The Best Hotels to Book in Downtown Los Angeles

Few Los Angeles downtown hotels can compete with the well-rounded package of practicality and style offered by this cool base near the landmark Bradbury Building. Also in the neighborhood are the bulging shelves of the Last Bookstore and the 30,000sqft (2,800sqm) Grand Central Market’s global food stalls. Whether you’re visiting LA for business or leisure, this CitizenM hotel will tick your boxes with its pop-art-adorned restaurant and lounge, as well as rooms with XL beds, mood lighting and blackout blinds.

This boutique hotel in a 12-story landmark building is part of a private club with more than 125 years of history, giving guests access to an exclusive environment with a range of facilities. Dine in the wood-paneled Famous Players bistro, savor a craft cocktail in the speakeasy-style Invention bar or grab a wellness bowl at the Hercules Beach rooftop gym. The sports facilities and activities program include morning yoga, training sessions, a spa and squash, basketball, volleyball and handball courts.

This hip hotel reflects its vibrant urban setting through playful touches, from complimentary drinks and blinds painted with winking eyes in the rooms, to the Gaslighter Social Club restaurant’s dangling book mobiles and pour-your-own beer taps. Check in and hang out in the whimsical Lilly Rose basement bar, where mixology cocktails compete for attention with burlesque acts, or climb to the rooftop bar-restaurant to toast a Californian sunset. The emphasis is on socializing and discovering the spirit of LA, with plenty of advice on the coolest local sights and activities.

The Ace Hotel is set in the historic United Artists Building, which was built in the 1920s. Rooms have a minimalist approach – set with raw concrete beams, Mondrian-style bedspreads and thoughtful details such as organic mattresses and original works by local artists. Suites, on the other hand, are a musician’s dream and come with the added perks of an acoustic Martin guitar and Ace x Rega RP1 turntable. If you can, catch a show and admire the intricate Gothic-style detailing of the cathedral-like theatre.

Sports fans and concertgoers can conveniently stay the night right next to the Staples Center in the LA Live entertainment complex. It’s also close to a wide array of sports bars and eateries, including Yard House and Katsuya, as well as a bowling alley, a movie theater and the Grammy Museum. The 4.5-star JW Marriott features an elegant lobby, a sun-drenched pool and patio, a host of dining options and a luxury spa with special CBD treatments.

The 1926 Spanish colonial-era building first housed a women-only YWCA hostel, and it has remained an inclusive and significant locale for the creatives and intellectuals of Downtown LA. Hotel Figueroa has an impressive art collection, with temporary and permanent pieces from local sculptors, photographers, painters and mixed-media artists. It’s impossible to miss the hotel’s emblematic floral mural that rises from behind the unusual coffin-shaped pool. The rooms are styled with both historical and modern touches in mind – expect an unconventional blend of glass, metal, tile, wood and leather details.

You may recognize the Millennium Biltmore Los Angeles hotel from one of the numerous blockbuster movies and TV shows filmed here. Hits such as Ghostbusters (1984), Fight Club (1999), Ocean’s Eleven (2001), Entourage, Glee and many other productions feature various parts of this historic landmark. The glitz of Old Hollywood comes to life with marble columns, painted ceilings and sparkling chandeliers, making the lobby alone worthy of a sightseeing stop. Guests can relax in the sauna, steam room and indoor pool, or enjoy afternoon tea at Rendezvous Court, an interior space with high wood-beam ceilings, marble fountains and a baroque double staircase used in Beverly Hills Cop (1984) and Mad Men.

Located at the center of Downtown LA’s Financial District, the NoMad Hotel has the neoclassical facade of what used to be the headquarters of the Bank of Italy. It’s distinctly Italian throughout, with grand marble tables and terrazzo floors. Blue and gold guest rooms are decorated with original art, while freestanding pedestal baths and custom-made argan toiletries await in the bathrooms. The tropical rooftop pool is a particular highlight – a fireplace sits in the open mouth of a stone demigod, and the bar serves up tongue-in-cheek cocktails with names such as Pretty and Basic.

The upscale Hotel Indigo features luxe amenities – bath products by Jonathan Adler and a private limo service, among others. Pets are treated like VIPs, too, with a special “doggie happy-hour menu” that includes homemade ice cream. The rooms dazzle at night with views of the city lights and feature artworks that glorify the wild LA nightlife and the Downtown neighborhood. Lounge in a cabana at the pool’s edge, or explore the many attractions, shops and restaurants right outside the door for a day of sightseeing.

The Hoxton is in a pale honey-hued Beaux Arts building that has seen life as a railway headquarters, garment manufacturer and candy store before becoming a hip hotel. Inside are all manner of treasures – a rooftop pool is overlooked by sage sofas and fringed poufs, and bookended by the hotel’s Mediterranean-inspired bar and restaurant, Pilot. After a few Nautical by Nature cocktails and the acclaimed chips and caviar, you can crash in rooms that range from Snug to Biggy, with touches such as handpicked books, retro Roberts radios and undulating rattan headboards.