Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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swimming pool. Most are large apartments with fully equipped kitchens complete with
a microwave and coffeemaker (grocery-shopping service is available as well).
7025 F ranklin A ve. (bt w. La Br ea and H ighland a ves.), Holly wood, CA 90028.
&
800/741-4915
or
323/851-0800. Fax 323/851-4926. w ww.magiccastlehotel.com. 40 units . $129 double; $149-$239 suit e.
Extra person $10. R ates include continental breakfast. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Parking $8.
Amenities:
Out-
door heated pool.
In room:
A/C, TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).
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DOWNTOWN
Traditionally the domain of business folk and conv ention attendees, Downtown L.A. is
becoming increasingly attractive to leisure travelers for several reasons: a Rudy Giuliani-
style cleanup in the late 1990s; a growing number of cultural attractions and destination
dining; excellent-value weekend packages at luxury hotels that empty out once the work-
week ends; and easy , car-fr ee access via the M etro Line to H ollywood and U niversal
Studios. Every freeway passes through Downtown, so it's a breeze to hop in the car and
head off to other neighborhoods (ex cept during w eekday rush hour, that is). Consider
yourself forewarned, however: Despite the low, low weekend rates, Downtown L.A. can
feel like a ghost to wn compared to Venice Beach or West Hollywood, particularly after
sundown. And all that hoopla about an urban r evival, well, let's just say that the Down-
town area has had more comebacks than Richard Gere.
EXPENSIVE/MODERATE
How much you pay at any of the follo wing hotels largely depends on when y ou come. All
become quite affordable once the business trav elers go home; more often than not, r ooms
go for a r elative song o ver holidays and w eekends. Some even offer good-v alue weekday
rates to leisure travelers during periods when rooms would otherwise sit vacant.
Figueroa Hotel
Finds
With an artistic eye and a heartfelt commitment to creat-
ing exotic, whimsical, and oh-so-anti-corporate-style accommodations, charming o wner
Uno Thimansson has transformed a 1925-vintage former YWCA residence into one of
L.A.'s best moderately priced hotels and my top pick for affor dable Downtown lodging.
This venerable 12-story property sits in an increasingly gentrified corner of Downtown,
within shouting distance of the L.A. LIVE enter tainment complex. The big, air y lobby
exudes a romantic Spanish Colonial-Gothic vibe with beamed ceilings and fans, Moroc-
can chandeliers, soaring columns, tile flooring, and medieval-style furnishings such as big
floor pillows made of Kurdish grain sacks, Persian kilims, and exotic fabrics draped from
the ceiling. E levators lead to equally ar tistic guest r ooms that, although poorly lit, ar e
very comfor table. Each comes with a firm, w ell-made bed with a wr ought-iron head-
board or canopy and a Georgia O'Keeffe-reminiscent spread, a Mexican-tiled bathroom,
and East Asian fabrics that double as blackout drapes. M y favorite room is no. 1130, a
large double-queen-size with a S panish terra-cotta print chaise, but y ou can't go wr ong
with any room. The Casablanca Suite is a Moroccan pleasure den, ideal for romance. Out
back you'll find a desert-garden deck with a mosaic-tiled pool and Jacuzzi, and the Veran-
dah Bar, the poolside place to go on warm Southern California nights for a minty mojito
and chat with fellow travelers from around the world.
939 S. F igueroa St. (at Olympic Blv d.), Los Angeles, CA 90015.
&
800/421-9092
or 213/627-8971. F ax
213/689-0305. 285 units . $144 double; $245 C asablanca suite; $195-$205 other suit es. www.figueroa
hotel.com. AE, DC, MC, V. Parking $8.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi; outdoor pool.
In room:
A/C, TV,
fridge, Wi-Fi ($8 per day).
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