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Best Hotel Bets
Best for Families: With a great location close to both beach and boardwalk, a terrific oceanview pool, and a kids-stay-free policy (plus welcome goodies and special menus for young ones), Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, 1700 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica (tel. 800/235-6397 or 310/458-6700), tops my list as L.A.'s best family hotel. Families on a tighter budget might prefer Best Western Marina Pacific Hotel & Suites, 1697 Pacific Ave., Venice (tel. 800/786-7789 or 310/452-1111), located right next to the carnival-like Venice Beach and boardwalk. You get free continental breakfast and indoor parking, and large suites with full kitchens and a pullout sofa. If you're heading to Universal Studios, stay at the Sheraton Universal Hotel, 333 Universal Hollywood Dr. (tel. 800/325-3535 or 818/980-1212), which offers free shuttle service to the theme park and adjacent Universal CityWalk, both just a minute away.
Best for Business Travelers: With an oversize work desk, a fax machine, two-line phones, a terrific business/copy center, extensive recreational facilities, plus 24-hour room service and a wet bar for late-night, report-due-in-the-morning munchies, the guest office suites at Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, 404 S. Figueroa St. (tel. 800/WESTIN-1 or 213/624-1000), are Downtown's best accommodations for business travelers.
Best Budget Hotel: The bargain of the beach is the friendly, family-run Sea Shore Motel, 2637 Main St. (tel. 310/392-2787), whose motel-basic but beautifully kept rooms couldn't be better located, in the heart of stylish Main Street shopping and dining, and just a stone's throw from Santa Monica's pier and sand.
Best for Travelers with Disabilities: With 25 accessible rooms, the Sheraton Universal Hotel, 333 Universal Hollywood Dr., Universal City (tel. 800/325-3535 or 818/980-1212), offers the most extensive facilities for wheelchair-using and vision-impaired visitors. Two bathrooms have roll-in showers; the rest have tubs with available benches, lowered closet rods and peepholes, and raised vanities and toilets. There are also strobe kits for door and phone, and Braille symbols on the restaurant menus and on all public facilities. Downtown, the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, 404 S. Figueroa St. (tel. 800/WESTIN-1 or 213/624-1000), boasts 39 rooms with similarly extensive auxiliary aids, 15 with roll-in showers.
Best Hotel Nightlife Scene: The gorgeous 18th-floor Penthouse restaurant, bar, and lounge at the Huntley Santa Monica Beach, 1111 2nd St., Santa Monica (tel. 310/394-5454), is my new favorite hotel hangout. It has everything you need for a great night out: a lively bar scene, great food, beautiful views, and plenty of eye candy. All this and no lines, cover charge, or snobby attitude.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
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