Wake up to scenes of palm-lined streets or the sun rising over the sea at one of the best hotels in LA with a view. Whether you prefer a Sunset Boulevard high-rise, or a salt-washed beachfront bolthole, these are the best hotels in LA with a view.
Located in West Hollywood, perched on the famous neon-lined Sunset Boulevard, the Mondrian is right in the heart of Tinseltown. The location not only means that many of the area’s best sites, restaurants and shops are on your doorstep, but being at the foot of the Hollywood Hills also means unparalleled views. Drink it all in, cocktail in hand, at the uber-cool rooftop Skybar, which is one of the best spots in town. Its pool is perfect for cooling off from the LA heat and the picture frame-style windows capture the twinkling lights of the city beyond.
An otherworldly structure inside and out, Sunset Tower wouldn’t look out of place in a Wes Anderson movie. The best place to bask in the ethereal atmosphere is up on the rooftop, where candy-striped sunloungers line a deep-turquoise pool with clam-like umbrellas floating above. From here, far-reaching views of the city unfold and you can marvel at the beauty of Hollywood over a sunset drink, though the Tower Bar and restaurant and a select few rooms have equally captivating views.
Moody and bachelor-pad in style – filled with deep, velour couches, dusky Turkish rugs and burnt-orange tones – the decor at SIXTY Beverly Hills makes the hotel feel more NYC than LA. Its rooftop could also rival many in the Big Apple, although with the City of Angels-esque addition of an enormous pool. While the best views inevitably come the higher up you are, all rooms come equipped with floor-to-ceiling windows – the vistas of the city’s quintessential palm-lined streets are particularly atmospheric at golden hour.
With sustainability at its core, 1 Hotel West Hollywood, is soothing and nature-inspired. Complimentary electric cars are on hand to zip you around the city, much of the hotel was built using recycled materials and there’s a focus on farm-to-table food at all the eateries, making this one of the city’s most eco-friendly stays. The sustainable sensibilities are reflected in the earthen-toned rooms, which have floor-to-ceiling windows offering unobstructed views of the city – book a Skyline King to get to the best of them.
The fuschia sunloungers around the rooftop pool are a dreamy spot to bask in LA’s honey-hued sunsets. The views here are decidedly more metropolitan than you’ll find in and around Hollywood, but no less impressive. If striking architecture, contemporary art museums and historic food halls pique your interest more than sun and surf, Downtown is where you should base yourself. And there’s hardly a better place to round off a day than with a cocktail at Freehand’s boho rooftop bar, Broken Shaker.
Set in the 1920s United Artists Theatre, the Spanish-gothic details of the Ace Hotel’s facade have been fully refurbished, while an artfully eclectic interior blends industrial elements with chic furniture. But the best bit is arguably the pool area and Upstairs Bar, a spot that’s often buzzing with locals who flock to its patio for day parties with DJs and night-time cocktail hours against a backdrop of sparkling Downtown views.
Built in 1929, Chateau Marmont casts a striking figure above Sunset Boulevard and has welcomed everyone from Robert De Niro, to Lindsay Lohan and F Scott Fitzgerald. Loosely modeled after a French chateau, the interiors are European in style, contrasting mid-century furnishings with Edwardian-esque interiors. The pool is reserved for guests, and while it’s petite at best, it’s also prime celeb-spotting turf. Sitting high above West Hollywood, this castle on the hill comes, unsurprisingly, with brilliant views of LA.
With stylish and high-end design, the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown offers an elevated experience for travelers. Head straight for the 70th-floor lobby, where you’ll get your first taste of the hotel’s phenomenal views. Depending when you arrive, your second port of call should be the 73rd floor, which is home to the tallest bar in the western hemisphere, or one of the cabanas up on the open-air pool deck – both of which offer equally impressive panoramas.
LA evokes images of hotels on the sand, waking up to the lapping of the waves and the sea breeze through your window; and there’s no more a beloved waterfront spot than Shutters on the Beach. The elegant rooms, ONE Spa and 1 Pico restaurant were all designed by Michael Smith, who designed the private quarters of the White House for Obama, and areas of the hotel have been featured in shows such as Entourage. With a prime location on the Santa Monica boardwalk, Shutters on the Beach has the best ocean views of any hotel in the city; treat yourself to a cityside beach holiday with a stay in one of their beachfront rooms.
Located on the beach in Santa Monica and offering trendy bathrooms with Italian marble and multi-jet tubs, a stay at boutique hotel Casa Del Mar is difficult to beat. Designer Michael Smith also had a hand in the hotel’s decor, though some aspects of this early 20th-century property long predated him – including the entrance, which features a sweeping staircase under an iron chandelier and stained-glass window. The Terazza Lounge is a hotspot for cocktails and beach views, as is the guest-only pool, where you can swim with the waves crashing in the background.
Nobu Ryokan may have once been a motel, but it has since been given new life as a Japanese-influenced beachfront oasis. Each of the 16 rooms offers minimalist style and a Zen-like atmosphere with skylights and fireplaces or patios. Upgrading to an Ocean Room is well worth it – the wall-to-wall doors can be folded back for unobstructed coastal views. A long, hot bath in the Ryokan-style teak soaking tubs is a restorative experience, one best followed by a room service order of Miso Black Cod, straight from the acclaimed restaurant’s kitchen
