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This hotel’s unique personality greets you as soon you enter its soaring columned lobby with colorful tiles and exotic furnishings. The rooms offer basic comforts and a lovely color-splashed Moroccan theme.

A grand old-world style resort, this is a destination in itself. Have your breakfast alfresco and lounge by the Olympic-sized pool, followed by a pampering session in the full-service spa. Enjoy high tea in the afternoon, then hit the tennis courts before changing for dinner at the elegant restaurant. A perfect day, indeed!

A stone’s throw away from Hollywood and Highland, this famous Hollywood hotel recently reinvented itself. While the grand lobby still pays homage to the original Spanish-Mediterranean decor, most rooms now have 21st-century amenities. Only the poolside cabanas retain an old-fashioned flair.

Famous recluses such as Greta Garbo holed up in this quirky French castle-style hotel, whose policy of discretion still ensures steady celebrity bookings. Revel in Hollywood lore in the cottages, bungalows, and suites.

Once the home of John Wayne and mobster Bugsy Siegel, The Argyle is a striking 1929 Art Deco tower. The former apartments are now luxuriously appointed rooms and suites, with reproductions of 1920s period furniture.

This 1933 seaside hotel was an instant hit with the movie elite seeking to escape the Hollywood heat. Behind the Art Deco façade await newly spiffed up guest rooms in chocolate colors, most with ocean views.

It’s no longer the trendiest of LA’s luxury hotels, but its exalted place in Hollywood history remains. Drinks in the Polo Lounge, tanning by the poolside, and opulent comforts are all part of the unforgettable experience.

Dating from 1939, this hotel doesn’t quite manage to combine nostalgia with modern amenities. However, its oceanfront Santa Monica location is great and the large rooms have ocean views. Rates include parking, a small breakfast, and tea.

Stay in the roomy quarters of the Queen Mary with their polished wood and thick carpets to savor the romantic ambience of a bygone era (see Features of the Queen Mary).

Built by American Western writer Zane Gray in 1926, this is a charming rustic retreat on Catalina Island with lovely views of the yacht-dotted Avalon Bay. An excellent getaway from the bustle of big city LA.