Vintage ad for Park Plaza Hotel near MacArthur Park. The hotel still exists today – and is served by the Westlake/MacArthur Park Station – as an event venue. Photo: jericl cat via Flickr Creative Commons
For a long time, tourists visiting L.A. believed that there was just no way to see the city unless they drove. But that’s changing now as more and more guide books include Metro Bus and Rail as travel options to local destinations.
Having a destination that’s transit accessible is great, but it helps if the starting point is as well. With that in mind, here are just a few unique L.A. hotels that are convenient to public transportation. Most are walking distance from a rail station and you can get door-to-door service via bus. Also, here’s a great list of rail-oriented hotels around L.A.: Rails to Rooms.
- The Moment Hotel, Hollywood: Metro Bus 2/302 to Sunset/Martel, Metro Red Line to Hollywood/Highland Station
- W Hollywood Hotel, Hollywood: Metro Red Line to Hollywood/Vine Station
- The Redbury, Hollywood: Metro Bus 210 to Hollywood/Vine or Red Line Hollywood/Vine Station
- El Tres, Silver Lake: Metro Bus 2/302 to Sunset/Hollywood, Metro Red Line to Vermont/Sunset
- Hotel Angeleno, West LA: Metro Bus 233 or Rapid 761 to Church/405
- Hotel Normandie, Koreatown: Metro Purple Line to Wilshire/Normandie Station, Metro Bus 18 or 206 to 6th/Normandie
- The Century Plaza, Century City: Metro Rapid 728 to Constellation/Mgm Dr
- Culver Hotel, Culver City: Metro Expo Line to Culver City Station, Culver City Bus 1 to Washington/Cardiff
- Shore Hotel, Santa Monica: Metro Bus 534 or Big Blue Bus 1 to Ocean/Colorado
- Double Tree, Little Tokyo: Metro Gold Line to Little Tokyo/Arts District Station, Metro Bus 30 to Los Angeles/1st
- Miyako Hotel, Little Tokyo: Metro Gold Line to Little Tokyo/Arts District Station, Metro Bus 30 or 40 to Judge John Aiso/1st
- Figueroa Hotel, DTLA/South Park: Metro Silver Line or Rapid 728 to Figueroa/Olympic, walkable from 7th/Metro Center
- Millenium Biltmore, DTLA/Historic Core: Metro Red/Purple Line to Pershing Square Station, Metro Bus 14 or Rapid 770 to Olive/5th
- The Varden, Long Beach: Metro Blue Line to Pacific Ave. Station
If you have any recommendations on great transit friendly places to stay – whether it’s a Holiday Inn, Marriott or Chateau Marmont – comment with them below!
Categories: Metro Lifestyle
Hi Metro Rider and Rick Beaver,
Metro is exploring transit connections to LAX and we welcome your comments. Check out the Airport Metro Connector website and follow the project on Facebook and Twitter: http://www.metro.net/laxconnector, http://www.facebook.com/laxconnector, http://www.twitter.com/laxconnector.
Bronwen Keiner
Sr. Community Relations Officer,
Airport Metro Connector Project Team
Rick Beaver, Metro has zero control over signage at LAX. The e-mail for L.A. World Airports is infoline@lawa.org if you want to share comments to hopefully have the situation improved.
There is a Holiday Inn Express on Westlake between Wilshire and Sixth Street 1/2 block north the the MacArthur Park Red/Purple Line station. Historic Mayfair on 7th and Witmer is a short DASH route A or E trip from 7th/Metro.
http://www.mayfairla.com/
Weird that Park Plaza ad lists the address as 2424 Wilshire — that is actually the address of my apartment building, the Park Wilshire (originally known as the Victoria Arms).
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p15799coll44/id/90047
http://www.flickr.com/photos/toomuchfire/4083120814/
Metro ought to encourage all hotels to list transit directions on their websites and other materials. This might include allowing use of the Metro “M” logo and the names/numbers of lines that stop within 1/4 mile.
Even if you use the shuttle to the Green Line. Tourists still have to face the smelly Metro elevators as they make their way to Downtown. For this reason, I have chosen not to have my relative to endure the terrible smell. I ask them to rent a car at LAX.
Also it is very confusing after you get your luggage in the arrival area at LAX and walk outside. The present signage is very confusing. People who do not live in LA do not know how to connect with the G shuttle for the Aviation Station. There is inadequate signage as well for the shuttle to get to the LAX bus station which also takes 45 min to an hour because it goes through the entire parking lot before arriving at the LAX bus station. Better signage would be a plus.
In addition, have you ever thought about leaving Metro information the lobby of the hotels so people can figure out how to connect with a Metro bus or train?
This is a great list.
The website “Rails to Rooms” is a great resource on all of the different hotels near Metro Rail and Metrolink. Every rail line has some hotels, even the Green Line. Here is their list for LA: http://kevinkorell.com/hotels/hotellax.htm
Hey Calwatch,
Thanks for the tip! That’s a great list.
Anna Chen
Writer, The Source
The perspective of “can’t get around LA without a car” is because when people arrive at LAX, there is no rail link there!!
You could list most hotels in DTLA here. If I were to give anyone advice on where to stay in LA, it would most definitely be Downtown. It gives you the most flexibility to see all of the Greater LA Area, from Culver City to Hollywood to Pasadena without driving, but is also convenient to car rentals if you want one for a day or two.