Choosing where to stay in Los Angeles can be an overwhelming task – it is after all the second largest city in the United States! However, being such a large city means you are guaranteed to find plenty of gay and gay friendly hotels in Los Angeles to suit your needs.
Los Angeles is huge – we have heard it referred to being as large as a small country! This is much more believable when you realize that the county of LA includes 88 individual cities, and over 400 neighbourhoods.
The best way to choose your accommodation in Los Angeles is to start by deciding which neighbourhood you want to base yourself in, depending on the places you plan to visit, or where you will spend most of your time. LA is not the easiest city to get around – even using Uber and Lyft most short journeys take time given the heavy traffic. As a result, most people visiting LA will often spread their time across numerous neighbourhoods, both to save travelling backwards and forwards but also to experience different areas.
For this list of our top 15 gay and gay friendly hotels in Los Angeles, we have selected them based on some of the most popular neighbourhoods LGBTQ+ tourists choose to stay in:
- West Hollywood
- Beverly Hills
- Downtown Los Angeles
- Santa Monica
We have of course also included those hotels we have experienced firsthand, and brands we know to be supportive of the LGBTQ+ community.
Where did we stay in Los Angeles?
This was our first visit to Los Angeles, and for the purposes of our visit the below two hotels came highly recommended, one located in North Hollywood, close to Universal Studios, and the other in the heart of Hollywood itself.
Both hotels were incredible and suited our needs perfectly – we are confident that you would have a great stay here too!
15. The Garland
The Garland was home for our first 4 nights in Los Angeles, and we felt very warmly welcomed and well looked after during our stay here.
The Garland calls itself an “urban oasis” and we can see why – the hotel is built within 7 lush acres yet is still just a short drive from some iconic landmarks and attractions such as the Hollywood Sign, and Universal Studios.
One of our favourite features of the hotel has to be the large outdoor pool, the perfect place to cool off when the Californian sun got a little too much.
The Garland also has an onsite restaurant – The Front Yard – a casual and relaxed dining venue with a menu designed to showcase LAs diverse food culture.
14. tommie Hollywood
tommie Hollywood is a newly opened luxury boutique hotel in the heart of Hollywood.
Location here is key – the hotel is just minutes from the stars of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and just a couple of blocks from Hollywood Boulevard, known for its museums and movie theatres.
We absolutely loved the rooftop pool here – there was no better way to end the day exploring Hollywood than cooling off with a swim, whilst looking out over the city and Hollywood Hills. Although, a drink in hand at the rooftop bar was certainly a close contender!
The rooms were super modern, and we loved the floor to ceiling windows, ideal if you are in one of the rooms with the panoramic view of the hills!
Gay Friendly Hotels in Los Angeles – West Hollywood
West Hollywood is the epicentre of gay Los Angeles. A city in its own right, West Hollywood (more commonly known as WeHo) is home to gay bars, gay clubs such as the iconic The Abbey, restaurants, shops, and bookstores.
This gay “city” also has plenty of gay friendly hotels to choose from, and so it’s no surprise that many LGBTQ+ travellers choose to stay in WeHo, at least for a couple of nights, during their visit to Los Angeles.
13. Petit Ermitage
Petit Ermitage brands itself as a “romantic city oasis where lovers, friends and strangers meet”. How cute is that?
A stunning 4-star hotel located near to West Hollywood’s vibrant gay nightlife, the hotel is also just 5 miles from Santa Monica Boulevard, and just a 15-minute drive to Universal Studios Hollywood.
Petit Ermitage also has a private rooftop pool with incredible views of Los Angeles, as well as poolside cabanas and a stylish cocktail bar.
12. Kimpton La Peer Hotel
We always try to include Kimpton Hotels in our recommended hotel lists, in part due to the incredible work that their parent brand IHG does for the LGBTQ+ community.
Kimpton La Peer is a beautiful 5-star property located in the Design District of WeHO. This is a great location to be in; the hotel is surrounded by art, architecture, and fashion.
