From Beach-Side to Airport-Adjacent These Are 12 of the Best Budget-Friendly Hotels in Los Angeles
While you might think cheap hotels in Los Angeles would be impossible to find, if you know where to look you can find some clean and comfortable budget-friendly hotels in the city. Whether you’re looking to stay near the airport, in Hollywood, by the beach or right downtown, we’ve got you covered so you can book the perfect place that won’t cost you a mortgage payment for a night.
Cheap Hotels in LA Near the Airport
Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles
Located just a quarter of a mile from the Los Angeles International Airport, you’ll be about as close as you can get for that early morning flight or layover with a stay at the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles. A 15-floor property with sweeping views of the city, it offers a great value without cutting corners.
It comes complete with a hot tub and large resort-style outdoor swimming pool surrounded by cabanas and fire-pits, as well as a fitness center that overlooks the pool and includes a variety of high-end equipment. There’s a Starbucks in the lobby while breakfast is served buffet-style in the Brasserie. For lunch and dinner, its Costero California Bar & Bistro, which serves farm-to-table small plates, sandwiches, pizzas, salads and more.
If you want to enjoy the beach, talk to the concierge about taking advantage of the hotel’s Ocean Express Shuttle. It will bring you to Manhattan Beach with its beautiful sands and practically endless restaurants and bars for just $5 USD.
The more than 800 attractive air-conditioned suites are all soundproofed and decorated in a modern coastal style, ensuring a restful night’s sleep before or after that long flight. Each room features flat-screen televisions, coffeemakers stocked with free Starbucks coffee, work desks with ergonomic chairs, sitting areas and marble bathrooms.
Hyatt Place Los Angeles LAX El Segundo
The Hyatt is known for its outstanding quality and service, and the Hyatt Place LAX is no exception. You’ll find a wealth of amenities that make it not only ideal for a layover but a longer stay if you’re so inclined. Located a little over two miles from the airport, a shuttle service is available 24/7 — just schedule your pickup in advance.
Look forward to soaking in the hot tub, refreshing dips in the pool and spending time on the outdoor patio with a fireplace. Rates include breakfast and the hotel also offers a 24/7 menu, a cocktail bar and a grab-and-go market along with a gym and business center.
All 143 rooms feature the ultra-comfy Hyatt Grand Beds, work centers, state-of-the-art media, large flat-screen TVs, sofas or sofa-sleepers, bathrooms with granite countertops and complimentary bath products. Book a suite and you’ll also get a small kitchenette that’s especially convenient for longer stays.
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Crowne Plaza Los Angeles International Airport
While the Crowne Plaza Los Angeles International Airport is an upscale chain hotel, the price doesn’t make it seem that way. It’s located just over a half-mile from the airport and offers a comfortable stay for all types of travelers, including guests that frequently arrive and depart at any time of the day or night. It may be most ideal for those traveling on business, with a 24-hour airport shuttle, business center and room service.
The property includes an outdoor swimming pool and a well-equipped fitness center with treadmills, Lifecycle bikes, Stairmasters and free weights. A perfect way to ease that jet lag, the onsite spa offers a variety of massage options, including hot stone and Thai, along with body and facial treatments, manicures and pedicures.
There are multiple restaurants on site too, including The Landing for breakfast, and the Century Taproom for lunch and dinner featuring classic American fare. The Boulevard Market Café also serves American dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For fun after dark, there’s an alfresco sushi bar and lounge popular for drinks and live music.
The 613 rooms have a clean, simple design with flat-screen TVs with cable channels, free WiFi and pillow top beds.
Cheap Hotels in LA Near Hollywood
Best Western Plus Hollywood Hills Hotel
Enjoy casual elegance and affordable comfort at this chain hotel that’s within walking distance to popular Hollywood attractions like Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and the Walk of Fame. Within a 15-minute stroll, you can be listening to live music, sipping cocktails at a celebrity hot spot or searching for stars on Hollywood Boulevard.
The property hosts an outdoor pool built inside a private courtyard and is attached to the popular Café 101 diner for late-night eats. Guests can also sign up for sightseeing tours of the area.
The 86 retro-style rooms at the Best Western Plus Hollywood Hills come with a wide range of modern amenities, including flat-screen televisions, iPod docking stations, coffeemakers, microwaves and refrigerators. A variety of room sizes are available, with the Executive King Room being the largest.
The fully remodeled options come with a stunning panoramic view of Hollywood along with a fully equipped kitchenette and collections of famous Hollywood stars. Bathrooms feature handcrafted granite countertops, his and her sinks, and mirrored closet doors.
Le Bon Hotel
A stylish boutique property, the Le Bon Hotel sits right in the middle of the Walk of Fame. Its biggest draw other than its extremely convenient location is its low nightly rates. It offers all the basics and then some, with its colorful decorated rooms featuring free WiFi, satellite TV with a DVD player, a coffeemaker and refrigerator.
While there is no restaurant on site, complimentary coffee and donuts are provided for a quick bite before sightseeing, and within a five-minute stroll is a restaurant favorite, the Chicken Dijon Rotisserie & Grill.
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Mama Shelter
Mama Shelter Los Angeles is a unique Hollywood option — its fun and funky vibe along with affordable rates make it a popular choice among the hipper, younger crowd. It’s just a block from Hollywood Boulevard, making it easy to access the Chinese Theatre and Walk of Fame, with an atmosphere that makes it feel like you’re staying in your cool friend’s apartment.
