There’s no wrong way to do LA, but there is a particularly California-cool way. It all begins with calling your home base one of four distinct Kimpton hotels, each offering its own vibe, view, and version of down-to-Earth luxury.
Envision rooftop hangs, poolside cocktails, art-meets-architecture, and walkable adventures that connect you to the heartbeat of the city. Whether you’re a culture chaser or just here to soak up the sunshine, this is your guide to doing LA the refreshing way.
Four unique neighborhoods, one city that shines, and the perfect Kimpton to match every mood. (Photo Credit: @emilyrosehannon)
Begin at one of these great LA hotels.
Kimpton La Peer Hotel — West Hollywood’s Creative and Culinary Hub
Tucked into a particularly walker-friendly stretch of West Hollywood, La Peer guests love waking up slow, taking a dip in the pool, enjoying complimentary morning coffee and tea — including kombucha and cold brew options — and testing their skills on the hotel’s rooftop pickleball court.
Step outside, and you’re a stroll away from iconic nightlife and local color. Here are a few of the best things to do — most of them within walking distance — in West Hollywood.
Kimpton La Peer is home to a rooftop pickleball court. (Photo Credit: @hollyparkerphoto)
Catch a show at the Troubador — named one of the “Best Rock Clubs in America” by Rolling Stone and dating back to 1957, this iconic music venue has hosted an array of acts from the likes of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Elton John, Van Morrison, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, and the Eagles.
Toast to good times at legendary The Abbey Food & Bar — two-time winner of MTV’s “Best Gay Bar in the World” and a core part of LGBTQ culture in Los Angeles since 1991. Bar hop your way to a few more world-famous LGBTQ bars, including Hi Tops, MotherLode, Roosterfish, and Rocco’s. All serve up that signature West Hollywood energy in spades.
Don’t miss the Rainbow Crosswalk, located on San Vincente Blvd at the intersection of Santa Monica Blvd, it’s an Instagram must that’s oh-so-WeHo. If you’re craving calm, head to nearby West Hollywood Park where you’ll find outdoor fitness equipment, public art, restrooms, tennis and pickleball courts, picnic tables for your takeout lunch, and a dedicated dog park.
Golden hour dips at Kimpton La Peer Hotel? Yes, please. (Photo Credit: @lapeerhotel)
West Hollywood is walking distance to some of the city’s best nightlife and restaurants. (Photo Credit: @lapeerhotel)
Back at the hotel, nightly Social Hour (with complimentary beverages for guests) meets Golden Hour dips in the shimmering courtyard pool. When hunger calls, one of LA’s most buzzed-about restaurants, LadyHawk by Top Chef Middle East winner Charbel Hayek, beckons locals and visitors alike with Eastern-Mediterranean-meets-SoCal small plates. Book your reservation in advance — it fills up.
Kimpton Hotel Wilshire — Rooftop Energy in Miracle Mile
A boutique gem perched right on Miracle Mile, Hotel Wilshire delivers discreet LA energy with a sleek rooftop pool, views that stretch forever, and craft cocktails served under the sun. It’s your ideal hideaway after a day of cultural exploring.
And, oh, there is culture.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is one of the most famous in the city. (Photo Credit: @palomarla)
LACMA is a short walk from Kimpton Hotel Wilshire. (Photo Credit: @palomarla)
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is home to exhibitions like Stories of Cinema, showcasing the history of the Academy Awards and significant movies ranging from Casablanca to Boyz n the Hood. Plus, the architecture alone is a marvel — Pritzker Prize-winning Renzo Piano designed the Wilshire Boulevard building to feature over 1,500 multi-shaped glass shingles around a glowing dome.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is one of the most famous museums in the world, LACMA’s collection features over 140,000 objects spanning 6,000 years of artistic expression worldwide. First timer? A great way to experience the museum is on a 60-minute Modern Art Gallery Tour, held daily and available for booking in advance.
Stop by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures for your Hollywood fix. (Photo Credit: Baron Alloway)
The Petersen Automotive Museum — even if you’re not a gearhead, this museum is worth your time. Housed in an architectural stunner with red and silver ribbons, it examines design, innovation, and culture, all within the context of cars. Inside, you’ll find everything from century-old classics and lowriders to cutting-edge hypercars, plus (in true LA fashion) movie vehicles that defined entire generations.
The La Brea Tar Pits are located right in the middle of Miracle Mile, where you’ll find history bubbling up here (literally). These sticky pools of asphalt have been oozing for tens of thousands of years, quietly trapping everything from saber-toothed cats to mammoths and dire wolves. Inside is a museum, and outside features life-sized replicas of ancient animals.
