Los Angeles is well spread out and there is no one hotel area where it is good to be based for everything. Laying your hat depends on your fancy, with the beaches out west having numerous options, along with the Hollywood and downtown areas. Beverly Hills has the pick of the top-end hotels in Los Angeles.

If you are in the market for a posh hotel in Los Angeles, look no further than Bel Air and Beverly Hills. You will not be disappointed with the quality and style on offer in these areas of town, with their tree-lined streets, excellent services, and high security. The Beverly Hills Hotel and Beverly Wilshire are two of the most notable in this area, while those heading for Disneyland could stay at one of the park's swanky onsite hotels.

Los Angeles' top hotels include: the Hotel Bel-Air, Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows, Peninsula Beverly Hills, and Raffles L'Ermitage in Beverly Hills and the Westside area; Casa del Mar and Shutters on the Beach out at Santa Monica; and the Huntington Hotel & Spa and Langham in Pasadena towards the northeast. All of these hotels are very well appointed and boast every conceivable facility.

Those with a love for sea and sand would do well to head for one of the main beaches, such as Hermosa, Venice, or Santa Monica, where the weather is cooler and the smog thinner. While Venice isn't the safest part of the city at night, there are some fantastic hotels here in the south of the region, while Santa Monica and nearby Malibu have the top hotels.

Downtown Los Angeles is mainly for business travellers as there is not much to see here and the bulk of nightlife is located elsewhere. Nearby Hollywood is an altogether better option than downtown and has good options in the mid-price range. If you have the means, West Hollywood is the place to head for in this area of the city, with its vast choice of shops and restaurants.

The main theme parks of Disneyland and Universal Studios have their own nearby hotels, as well as good options in their service towns of Anaheim and Universal City respectively. Nearby Pasadena is another good hotel option, as are the hotels at Long Beach to the south of Los Angeles.