Southern California Advice re: Hotels near/in Downtown Los Angeles

[FergieTCat]

This is why I love the Disboards -- there's a section for every question!

I am planning to visit Los Angeles in March, and will be centering my activities around the Ahmanson Theater downtown. It appears that hotels near the theater are expensive ($260/night -- maybe next time, Omni). I've also read that the area is "sketchy" and I might be travelling alone. I do live in New York City so I am street-wise but I'd prefer to avoid it if at all possible.

I've been trying to look at hotels that might be farther away but are near the Metro (specifically Red and Purple lines). I am not renting a car and I don't want to spend more than 20 minutes travelling to or from the theater. And I can't figure out a good way to figure out which hotels are by which Metro stations.

So ... any advice would be greatly appreciated! I have a reservation at the Biltmore for a good price, but from what I've been reading, the rooms are questionable. I also have a reservation at the Sheraton on 771 S. Flower (or something like that). But I wonder if there's something I'm missing.

I already have plans to take Amtrak to Disneyland for a day!!

 

[StageTek]

I live in Hollywood and work at the Ahmanson often. Downtown LA
is very, very different than NYC - I lived in Island Park and worked
at the Shubert - the streets “roll up” after 9PM.

I would suggest the Hollywood area - a short Red Line trip to the
theater and more, less expensive hotel choices. When I have guests
they really love http://hollywoodbandb.com/ You’ve got everything
from the high end like “W” and the Roosevelt to Comfort Inn, Quality
Inn, Days Inn. There’s the Magic Castle.

I've done the train to Disneyland often, too. Heading to DLR you can
use the Metrolink - it's $9. Then take Amtrak back.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

We stay at the Westin Bonaventure in downtown L.A. You can check Expedia, Travelocity, Priceline, etc. for a good rate. If you don't need a car (parking fees are crazy downtown), the location is great. Red line station is across the street, Starbucks across the street, several nice restaurants across the street (check Mendocino Farms, Chaya Downtown, Drago Centro, Cafe Pinot -- some restaurants may have shuttle service to the Ahmanson, so call to ask). Also, there is the DASH bus (fare used to be well under a dollar -- haven't checked recently) that goes around downtown, so you could see more things without having to walk. I wander around the hotel on my own when DH has business meetings and have not encountered any problems. If you are used to NYC, then you shouldn't have any trouble.

 

[FergieTCat]

Thanks for the input. Off to check hotels in Hollywood and the Westin!