Visiting Griffith Park is an incredible Los Angeles experience — it’s a huge park filled with numerous hiking trails, amazing views, film spots, and more. There are attractions like museums and a zoo along with a golf course, guided tours, free tennis courts, swimming pool, playgrounds, and picnic areas. It’s a place with so much to discover that one day isn’t nearly enough.
So it makes sense to stay in a hotel within easy reach of the park. As a bonus, you’ll be close to Hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood, Warner Bros. Studio, and several other LA attractions, which means you can mix and match doing different things each day, all by making one of these top hotels near Griffith Park your home away from home during your LA trip.
Choose one of these comfortable hotels near Griffith Par, and you’ll be just down the road from its famous Griffith Observatory and Hollywood Sign.
Where to find it: 1717 Vine St, Los Angeles, CA 90028
The Aster is an elegant all-suite hotel that sits right in the center of Hollywood, at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street.
It has a One Michelin Key designation, which as Michelin explains, means it will “significantly add to your experience as a traveler.” That’s because the hotel is also a private club, with posh amenities throughout, cool design elements, and a rooftop bar that sets as lively a scene as the one found on Hollywood Boulevard’s street level.
Plus, it is steps from the Pantages Theater where Broadway road shows make their LA home, and is a quick 15-minute drive to the star-filled Griffith Observatory.
Where to find it: 1800 Argyle Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028
At Kimpton Everly Hollywood, you’re staying at the crossroads of LA, near the main artery 101 freeway with Hollywood just below and Griffith Park not far to the east.
It’s a little gem of a hotel, tucked just up from Hollywood Boulevard’s action, but quiet enough to relax in their rooftop “Skyline” pool and take in the views, which lead toward the park. You’ll find movie screenings and live music performances up there, too. Use the fully equipped gym at this charming hotel, or head for the park and one of its myriad hiking trails, where you’ll soon get your steps in and find fantastic views of the city as well.
Where to find it: 1755 Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Loews Hollywood Hotel might just have the best spot in LA for seeing a bit of everything. Just a 20-minute drive to the observatory’s hilltop parking lot, it is also next door to Ovation Hollywood, the center that includes shopping, restaurants, and the Dolby Theatre (where the Oscars happen every year).
It’s a short walk to the Hollywood Bowl, a short drive to Universal Studios, and around the corner from the TCL Chinese Theatre’s movie star handprints and footprints. Inside, find comfortable rooms and suites, many with balconies looking out at the hills that make the home of Griffith Park. Loews has an outdoor pool, fitness center, and welcomes your pets to join you in your visit.
Where to find it: 7025 Franklin Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028
If you love a great magic show, then choose the comfy Magic Castle Hotel for your home base in Los Angeles and you’ll get a big extra bonus. The hotel is next door to (and affiliated with) the famed Magic Castle, the international private club of professional magicians. Staying at the hotel gives you access to visiting the club.
The hotel is also great if you’re traveling with kids. Their rooms and suites are designed for families, and their swimming pool is heated all year round. The hotel even has a Popsicle Hotline red phone by the pool; just pick it up, place your order, and popsicles are on the way!
Meanwhile, Griffith Park is an easy drive, and an eye-popping one, too, as long as you take Hollywood Boulevard to see the sights along the way.
Where to find it: 1541 Wilcox Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Get an incredible look at the Hollywood Sign just by checking in to the Thompson Hollywood, by Hyatt. That sophisticated hotel is a perfect homebase for a weekend getaway to get to the Greek Theatre for a show or the observatory for some stargazing (or both).
Fine linens, cool interior design, and impeccable service are all hallmarks of the Thompson brand, and this outpost does not disappoint. Plus, Bar Lis and The Terrace restaurant at the hotel are both convivial spots to drink and dine, as are numerous hotspot places within easy walking distance of the hotel.
Where to find it: 6250 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028
The W Hotel vibe is legendary, no matter if you’re in Thailand or Hollywood (or any of the other 70 W Hotels that dot the planet).
