For an airport hotel, the sprawling Westin is a pretty sophisticated pick, with firepits, a swish outdoor pool and a surprisingly diverse range of room options. The all-day restaurant is a stylish place to grab a meal, and there’s even a weekly group morning run to get your heart pumping before you sit on a plane for 6 hours.
A quick glance at the outside of Westin Los Angels Airport indicates it’s one of the more visible options along West Century Blvd, with a meatier buffet of services and amenities to boot. The white, palm-lined 747-room tower certainly hits the expected Westin criteria: polished interiors and a strong focus on fitness and well-being. Hence the well-equipped 3rd-floor gym, rentable New Balance sneakers ($5) that come in an array of sizes, and weekly morning group runs led by a member of the hotel staff. Though you might not have the willpower to tear yourself from bed at 7am on a Tuesday, it’s nice to know the hotel attracts the kind of healthy, self-disciplined guests who do. Ditto for the gym-themed rooms, which come with a Peloton stationary bike pushed right up to the window, so you feel like you’re pedaling up with the planes. There are also executive rooms (the accompanying lounge has free hors d’oeuvres at night) and, in case airports put you in the mood for entertaining, a tier of luxury, apartment-style suites with 1,200 square feet of space.
Location: Set on the hotel strip of West Century Blvd, the Westin Los Angeles Airport is down the block from LAX. In addition to offering a 24-hour airport shuttle service, the hotel offers access to several fast food restaurants.
Nearby:
Venice Beach Boardwalk: You didn’t come all the way to the west side without catching at least a glimpse of one of L.A.’s most famous landmarks. 7 miles away, this people-watching spot stretches all the way up to the Santa Monica Pier, in an unbroken pathway that welcomes cyclists, skaters and pedestrians.
Airplane Landing Viewpoint: Drive 7 minutes from the hotel to reach this modest park, which is unremarkable on its own, but it’s great for picnicking and staggeringly close-up views of planes landing and taking off from LAX.
In-N-Out Burger: Southern California may have spawned the golden arches, but no other regional fast food export has a local and out-of-towner following quite like In-N-Out, which sits 2 miles from the hotel on South Sepulveda.
El Porto: Consistent waves make this a favorite spot for surfers who make the trip from all parts of SoCal. Scope out your own spot along the wide stretch of surf, which is a 13-minute drive from the hotel.
Good for: Traveling families can be seen pleasantly tucked away by the hotel’s generous outdoor pool, while the ground-floor restaurant, Daily Grill, makes a convenient, reliable dining option for big groups. Business travelers who like to stay on top of their fitness regime while traveling will have a field day with all the fitness and spa amenities.
Amenities: pool, room service, minibar, restaurant, bar, gym, concierge, spa
Time Out tip: It’s not all airplane views and shiny lobby bars at the Westin Los Angeles Airport, which has elected to highlight its proximity to Manhattan beach by offering, yes, a surf concierge. The designated expert is on hand to book surf lessons at a prominent local surf school plus all the necessary gear (since this is LA, you don’t have to wait until summer to tackle the waves—the surf’s up year-round).