The hotel has a mixture of stylishly designed guestrooms and suites, has an onsite restaurant, 24-hour fitness centre as well as an outdoor courtyard pool surrounded by olive trees.
And after a hard day exploring, guests can unwind at the complimentary wine hour from 17:00 – 18:00 each day!
11. Andaz West Hollywood
The Andaz is an incredibly LGBTQ+ welcoming hotel located in the heart of West Hollywood. In fact, the Andaz often hosts various events during LA Pride.
The Andaz was the first hotel on the Sunset Strip and is perfectly situated as the gateway to Hollywood and Beverly Hills.
The hotel offers both stylish rooms and luxurious suites, some of which offer views of the Hollywood Hills and across downtown LA.
In the immediate vicinity of the Andaz you will find art galleries, music venues, shopping, as well as many restaurants and bars.
Don’t forget to check out the rooftop pool too!
And if you needed extra convincing that the Andaz was LGBTQ+ friendly, they were awarded gaytravel.coms “Gay Travel Approved” certificate this year.
10. Montrose at Beverly Hills
We have included the hotel in this section as despite the name the hotel is located within one of the neighbourhoods of West Hollywood City, but it is just a 5-minute drive from Beverly Hills, and less than a mile from the Sunset Strip.
The hotel has a beautiful rooftop terrace, complete with pool, poolside cabanas, a pool bar and even a rooftop tennis court!
All the rooms at Montrose are suites, and they have all been recently revamped for an ultra-luxury stay. Plus, it is pet-friendly too!
Gay Friendly Hotels in Los Angeles – Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills needs no introduction – hotels located in the 90210 zip code are a favourite amongst luxury travellers, although you will need to be willing to pay a little more.
Beverly Hills is a great location to base yourself, as from here you can be at the coast of Santa Monica within 20 – 25 minutes, as well as head into the gay neighbourhood of West Hollywood in less than 15 minutes (driving time for both).
9. Hotel Sofitel Los Angeles
Hotel Sofitel is a stunning 4-star hotel in the heart of Beverly Hills. The location couldn’t be any better – it is opposite the largest shopping mall in LA – the Beverly Center – and is also conveniently located for guests wanting to visit Rodeo Drive, Melrose Avenue, Sunset Boulevard and The Grove.
The hotel is very classy and elegant, in keeping with Beverly Hills, and has a rooftop heated pool, an outdoor garden patio, an extensive fitness and wellness centre, and even an onsite herb garden!
Hotel Sofitel has also been classified as one of booking.coms “Travel Proud” certified properties, meaning LGBTQ+ guests will be guaranteed a welcoming stay.
8. Mosaic Hotel Beverly Hills
Mosaic Hotel is located just minutes from the world famous and iconic Rodeo Drive, making it an ideal choice for those travellers looking to indulge in some retail therapy.
A small boutique hotel with just 49 rooms, the décor is still stylish and contemporary. The hotel also has an outdoor pool and onsite fitness centre, as well as an onsite restaurant.
We love that the hotel is pet friendly too!
7. AC Hotel by Marriott
Marriott is another brand that is doing right by the LGBTQ+ community, so of course we had to include their Beverly Hills property.
The AC Hotel by Marriott is also booking.com “Travel Proud” certified, so LGBTQ+ guests can be doubly sure they will be welcomed!
AC Hotel also has some great little touches too such as free bikes, a perfect way to explore a city that is otherwise a little tricky to navigate.
Gay Friendly Hotels in Los Angeles – Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is a little more commercial than other areas, and so wouldn’t necessarily be the first choice to base yourself – especially given that most of LAs gay scene is found in and around West Hollywood which is not really very near to downtown.
That being said, there are still some gay friendly hotels located in downtown LA, and so depending on your reason for visiting LA, these may be a good option for you.
6. Hotel Figueroa
Located in a landmark building, Hotel Figueroa is one of downtown Los Angeles’ longest standing hotels. The hotel has recently completed a two-year renovation, leaving it with a contemporary Spanish design and décor throughout.