The W Hollywood has been at the center of much of LA’s fashion scene since it opened, with the rooftop pool providing an unmatched setting where the beautiful people gather. From the moment you enter its epic lobby complete with a grand staircase, you know you’ve arrived somewhere special. Spacious rooms and large suites give your whole party a place to relax and everyone loves that rooftop pool’s views, which include a look at nearby Griffith Park.
Where to find it: 800 N Central Ave, Glendale, CA 91203
You can also stay on the north side of Los Angeles, in Glendale, and have easy (less traffic, I mean) access to many of Griffith Park’s top attractions.
This hotel (and the next two below) are located in Glendale, so they’re closer to attractions like the LA Zoo. Greek Theatre, and Autry Museum.
The Embassy Suites by Hilton Los Angeles Glendale is an all-suite hotel just three miles from the zoo. It offers a comfortable stay, especially for families, with its connecting suites giving everyone plenty of room to play.
Your stay includes free buffet breakfast, a heated outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, and a nightly evening reception. The hotel is also less than a mile from two popular shopping hubs, Americana at Brand and the Glendale Galleria, and the rest of LA’s attractions are just a freeway ride away.
Where to find it: 1100 N Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91202
The Glenmark, Glendale, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel is part of the massive Marriott Bonvoy system, which means that you get the best of both worlds here. For it is a unique boutique hotel with its own charm and style, and you still can book, use points for stays, and accrue points as well. With rooms designed to make you want to linger in the cozy beds and a rooftop bar with beautiful views of the nearby mountains, this is a home base that is only minutes from Griffith Park’s northeast entrance. That leads directly to the zoo and the Autry Museum, as well as to the golf course and many hiking trails.
Where to find it: 100 W Glenoaks Blvd, Glendale, CA 91202
Book a room or suite on a high floor of the Hilton Los Angeles North/Glendale and you’ll be treated to views of much of the mountain wilderness in the distance and the City of Angels all around you.
You might even have a view of Griffith Park, which is a short drive away.
Make time for a swim in the heated outdoor pool and a nosh at Amuse, the welcoming lobby bar and restaurant, then explore all the delights of the park and beyond.
Where to find it: 4222 Vineland Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91602
Situate yourself (and the kids) at a hotel just over the hills in the San Fernando Valley to hit both Griffith Park and some of Hollywood’s famous studios.
Since 1972, when actress Beverly Garland and her husband opened The Garland, it’s been a special place to stay, and not just because it is so convenient when Griffith Park, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Warner Bros. Studio are all on your must-do Los Angeles list.
The Garland’s charm is legend, with its cool pool, yoga classes, morning hikes, and weekly live music performances. Plus every room has a private balcony, and the suites are filled with luxurious amenities. The Front Room restaurant also has a lovely outdoor setting by both day and evening.
Where to find it: 555 Universal Hollywood Dr, Universal City, CA 91608
Also in this area is Hilton Los Angeles Universal City.
For more than 40 years, this hotel has been a fixture in the San Fernando Valley, literally just steps from Universal Studios Hollywood. Making it your home away from home definitely makes sense if visiting Harry Potter is on your agenda; and it is also a great spot for jumping into Griffith Park, from the zoo to the observatory.
When you return after a long day of fun in the California sun, there’s a big outdoor pool, a restaurant, and even room service if you and yours are so tuckered out you just want to eat dinner in bed!
Where to find it: 333 Universal Hollywood Dr, Universal City, CA 91608
The Sheraton Universal Hotel is a fixture on the Universal City scene, opening just five years after Universal Studios Hollywood theme park opened in 1964. Still just a 10-minute walk to the entrance to the park, it’s the hotel of choice for anyone planning to spend a lot of time in the park. And it’s also a great place to stay if you want to go into Griffith Park, to take your family to the zoo, which is only a 10-minute drive from the hotel.
Be sure to check out the rooftop Starview Room for a nighttime look across the SoCal basin and keep your eyes open for actual film and TV stars hanging out there, as the nearby theme is also a working studio where the magic of the movies is made.
Feature photo credit: The Glenmark, Glendale
