3* Ramada Plaza West Hollywood

Hotel Erwin throws you straight into Venice Beach, with the boardwalk and sand less than a minute from the lobby. This is LA at its most colourful — skaters, surfers, street performers, bars and plenty of characters all sharing the same few blocks. Many rooms have balconies and ocean views, but the rooftop is the real highlight. Kassi Venice Beach combines cocktails and Mediterranean-inspired food with some excellent Pacific sunsets, so you don’t necessarily need to leave the hotel for a good evening. Abbott Kinney is nearby for shopping and restaurants, while Santa Monica is easily reached up the coast. West Hollywood is a completely different excursion. GayMapper tip: go for Venice energy, ocean sunsets and people-watching — not because you intend to commute to WeHo every night.

Silver Lake offers a very different version of queer Los Angeles from West Hollywood, and Silver Lake Pool & Inn puts you right in the middle of that more neighbourhood-based scene. Akbar is only around a seven-minute walk away, while Sunset Junction is full of independent cafés, restaurants, bars and shops. The Vermont/Santa Monica Metro station is also within walking distance when you want to head further across the city. The hotel itself is small and relaxed, with just over 50 rooms arranged around a leafy outdoor pool. Marco Polo serves Italian food and cocktails beside the pool, giving the place enough of a local following that it never feels sealed off from the neighbourhood. GayMapper tip: a great choice if you want LA with more Silver Lake attitude and considerably less West Hollywood gloss.

Los Angeles Athletic Club is a hotel inside one of Downtown LA’s oldest private clubs, which immediately makes it rather different from the standard DTLA high-rise. Hotel guests get full access to the club’s extensive facilities, including the large indoor pool, basketball and racquet courts, fitness classes, spa areas, restaurants and members’ spaces. If keeping active on holiday matters to you, few LA hotels come close. The location on West 7th Street puts you near restaurants, theatres and the 7th Street/Metro Center station, giving you useful rail connections around the city. West Hollywood nightlife still requires a proper journey. GayMapper tip: a great fit if you want historic LA character and serious fitness facilities rather than another rooftop pool surrounded by influencers.

Few LA hotels embrace the full California beach fantasy quite as enthusiastically as Shutters on the Beach. It sits directly on the sand in Santa Monica, styled more like a very expensive coastal home than a traditional five-star resort. The Pacific is literally outside, with the pier just along the beachfront path and Venice easily reached by bike. There’s an oceanfront pool and spa, while Coast and 1 Pico mean you can happily stay beside the water for dinner too. West Hollywood nightlife is a significant drive away, so this is emphatically a beach holiday rather than a gayborhood stay. GayMapper tip: the serious Santa Monica splurge when morning walks on the sand matter far more than walking home from The Abbey.

Staying aboard The Queen Mary is really a trip within a trip. The historic ocean liner remains permanently moored on the Long Beach waterfront, with original Art Deco details, wood-panelled staterooms, exhibitions and guided tours bringing its transatlantic history to life. Long Beach has its own LGBTQ+ community and nightlife, so there’s plenty to do without heading north every evening. Just remember that this is not a sensible base for West Hollywood or central LA sightseeing — Los Angeles distances are very real, and you’re a long way south. Restaurants, bars and events aboard the ship mean you can quite happily make the Queen Mary part of the destination rather than simply somewhere to sleep. GayMapper tip: perfect if the ship itself appeals, or you’re combining Long Beach with a cruise — less perfect if your holiday revolves around WeHo.

Space is one of the big luxuries at The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills. Even the entry-level accommodation is suite-sized, and many rooms have balconies looking across Los Angeles or towards the Hollywood Hills. You’re at the western end of the Sunset Strip, with the gay bars around Santa Monica Boulevard an easy walk downhill. Beverly Hills lies just beyond the neighbourhood, so Rodeo Drive, WeHo restaurants and nightlife can all fit comfortably into the same stay. The rooftop pool has some excellent views, while breakfast is included — still surprisingly unusual at this end of the hotel market. GayMapper tip: particularly good for couples who want proper five-star space and service while keeping West Hollywood nightlife close enough to reach on foot.