All hotel bills are subject to a 14% occupancy tax, which is added to the bill at the end of a stay.

The prices quoted below are the starting prices for double rooms, per night, excluding breakfast and tax, unless otherwise specified. It is recommended to check the hotel's website for Internet specials.

Four hotel categories are listed here: Business, Luxury, Moderate and Other Recommendations. The hotels have also been grouped into four different pricing categories:
$$$$ (over US$300)
$$$ (US$200 to US$300)
$$ (US$100 to US$200)
$ (up to US$100)

Hotel Figueroa
This quirky, Moroccan-themed hotel just one block from Los Angeles Convention Center in the heart of LA's business district is very reasonably priced. The charming, 12-storey landmark hotel built in 1926 makes a welcome change from homogenised chains. But it is not the place to stay if you want a slick, modern operation. Large, terracotta-coloured rooms feature wrought-iron beds and hand-painted furniture. The hotel's heated pool and Jacuzzi in a garden of bougainvillea, cacti, fountains and statues makes a good place to relax after a hard day's work. The coffee shop and reception are open 24 hours.

939 South Figueroa Street, Downtown
Tel: (213) 627 8971 or 1 800 421 9092.
Website: www.figueroa hotel.com
Price: $-$$

OMNI Los Angeles at California Plaza
This is the quintessential business hotel. Located in the heart of LA's business and financial district, it is footsteps from Disney Hall and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Expect excellent service from the moment you enter its spacious lobby. Comfortable, airy rooms with earthy coloured décor are equipped with large desks; roomy marble bathrooms have separate showers and tubs. Within the hotel are the upscale Noe and the casual Grand Café. Other fine restaurants and the Metro are within walking distance.

251 South Olive Street
Tel: (213) 617 3300 or 1 888 444 6664/OMNI.
Website: www.omnihotels.com
Price: $$$-$$$$

Beverly Hills Hotel
Now owned by the Sultan of Brunei, this is pure Hollywood glamour, old-style. Built in 1912, the hotel has seen the honeymoons of six of Elizabeth Taylor's marriages and was featured in the star-studded 1978 movie California Suite. The famous Polo Lounge (a nostalgic vision in pink and green stripes and palm-printed wallpaper) is still a favourite among film directors and producers. The rooms have it all, including two cable TVs (one in the bathroom), marble baths and walk-in closets, while more secluded bungalows are also available, nestled around the pool area. A whirlpool, fitness centre, tennis courts and business centre complete the scene.

9641 Sunset Boulevard, Beverly Hills
Tel: (310) 276 2251 or 1 800 650 1842.
Website: www.thebeverlyhillshotel.com
Price: From $$$$

The Beverly Wilshire
Classical grandeur, impeccable service, 21st-century technology and a great location (right off Rodeo Drive) make this Four Seasons hotel renowned. (The Julia Roberts/Richard Gere movie, Pretty Woman, made it popular with tourists.) An ornately carved entrance leads to a magnificent lobby with Grecian columns and tapestries surrounded by the elegant Boulevard Restaurant and wood-panelled piano lounge. Rooms are luxurious with marble bathrooms, some overlooking the garden patio and pool - which is rather on the small side. The sleek Wolfgang Puck steakhouse, Cut, and the minimalist lounge, Sidebar are popular with well-heeled locals. Treatments at the hotel's elegant, refurbished spa are an indulgence.

9500 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills
Tel: (310) 275 5200 or 1 800 545 4000.
Website: www.fourseasons.com
Price: $$$$

Shutters on the Beach
One of only two LA luxury hotels right on the beach, Shutters combines sophisticated stylishness with a beach holiday atmosphere - understated elegance rules. The lobby has comfy couches, a gas-lit fireplace and esteemed modern art, including pieces by David Hockney and Roy Lichtenstein. Each of the 198 rooms has a verandah with table and chairs and an ocean or pool view. All rooms have a four-poster bed and a copy of Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea. Besides the pool, there is a gym, sauna, spa, the One Pico restaurant or casual Coast.

One Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica
Tel: (310) 458 0030 or 1 800 334 9000.
Website: www.shuttersonthebeach.com
Price: $$$$

Beverly Laurel Motor Hotel
This 1960s-style motel near some of the best restaurants in central LA offers retro glamour at very reasonable rates to families and struggling actors. Andy Warhol prints adorn the walls and its Swingers' Diner, overlooking the outdoor swimming pool, has become the trendy haunt of young poseurs who like to eat innovative diner food (such as pancakes with jalapeno maple syrup) and those conducting business meetings at unsociable hours (it is open very late). The rooms are all comfortable with basic facilities, including microwaves, fridges, cable TV, modem points, and there is a friendly staff.

8018 Beverly Boulevard, Midtown
Tel: (323) 651 2441.
Price: $-$$

Maison 140
Nestled in a residential district of Beverly Hills between Wilshire and Little Santa Monica Boulevard is the former property of silent-screen star Lillian Gish. Now it is a cosy hotel inspired by Parisian B&Bs. The black and white lobby is small and comfortable as are the hotel's guest rooms. All 43 rooms are furnished with antiques and down bedding, and the intimate Bar Noir is a good choice for a cocktail or two. The famous Rodeo Drive is within walking distance and guests can use the pool at the nearby Avalon hotel.

140 Lasky Drive, Beverly Hills
Tel: (310) 281 4000 or 1 800 670 6182.
Website: www.maison140beverlyhills.com
Price: $$

The Standard
Visitors come here because this hotel manages to be both chic and cheap. They are given a glimpse of what to expect when they see the sign outside for The Standard, spelt upside-down - an example of the clever eccentricity that hotel designer André Balazs (who also refurbished Chateau Marmont) is renowned for. Young sophisticates gather in the floor-to-ceiling shag-carpeted lobby with live DJ and performance art shows, the poolside cafe or the 24-hour restaurant, which serves quality American comfort food. Rooms offer kitsch furniture like beanbag chairs.

8300 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood
Tel: (323) 650 9090.
Website: www.standardhotel.com
Price: $$-$$$

Avalon Hotel
Marilyn Monroe once lived in this now stylish mid-century hotel when it was a multi-storey motel. The Avalon offers classic 1950s chic combined with contemporary design, with a glamorous hourglass shaped pool as its stunning centerpiece. Do try to get a renovated room, though, as some have seen better days. Tourists enjoy the residential location minutes from Sunset Strip, and locals and business people regularly meet up at the charming poolside restaurant and bar, Blue on Blue. The staff are generally charming and the guests often young and beautiful - all in all a soothing experience.

9400 West Olympic Boulevard, Beverly Hills
Tel: (310) 277 5221 or 1 800 670 6183.
Website: www.avalonbeverlyhills.com
Price: $$-$$$

Chateau Marmont
This romantic French chateau-style hotel at the foot of the Hollywood Hills has been a haven for show-business types like Greta Garbo since 1929. It still attracts the movers and shakers of the film and music industries. Through its ornately gothic lobby and corridors lie rooms, cottages and bungalows (many with full kitchens) uniquely decorated with vintage furniture and appliances from the 1920s to the 1950s. The hotel restaurant merges with the garden and pool to create a perfect retreat.

8221 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood
Tel: (323) 656 1010.
Website: www.chateaumarmont.com
Price: $$$$