaces range in size from 600 to 1,900 sq ft (bigger than an LA studio apartment), all with full kitchen, washer/dryer and many with private terraces. In the middle of WeHo (West Hollywood), it’s very handy for Melrose Avenue and Robertson Boulevard shopping and a few blocks away from the Sunset Strip, Hollywood and fashionable Runyon Canyon for hikes.
Read the full review: Palihouse West Hollywood, Los Angeles
The Huntley, Santa Monica
Surprisingly sophisticated, this luxury hotel offers a change of pace from Santa Monica's barefoot beach hotels. This is a hideaway for a glamorous crowd of jetsetters and the occasional Hollywood celebrity. This high rise looks impressive even from the outside, where bas-relief panels hang above the grand entrance. The hotel's public spaces are gorgeous, including a lobby dolled up with shag rugs, glowing candles and butterscotch leather seats. The hotel is two blocks from the Third Street Promenade, which is stuffed with shops, cafés and restaurants, and two from one of the most attractive beaches in Los Angeles.
Read the full review: The Huntley, Los Angeles
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Hotel Covell, East Hollywood
This design hotel’s eclectic style is inspired by Los Angeles's East Hollywood neighbourhood. The intimate hideaway, set above a buzzy wine bar, offers five suites that combine 20th-century retro glamour with contemporary comforts, savvy service and little luxuries. The interior of this historical building, dating from the 1920s, is richly furnished with antique Turkish rugs, black wainscoting in the hallways, skylights, and matte brass hanging lamps. Bar Covell is a popular gathering spot for drinks and appetisers. Pouring over 150 wines by the glass, bartenders eagerly match your tastes with what’s on offer, and for beer drinkers, there are eight craft beers flowing on tap.
Read the full review: Hotel Covell
Farmer's Daughter, Fairfax District
This boutique hotels has a unique look that mixes country charm with urban style. Out front, the exterior walls are chequered blue and white and a metal silhouette of a farm girl hangs above the front entrance. Fairly spacious rooms with polished wooden floors are big enough even for families with children. Bright primary colours, braided fabric rugs and denim duvets and throw pillows make it cheery. In LA's Fairfax District, this retro-chic hotel is right across the street from CBS Television City, the Original Farmers Market and the Grove shopping mall. By public bus, it's about 20 minutes to Beverly Hills or West Hollywood.
Read the full review: Farmer's Daughter Hotel, Los Angeles
Carlyle Inn, Beverly Hills
This intimate boutique hotel is a bargain compared to many other lodgings in fashionable Beverly Hills. Recently renovated with Art Deco design elements, the look is perky and just whimsical enough for sunny Southern California. There are so few rooms here (32 in total) that staff have time to assist guests with whatever they might need. Concierges are knowledgeable and able to plan a day of sightseeing around LA. There's no swimming pool but there is a small workout room, an outdoor courtyard, a hot tub and a sun deck with lounge chairs for catching some rays.
Read the full review: Carlyle Inn, Los Angeles
The LINE Hotel, Koreatown
Ensconced in the heart of one of LA's most vibrant districts, The Line is within walking distance of some of the city's best Korean restaurants and the Art Deco Wiltern Theatre. A 1960s building has been modernised with an industrial-chic interior. Bare concrete walls – chipped away in places – in the corridors and bedrooms combine with a series of assorted trinkets in the rooms to create a firmly hipster feel. Rooms include large desks and a range of unusual artwork, from replica detergent bottles on bedside tables to metal bird sculptures fixed to the walls. They feature the work of a local photographer and have chairs upholstered in Mexican serapes (shawls) as well as coffee tables designed to look like urban landscapes. Hollywood Hills rooms offer a spectacular view of the Hollywood sign on a clear day.
Read the full review: The LINE Hotel, Los Angeles
The Varden, Long Beach
This boutique hotel was opened in the late 1920s by circus performer Dolly Varden, whose name still shows up on the rooftop marquee. The hotel's cosy lobby has architectural elements of Spanish Colonial Revival design, a timeless look for Southern California. The modern furniture and a dazzling white colour-scheme are appealing. The Varden's ultra-white décor continues inside the 35 rooms, where aquamarine accents are designed to remind guests of the ocean. Local buses shuttle visitors to the Queen Mary, the renowned Long Beach Aquarium and the beach.
Read the full review: The Varden Hotel, Los Angeles
