Thread: Visiting LA

Hi Guys,

I couldn't find an appropriate forum for this, so I figured this is where I would post it.

I want to make the home opener and I'm coming from Canada.

Where do you guy recommend to stay?

Also cab it or rent a car?

Are cabs easy to get?

Looking into possibly catching Jimmy Kimmel show too.

Let me know!

Thanks!

Rent a car. Cabs are expensive and can be complicated down here.

What are you trying to see down here? Stay close to there since traffic is a pain in the ass.

What area from Canada are you from? I just got back. Since you're Canadian you must check out Redondo Beach Cafe...or just a hockey nut

If you want to stay near Staples check out the Luxe Luxe City Center Hotel: A Chic Downtown Los Angeles Hotel in the Center of it All

If you stay near Staples Center it is easy to take the subway to Jimmy Kimmel in Hollywood. Check out LA Metro Home | Getting Started Red Line goes from downtown to Hollywood. The hotel at Hollywood and Highland is nice, too....don't know the name, but then you are by the subway and can get to most places except not the beach or the airport (stupid LA!).

Also, check out this site link. It will give you the prices currently being accepted for hotel downtown on Priceline.

We use it when we have to stay downtown, normally we end up at the Omni for around $85 a night, which frankly is stealing it. They do charge for parking, but it really is worth it to get around LA.

Take a cab to/from Staples, it's a 5 minute cab ride.

Originally Posted by NotherCastle

Hi Guys,

I couldn't find an appropriate forum for this, so I figured this is where I would post it.

I want to make the home opener and I'm coming from Canada.

Where do you guy recommend to stay?

Also cab it or rent a car?

Are cabs easy to get?

Looking into possibly catching Jimmy Kimmel show too.

Let me know!

Thanks!

Hotel Downtown
Marriot: across the street from Staples
Luxe: just a very short walk from Staples on Figueroa
The Standard downtown : Hipster heaven ,10-15min walk from Staples
These are pricey options but nice places

Budget hotels are all over downtown (Best Western , Kawada , Comfort Inn ) just be mindful of the area

Hollywood hotel:
The Renaissance : Hollywood and Highland
The Roosevelt : Hollywood and Orange , near Chinese theater (5 min or less walk ) and Jimmy Kimmel Live
W : Hollywood and Vine (about a 15 (?) min walk from JKL and Chinese or 1 stop away from them on the redline subway.
Again these maybe on the high side but are nice

Budget hotels are all around Hollywood (Super 8 , Days Inn , Comfort Inn , Best Western, Motel 6)
When I say budget I mean budget for the area , you might get some sticker shock as prices fluctuate widely
depending on what is going on in town . The Best Western on Franklin can go from $90 - $250 per night in a couple
of days.
If you have AAA or Canadian (CAA ??) you can use that for a % off.

Scope out the areas you want to be in on the interwebz and choose a place that is in that area.

Again if you want to see a lot of So Cal then yeah rent a car for those days you feel like going to the
beach areas , Disneyland or something as you can save some $$$ that way.
Gas is way cheaper here than Canada I think , no VAT .

Cabs are fairly easy downtown and in the Hollywood area but as you get further out they get scarce .
They can get pricey as well , if you take a cab from downtown to Hollywood it's probably about $90 USD + tip
LAX - Downtown = $45 USD + tip
FYI fare is the same for 1 person or 4 so you can split it up so as not to break the bank,

Of course Cabs are bargain compared to a DUI and the resulting fines and fees.

Originally Posted by NotherCastle

I want to make the home opener and I'm coming from Canada.

Where do you guy recommend to stay?

Also cab it or rent a car?

Are cabs easy to get?

I suppose it depends on your tolerance for driving in/with extremely busy traffic in an unfamiliar area. It's not NYC, but driving in downtown LA can be confusing as heck, and navigating LA area freeways if you're unfamiliar with them can be daunting for an out-of-towner. Or, if you want to look at it from a different perspective, if you don't know what you're doing, stay off the roads so you don't get in my way. :-)

If you were only coming for the game, I would recommend staying somewhere within walking distance of Staples Center and taking a shuttle to/from the airport. I don't know where Jimmy Kimmel tapes, but if you can stay downtown and take the Metro to see him, I'd do that if I were you.

Be advised that you may need to pronounce it "Jimmy Kimble".

Call 1-866-Jimmytix
El Capitan Entertainment Center
6840 Hollywood Blvd.

Car rental and GPS with traffic is a must. I find the car rentals for a week are always cheap ($100-$200 if you do your homework).

Traffic sucks, so avoid traffic! Since you're on vacation, don't start your day until 9AM (no morning rush) unless something time-sensitive is happening. Don't plan to be on a freeway during afternoon rush 3-7 (go shopping/touring/etc to kill time).

Having been down for dozens of visits over the past several years, we've learned to move around and stay wherever is closest to what is planned. Also only stay with one chain to get hotel points (= Hilton Gold Club thanks to the Cup win). Going to Disneyland, then stay around the Anaheim area.

Driving into Staples is not bad if you're going against the flow of traffic. If I stay near Pasadena, it's 20 mins without traffic to Staples (which is like driving from my house to the Saddledome here!).