There are exposed, white-painted brick walls and chalkboard messages on the ceiling, eclectic decor like vibrantly colored rugs, woven Mexican blankets and vintage steamer trunks along with a Foosball table in the lobby.
Its biggest draw is that it offers one of the best rooftop patios in the city. Here you’ll find an excellent restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktails with an amazing backdrop of Hollywood. A hot gathering place from morning to night, there are wooden communal tables that encourage meeting and mingling.
Mama Shelter’s 70 simple yet comfortable rooms come in various sizes, all featuring 27-inch iMacs, free WiFi, radios, televisions, mini-fridges and work desks. The largest rooms also have lounge areas for even more space to stretch out.
Cheap Hotels in LA Near the Beach
Sea Shore Motel
There may be no better value accommodation in the Santa Monica area of LA than the Sea Shore Motel. This retro, 20th-century property has a vintage 1950s look and an outstanding central location on historic Main Street within a five-minute walk from the beach, cafes, restaurants, a farmers’ market, art galleries and shops.
The property boasts a lovely rooftop sundeck and Amelia’s, an onsite cafe popular among the locals serving Italian coffee, pastries, soups, salads and sandwiches. There are some great perks too, including complimentary beach gear available to borrow.
The exterior of the Sea Shore Motel features charming signs from yesteryear and soaring palms, while inside the coral-pink building are 25 spacious rooms with terracotta tile and European shutters. All are air-conditioned and include mini-fridges and tube-style TVs. Upgrade to a deluxe suite and you’ll get a flat-screen TV, balcony with seating and a fully equipped kitchen too.
Bayside Hotel
This recently renovated, unpretentious hotel not only offers reasonable rates, but free parking — something hard to find at any property near the beach in LA. Located in Santa Monica, the Bayside Hotel has a fun retro blade sign that harks back to the days when this was a casual beach town and the official end of Route 66.
It’s just a short walk from the beach, and guests can rent bikes from the hotel to pedal down oceanfront paths or explore other attractions.
While the property’s 45 rooms are simple, they’re clean, comfortable and come with free WiFi. Some even include ocean views and kitchens.
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Venice Breeze Suites
An affordable beachfront property in the trendy Venice area, Venice Breeze Suites feels more like an extended-stay boutique hotel. Designed for beach-goers, it sits directly off the boardwalk within walking distance of countless bars, restaurants, shops and, of course, the beach. There’s also a fifth-floor rooftop deck with an ocean view, barbecue grill and wet bar for guest use, washers and dryers, and beach towels that can be borrowed at no extra cost.
The interiors offer lots of natural light and exposed brick along with impressive rooms. Even the standards come with full kitchens, including fully stocked coffeemakers, big flat-screen TVs and free WiFi. Some offer spectacular views of the Pacific as well.
Cheap Hotels in LA Near Downtown
Vagabond Inn at USC
There are few truly inexpensive hotels in the downtown area, but Vagabond Inn offers just that in a convenient location right at the edge of the USC campus — just a hop, skip and jump from the Shrine Auditorium.
While rooms come with just the bare necessities, they’re spacious, clean and have free WiFi. While there is no onsite restaurant, there’s a Thai eatery next door and neighboring strip malls can easily be accessed for a quick bite no matter what the time of day. Guests can take advantage of the free continental breakfast served in the reception area every morning as well as an outdoor pool for swimming.
Freehand Hotel
A hostel-hotel hybrid, the Freehand sits within the storied 1924 Commercial Exchange building, with the original neon sign still in place. It’s right in the heart of all the downtown action, near hip restaurants and bars, a mile from the events at the Staples Center and about an eight-minute walk from the nearest metro station.
The property has a wonderful rooftop pool surrounded by pink loungers and umbrellas, and offers magnificent views. The pool area sits near the Broken Shaker cocktail bar, complete with ceramic Tiki mugs, rattan chairs and tablecloths with colorful fruit prints.
A wide range of room options are available to suit nearly every budget, with a total of 226 rooms. There are 59 shared dorm and 167 private rooms that feature amenities like large flat-screen TVs, seating areas, desks, a hanging basket of snacks and bottled water. Suites add a separate living room. Dorms come with either four, six or eight beds with bunks, lockers, en-suites and private screens.
Guests of the Freehand can also take advantage of free continental breakfast and The Exchange, a modern restaurant serving American/Israeli cuisine. A hot spot among the locals, it offers a fabulous menu that includes catch-of-the-day fish, steaks, kebabs and colorful salads along with a delectable dessert menu that includes tahini ice cream and baklava.
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O Hotel
Located in the Financial District, the O Hotel is one of the few good value, affordable hotels in a walkable downtown location. A stylish boutique option, it’s housed within a 1925 building and is just nine minutes on foot from the Staples Center and less than five minutes from a rapid transit station. Most of the major attractions in downtown can be easily reached, including the Music Center, Disney Concert Hall, the Convention Center, Microsoft Theater and L.A. Live.
There are 67 air-conditioned, contemporary rooms with colorful wall murals that give them a cheery feel. All feature high-end amenities like Nespresso machines, smart TVs, iPod docks and mini-fridges. Higher categories come with city views, while suites add more space with living areas.
On site is the renowned Bar 1 Kitchen restaurant open for lunch, happy hour and dinner, as well as providing room service. Guests can also enjoy complimentary continental breakfast, an onsite fitness center and access to Gold’s Gym next door. The D’Vine wine bar is a fabulous basement spot for sipping vino, and there’s even a spa that offers massages for taking relaxation up a notch.