Back at Kimpton Hotel Wilshire, grab a drink with a view at Videre. (Photo Credit: @hotelwilshire)
Cap it all off with a sunset swim back at Kimpton Hotel Wilshire. It’s the Miracle Mile, but elevated.
Kimpton Everly Hotel — Hollywood’s Stylish Enclave for Work and Play
Everly is your front-row seat to the Hollywood skyline. With a rooftop pool and cocktail lounge that overlooks it all with two exceptional restaurants, Written Hand and Jane Q LA, Everly makes it almost too easy to stay put.
The legendary Hollywood Pantages Theatre is a short walk away. It hosts some of the most in-demand live theatre acts each year, including Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Stereophonic, The Notebook, Six, Beetlejuice, and Tina — The Tina Turner Musical.
Kimpton Everly Hotel is located right in the heart of Hollywood. (Photo Credit: @everlyhollywood)
Lounge at the Everly rooftop pool, where the city skyline feels within reach. (Photo Credit: @everlyhollywood)
The Fonda Theatre is also just steps away, if your version of sightseeing includes a killer live music set. The theater hosts a variety of events, from concerts to podcast tapings, and the building itself is a stunning Spanish Colonial Revival-style structure dating back to 1926.
Snap a pic with your favorite star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Yes, it’s touristy, and yes, someone will try to sell you a map to the stars. But past the buzz and the buskers, this iconic stretch of LA is still legitimately special. Spanning more than 15 blocks and 2,700 terrazzo stars, it’s pop culture history, with TV anchors next to drag icons from the Golden Age to TikTok.
While on the Walk of Fame, spot the iconic Capitol Records Building, a 13-story Hollywood tower that houses the Capitol Records offices and three recording studios designed by guitarist Les Paul. Its unique circular design looks like a stack of old records.
Written Hand is one of the best restaurants in Hollywood. (Photo Credit: @everlyhollywood)
All of this is just a stroll away, and it all feels a little extra when you start your evening at Written Hand with a Freezer Martini and small, Mediterranean-inspired plates from award-winning executive chef Amilcar Chavez.
Kimpton Hotel Palomar Beverly Hills — A UCLA Neighborhood Gem
In the heart of Westwood, Kimpton Hotel Palomar is the definition of low-key luxe. A secluded pool, the vibey and cinema-inspired Double Take restaurant, and an in-house game room complete with skeeball, darts, shuffleboard, and a pool table keep guests coming back for moments of laid-back leisure.
The neighborhood offers a more residential pace, but that doesn’t mean slow.
Take a stroll on Rodeo Drive. (Photo Credit: @palomarla)
In Beverly Hills, you’re just a short walk or ride to the UCLA campus. Check out the famed Bruin Walk, wander past Royce Hall (where everyone from Ella Fitzgerald to Yo-Yo Ma has performed), catch an exhibit at the Hammer Museum, and stroll the UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden.
The quietly captivating Westwood neighborhood is where houses are colorful and California-sensible (in contrast to its neighbors Bel-Air and Beverly Hills), and where you can grab a cold brew from a local café, stumble upon an indie film screening, or tour a world-class museum, all within a few blocks. Westwood Village is known for its tiled courtyards, vintage marquees, and breezy sidewalks meant for strolling indie bookshops, buzzy new cafes, and dive bars.
Kimpton Hotel Palomar Beverly Hills is the definition of low-key luxe. (Photo Credit: @wallstreetpaper)
Lounge at the pool for Golden Hour cocktails. (Photo Credit: @palomarla)
Beverly Hills is where old-school glam, palm-lined streets, Rodeo Drive, and sparkle draw visitors in from all over the world. Snap a photo in front of the cheeky Beverly Hills sign while you’re there — why not?
Geffen Playhouse is a community theater that consistently pulls A-list talent (this is LA, after all), into its architecturally stunning space. The programming is unique and thoughtful, ranging from world-class premieres by buzzy playwrights to Tony Award-winning actors trying something small and experimental.
Back at the hotel, you’ve got everything you need to unwind — or gear up — for a night out. Be sure to make it back for Golden Hour (Double Take’s elevated Happy Hour with $10 specialty cocktails, beer and wine specials, and discounted appetizers) daily from 4-6 pm. It’s LA at its most effortlessly fun.
In Los Angeles, the sky wears blue like it’s part of the dress code. (Photo Credit: @lapeerhotel)
From West Hollywood to Hollywood proper, Miracle Mile to Westwood, each Kimpton hotel in Los Angeles gives you an exceptional home base for exploration, and a great place to kick back when the day is done. LA may be known for its sprawl, but staying at Kimpton makes it feel surprisingly walkable, refreshingly local, and undeniably cool.
Wherever you land, LA looks good on you.
