LA is a night and day town.
Watching the sun go down after a long day or before a long night is a great way to break up the pace of this city and see it at its most beautiful.
Sunset Blvd is the vein that flows from Hollywood down through Beverly Hills onto the Pacific Coast Highway. Driving down here anytime of day is fun.
Take a trip north up PCH 1 to Malibu for sunset on Zuma Beach. Tackle point Dume, Dolphins and Pelicans may turn up and it is a stunning beach.
Before the beach off PCH 1 Topanga, or Malibu Creek State Parks are both wonderful spots to watch the sun go down. Get up high to see the city, canyons, sea, simply amazing. Get down fast'ish as it gets dark out there!
Anywhere on the beach can be great for sunsets.
The chic suburb of Manhattan Beach has a romantic pier nicely lit with a small aquarium, stroll on the beach, or head on down the stylish beach side broad-walk to Hermosa for the most laid back beach scene in LA.
Santa Monica pier to Venice Beach. Walk, (hire) blades or bikes. Soak it all up. Get back into the canals of Venice and the Albert Kenny Blvd area for an a different perspective of Venice.
Away from the beach the Yamashiro in the Hollywood Hills is a super cool Japanese restaurant with an amazing view especially for sunset and night views.
No need to damage the budget either, hit the bar room for refreshments. Drink up the views and their delicious cocktails. Mia Tia and the Zombie, I can taste them now ... Zombie = don't drive.
Saunter down into Hollywood after and hit a dive bar and hustle some pool. Or go into West Hollywood and watch the people go by (in Lamborghini's) from the numerous establishments on Sunset Blvd.

The vibrancy of this city and variety of places and things to do is too immense a task for quick tip.
LA is well worth a long flight and pricy hotels.
So many hotels good and otherwise I can't scrape the surface.
Hostels are also hit and miss but some are no good altogether.
Try
USA Hostels in Hollywood - clean, friendly
YHA in Santa Monica.
Clean, central
Surf City in Hermosa. Fun, friendly on the beach.
Camping is available at Malibu Creek SP and is one of the coolest ways to get cheap accommodation in the LA vicinity.

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Seriously cool boutique-style hostel in Los Angeles that’s got all the modern facilities but a low price. Worth staying at just for the bright colours and the weird chairs that look like giant hands…

All the main attractions, from the theatres to Chinatown are easily reached from here too!

636 S Main Street
www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/usa/los-angeles/32329/

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The Inn at Venice Beach is a very easy-going hotel. It's set one block back from the Venice boardwalk, south of St Mark's Place,and is perfectly placed for the Venice Whaler, the canals and Marina Del Ray. Staff are helpful and pleasant, it's well-placed for MTA buses but the key to the charm is the little centre courtyard where breakfast is held.

www.innatvenicebeach.com
327 Washington Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291
(800) 828-0688
(310) 821-2557

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The Viceroy hotel seems to have been been transplanted from Sunset Strip - it has more in common with the Standard and the Mondrian than its neighbour motels. Contemporary, chic, super-trendy, ignore the office-like exterior and head for the garden to enjoy a drink in one of the tents next to the pool or on one of the oversized white wing-back chairs. Heavenly.

www.viceroysantamonica.com
1819 Ocean Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90401
USA
Tel: 1 310-260-7500

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This stylish boutique hotel is well situated, away from the main hustle of LA. The staff are very friendly and even make available their own London Taxi to transport you around Santa Monica free of charge.

www.ambrosehotel.com/

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A majestic wooden framed complex of white buildings on the beachfront at Santa Monica, offers a haven from the heat and hustle of the city. A rooftop pool and Jacuzzi, log fires burning (needlessly) in the opulent lobby, views of the Pacific, and a breakfast to die for in the restaurant make this the perfect stop for those who have money and enjoy the quiet life. But don't be put off: it is child friendly too. Rooms start at $325. Prices vary according to season.

Shutters on the Beach; 1 Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica, California 90405; Tel: 310-458-0030; www.shuttersonthebeach.com/

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Not the place to stay if you are looking for a restful vacation, but if you want to imbibe some of the hedonistic buffoonery for which LA is rightfully known, this is the place for you. From the over-designed furniture and accessories, to the girl in the glass case in the lobby, to the rooftop pool, the Standard complies with all the cliches of LA life. $170 per room.

8300 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, California 90069; Tel: 323-650-9090; www.standardhotel.com/

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The upper end of the Best Western budget hotel chain, the Marina Pacific is right on the beach at Venice, offering a bird's eye view of the comings and going on the Broadwalk. Walking distance to many good restaurants, it also offers a base for wandering around Venice (a rare pleasure in LA) and exploring neighbouring Santa Monica. Many rooms have a kitchenette. Prices range from $110-$200 for a double room depending on season.

1697 Pacific Avenue, Venice Beach, California 90291;
Tel: 310-452-1111; www.mphotel.com/

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Not unrelated to the original branch of Swinger's diner, the Beverly Laurel has a good location - which, of course, is everything in LA - funky rooms, a decidedly retro feel and offers good value.

Beverly Laurel Motor Hotel; 8018 Beverly Boulevard,
West Hollywood, California 90048; Tel: 323-651-2441

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Hotel. Reasonably priced. Great Googi building ajoining Fiddlers Bistro. Short walk from farmers market , the Grove Centre, Melrose, Fairfax, La Brea all walkable.

Park Plaza Lodge
6001 West Third Street, LA 90036

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Sleep in an Art Deco palace (with a full-sized kitchen in every room) in Santa Monica. Steps from the beach, amusement pier and shopping/cinema area 3rd Street Promenade. A great place you can stay in L.A. without actually needing a car!

Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica
323-394-2791

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