What constitutes a "small fortune"?

And what do you plan to do in LA in addition to the one day you described?

I recently stayed at the Dixie Hollywood,it was centrally located on Holywood Blvde. The hotel itself was nothing too fancy but it was reasonably priced. We merely wanted somewhere that was clean and comfortable to sleep after sightseeing all day, and the Dixie was ideal, just what we needed. They also throw in a rather average breakfast in the price. I found going to the diner next door was far better opprtunity to have a BIG breakfast that keeps you going until lunchtime.

As for tours wander down Hollywood Blvde as there are plenty of companies available on the street approaching tourists and offering tours of the movie stars homes, Beverley Hills etc. Though from memory they only offer half days, at least thats what we did anyway. For going Downtown and to the beaches you may have to hop on a bus and do some exploring yourself.

We like The Jamaica Bay Inn at Marina del rey.

Budget around the $200 mark, we will have a rental car! Will do a day trip to Universal Studios, a studio tour paramount or Warners ? Spend a day at the beach ,Griffith Park & observatory! Was thinking of doing tour first day to get our bearings & then we an go back to where we liked best. Have heard many unreputable tour company's so looking for a great tour ?

Just a quick comment about our June weather, the famous "June Gloom". It's a thick fog layer that rolls in from the ocean most evenings, and with luck it "burns off" as the day progresses, starting from the inland areas. So, while Santa Monica is a lovely little city, staying there for 2 days may have you seeing nothing in the skies but gray.

It's not that far a drive (non rush hour, of course!) from the Hollywood area or even Universal City to Santa Monica for the day.

Test rates at the Renaisance Hollywood and Redondo Beach Crowne Plaza. Very nice places, very well located. If you hit your budget, you will be pleased.

we're visiting LA too - currently looking at airbnb.com to get an apt instead for more space and flexibility...

airbnb is a good recommendation, but make sure that, if you have not used it before, to carefully read the reviews by others. Also cleanliness is big with me, so check the star rating for cleanliness, accuracy, etc.

The Redondo Beach Crowne Plaza is a good recommendation.

There is also a Sheraton Four Points in Culver City (which is almost next door to Santa Monica) which has good rates and which you can get on Priceline for under $50/$75 a night. If you have never used Priceline before you need to be very careful before making your first bid. There are other websites to check before making a bid, sites like biddingtravelerdotcom, biddingfortraveldotcom, and betterbiddingdotcom.

In fact, come to think of it, there are several hotels on the "westside" that you can get for under $100 a night on Priceline. The advantage to some of these hotels is that the parking is free.

Good luck and may you not be hit with the June Gloom!

If looking to stay in the South Bay beach cities for a day or two, look into the Sea View Inn in Manhattan Beach rates usually start at about $135. Manhattan Beach is much closer to the freeways. I have lived in both cities and while Redondo Beach is nice, it takes about 15 minutes to get to the freeway, while Manhattan is only about 5 minutes to the 405 and 105.

Jamie, I'm always checking out moderate hotels in the Los Angeles area. Have you stayed at the Sea View yourself? I have pulled up the hotel's website and TA. At first, I thought it looked pretty good, but now I'm not so sure. While there are lots of positives on Trip Advisor, there appear to be more vicious negative reviews than many other hotels. Most concerning of all is that James, the owner or manager, seems to get pretty snotty in his replies...doesn't bode well, does it? What was your experience?

Hi, tondood,

I recognized your name from your other post about Rt. 66. If you haven't been back since you said "thanks", I suggest you do so, 'cause there are a couple more entries, including one from me, that you may find helpful.

Now, regarding your posts of Jan 27, here are my thoughts.

None of the destinations you identified (except the beach, obviously) are anywhere near the western beach cities, so it makes sense to stay in a hotel in such locations as Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, downtown LA, etc. I can't provide recommendations because I live in a suburb and my fairly frequent trips into and through LA don't involve an overnight stay. Your thought (and gigib's) about visiting the beach as a day trip is a good one. If you can, pick a day when it's not overcast and go in the afternoon.

I liked the hop-on hop-off bus tours that I've taken in San Diego and San Antonio, and on that basis I suggest you check out StarLine Tours, specifically the Red Route.

http://www.starlinetours.com/los-angeles-tour-HOHO-Attractions.asp

Don't know about the Stars Homes Tours. I too am a bit suspicious. Here on local TV we see shots of star's homes when something happens, like a break-in. Those places are fortresses! So you wouldn't see much of one of those. Check Tripadvisor.

"Paramount or Warner's?" I recommend Warner's VIP Tour.

http://vipstudiotour.warnerbros.com/

Don't worry about the VIP part. You will become a VIP as soon as you buy a ticket!