where to stay in LA?

[Guest DCeBOY]

i'm going to spend a weekend in LA in july.

i'm trying to figure out where to stay... any suggestions?

i'm pretty sure i want to be in west hollywood so that i can be somewhat nearby to most prospective clients.

people told me about the san vicente inn. it sounded fine. i even tried to contact the people, but they failed to return my email. i guess they just don't need the business.

more disturbing, folks have intimated that it isn't much more than a bathhouse. is that the case? i'm hardly interested in anything like that. if it is like parliament house in orlando, i'd rather skip it. a playful atmosphere is one thing, but checking into a bathhouse for a weekend is not my idea of fun.

what's the ramada like? that has also been mentioned to me.

 

if you want to, you can email me directly at [email protected]

[+ Axiom2001]

In December of last year, I stayed at the Ramada on Santa Monica when I was in LA. ...nicely appointed and quiet. One can tell that a "queen" or some "queens" did the interior of each room. Note the mirror locations!!

 

Try the Hyatt in WeHo; I haven't stayed there as yet (will do next month), but apparently it is choice. I got a good travel deal for the weekend which included airline and hotel... That's the hotel that came up.

 

Look into some of the gay magazines for suggestions: OUR WORLD, OUT, etc...

[Guest DCeBOY]

thanks ax.

does anyone have any info on the san vicente? the person who made me think it was a big ole bathhouse recanted a bit, so now i'm thinking it might be a cute place to stay--if the queens who run it ever answer my email.

[+ deej]

I may be crossing wires mentally here, but I *think* the people who own San Vicente recently bought the Citadel in Palm Springs. I've stayed at Citadel. Cute place. Quiet when it needs to be.

 

But I may be thinking of another LA "resort". Sorry.

 

Remember that LA's pride weekend was last weekend, and I think Palm Springs is this coming weekend. So they may actually just be busy. Or they may have gone to NYC, Chicago, or Toronto, where Pride is this coming weekend.

 

You're not talking about a major chain with 24/7 customer service. It's more of a Mom and Pop operation, where Mom has the bigger dick. :-)

[Rick Munroe]

>One can tell that a "queen" or some "queens" did the interior of

>each room. Note the mirror locations!!

 

What is the "queeny" location for a mirror versus a manly one?

[Guest LAbuyer]

I think the San Vicente is looking really rough these days. I would stay at the Ramada on Santa Monica or one of the nicer hotels on Sunset Blvd. The hotel at hollywood and highland just opened up, I'm not sure what it costs, probably high, but it looks great and its brand new. Good luck.

[chrismac]

Mr. Ethan,

 

I've found both the Argyle (authentic Art Deco) and the Grafton (European modern style) both nice hotels in WeHo. Both are on Sunset. Not too expensive and definitely with the "in" crowd. Not at all skanky.

 

Find them and many others with this web address:

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g33252-West_Hollywood_California-Hotels.html

[Guest bottomboykk]

I stayed at the San Vicente about 4.5 years ago. It was pretty decent: nothing fancy, but a good place to stay. Clothing optional. Nice pool and hot tub. And nice eye candy! }>

 

They have a wide variety of accomodations. I stayed in the cheapest single they had, and it was ok, with a shared bathroom. Bed was comforatable, and they had good cable offerings.

[+ glutes]

I've stayed at the San Vicente twice, Nov01 and Feb02. It needs some work (a bit rickety), but the staff is friendly and helpful. Exclusively gay, it attracts a local crowd who enter on a 'day pass' and hang around the pool. Breakfast is self-serve Costco fare under a tent, but it is in easy walking distance to bars and restaurants on the Blvd. They also have no problem with you bringing back guests...

[marc anthony]

The Wyndham Summerfield Suites is nicer than the Ramada Inn for less money. The rooms are large, the atmosphere is gay friendly, and the location is perfect. One of the best deals in West Hollywood.

[+ Axiom2001]

In my arranging papers and opening unopened mail (about a month old),I encountered my copy of gaytravelnews. For WeHo the writers list these "TAG Approved Gay-Friendly Accommodations": Lar Parc Suite Hotel--www.leparcsuites.com., Le Reve Hotel--www.lerevehotel.com., Ramada Plaza Hotel & Suites--www.ramada-wh.com., San Vincente Inn-Resort, Summerfield Suites Wyndham, and Wyndham Bel Age Hotel, http://www.wyndham.com/belage, in this order.

 

With this information and the previous suggestions, you should not go wrong. Have a wonderful weekend!!:9 :9

[Guest Kalifornia]

I would suggest Mondrian West Hollywood. This Ian Schrager hotel was once an apartment complex so the rooms are quite large. Also the location is right in the middle of WEHO on the Sunset Strip. The House of Blues is the neighbor to the east.

 

Should you be looking for something moderately priced and central to the Gay Ghetto I recommend the Ramada Plaza on Santa Monica Blvd. The land once supported the Tropicana an infamous motel that was torn down to make way for the current owner.

 

Mark -Kalifornia

[N.N.]

I stayed at the San Vicente about a year ago, and it was okay.

The room I had wasn't huge, but it was to my liking. You can

use the place more or less like a conventional hotel, you don't

have to cruise there.

 

And, because no discussion of anything having to do

with L.A. is complete without mentioning automobiles--

 

You pay extra for parking, and sometimes you park

blocking (or blocked by) other cars. They hold on to

your car key so they can move your car if necessary.

[FrancoDiSantisxxx]

LA

 

The West Hollywood Visitors and Convention Center offers a travel guide which includes discounts on all the hotels, including the very nice ones like the Wyndham and the Le Parc. My recollection is that you do not cook and will eat out. My other recollection is that you will not rent a car. In that respect, the San Vicente Inn has the advantage of being near a large 24 hour supermarket, Pavillions, as well as being within very reasonable walking distance of a variety of places. I would never eat there but I doubt you are going to want to eat seitan or wheat free gluten, so you should make out just fine.

 

I do own a car and am loath to drive. If you were based in West Hollywood, you are within easy and convenient cab distance from most clients or you can have clients come to you at a hotel.

 

The other gentlemen are correct. The San Vicente Inn is very much like many of the older Palm Springs resorts, serviceable and clean but the complimentary continental breakfast "bites" and the service is more akin a 1-2 star hotel. The rooms are, by that measure, not cheap.

 

They have an 800 number posted on their web site. USE THAT rather than e-mail and they will be very responsive, however call between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. daytime hours P.S.T. The manager is a very good guy, ask to speak with him.

 

The Ramada is very serviceable but the environment is cruisier at the San Vicente Inn. The Ramada is also convenient, just slightly more further away from what would be the "heart" of West Hollywood.

 

The Sunset Strip hotels, the Modrian, The Standard, The Hyatt, etc. are all much more expensive and I doubt you would be able to get a deal on Priceline as I just did for the Grand Hyatt here in San Francisco. They are also very straight establishments, but the Hyatt has a very nice pool on the roof. None of these places are homophobic.

 

IMHO you would be better off based on your expressed needs at either the San Vicente or the Ramda. ASK BOTH for a discount.