Being downtown, there are plenty of restaurants, bars, galleries, and museums within easy reach of the hotel, but should you wish to eat onsite, there are two restaurants and three bars to choose from.
And after a long day exploring LA, you can return and jump in the outdoor pool to relax and refresh!
5. citizenM Los Angeles Downtown
citizenM Los Angeles Downtown is still a fairly new hotel; it only opened in August 2021.
The hotel has been highly rated for its location, and it is also conveniently situated close to Union Station for exploring further afield.
Like other hotels in the citizenM group, all the hotel rooms are identically designed for 2 adults and come with an iPad to remotely control the room settings. The hotel also has a fitness centre, and shared lounge facilities.
citizenM is also listed as one of booking.coms ‘Travel Proud’ properties, meaning it is a Proud Certified property where guests are guaranteed a welcoming stay.
4. Hotel Per La
Another Marriott property so already you know that Hotel Per La is going to be an LGBTQ+ welcoming hotel thanks to Marriotts support.
The Hotel Per La is a stunning 5-star hotel, part of Marriotts Autograph collection – very luxurious indeed!
The hotel is right in the centre of downtown LA, located in a historic building. The rooms are very stylishly decorated, with many featuring Parisian artwork, luxury bed linens, and some even have standalone pedestal bathtubs – perfect for unwinding after a day on your feet exploring!
Hotel Per La also has a rooftop pool and bar, providing panoramic views of downtown Los Angeles.
Gay Friendly Hotels in Los Angeles – Santa Monica
Santa Monica is a coastal city located to the west of downtown Los Angeles, approx. a 30-minute drive.
Santa Monica is famous as a beach town, but also for its iconic landmarks and attractions such as Santa Monica Pier, home to restaurants, shops, and an aquarium, as well as Muscle Beach, the famous outdoor gym dating back to the 1930s.
Santa Monica is a popular choice for all travellers wanting to add a beach stay to their LA city break, and LGBTQ+ travellers are no exception. We have picked out the below properties as gay friendly hotels in Santa Monica, although of course, given the vibe of Santa Monica gay travellers will be welcomed everywhere.
3. Hilton Santa Monica
The Hilton brand have always welcomed LGBTQ+ travellers, and they continue to do some great work when it comes to supporting and looking after our community, and as such we are always very confident to recommend them.
The Hilton Santa Monica is a 4-star hotel, which is located just 3 blocks from Santa Monica Beach and Pier. Within a short walk of the hotel there are numerous bars and restaurants to choose from, should you not wish to dine at the onsite restaurant.
The hotel also has an outdoor pool, along with a hot tub and sauna – everything needed to relax at the end of the day!
2. Hampton Inn and Suites
Another of booking.coms “Proud Certified” properties, visitors to the Hampton Inn and Suites will be assured of an LGBTQ+ welcoming stay.
The Hampton Inn and Suites is a 3-star affordable option for most visitors to Santa Monica. Highly rated for its location, the hotel is found just 3 blocks from the beach and Pier.
The hotel also has an outdoor pool as well as a hot tub and a fire pit. And as an added bonus, breakfast is included with all reservations!
1. Viceroy Santa Monica
Viceroy Santa Monica is the ideal choice for travellers wanting a beachside stay, with its location just steps from the Pacific Ocean, as well as being just a short walk to Santa Monica Pier.
First opening 20 years ago, the hotel has been newly renovated and now features an all-new beach inspired design throughout its guestrooms and suites.
Hotel highlights include a new pool area, complete with two outdoor pools, poolside patio and open-air cabanas, as well as the onsite indoor/outdoor Sugar Palm restaurant, complete with wraparound bar.
The above 15 hotels are just a miniscule selection of all the available properties within Los Angeles, but hopefully they will help when planning your own stay. Regardless of where you choose, we are sure you will have an amazing stay in the City of Angels!