Hollywood Escape to LA

Here's a picture of the sunrise against a mountain. There is nothing like an LA sunrise, no matter where you watch it. This was taken from my hotel room at the Hilton LAX. If you stay on the east side of the hotel, you can rise to this beautiful scene.

I always rent the Chevy Impala - it's comfortable, spacious, and great on fuel economy. Be sure to call ahead and make sure it's reserved for you, otherwise you may be given a gas guzzler, as described here. This time around, it was unavailable, and I was given a Lincoln TownCar. This is a very comfortable car, however here are the disadvantages this TIP is meant to highlight. It is very big, which makes it difficult to parallel park in the narrow metered parking on LA's streets. It does not get good gas mileage. After sitting in traffic, my fuel economy was 11.2 MPG - not good. For these reasons, remember to make sure you call ahead to get a car that gets good MPG and meets your criteria for comfort and roominess.

I have provided a number of pictures of my room to show the accomodations most thouroughly. In short, this hotel is excellent for a short stay near LAX - business took me to the Westside, so it was a bit of a travel especially during the rush hours. On a similar note, parking is also quite expensive. There are two options: valet and self park, with valet being $26 and self $18. I opted for the self park, although you need to travel four levels below ground. Additionally, spaces are very narrow, so it was a problem parking the Lincoln Towncar. Back to the room. The bed is extremely comfortable, with good, supportive pillows. It is also more spacious than I expected from an airport hotel. The desk is the standard desk, and the chair is comfortable. Internet charges are expensive - $12.95 for a day. My view was the airport, which was interesting because I could watch planes land. However, when trying to sleep, it can get noisy so if you are very sensitive to sound, request a room on the opposite side of the hotel. There are a number of restaurants, and one is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Great for a late night craving. All in all, this is a perfect hotel for the business traveller if you are in the area.