The best boutique hotels in Los Angeles

“Just like how mama used to make it” is the sentiment behind this Hollywood hotel’s colorful restaurant and it’s a theme that runs throughout the building. The rooms—livened up with funky decor like tie-dye pillows and Spanish-tile floors—make a stylish (if quirky) place to rest your head, while the rooftop is the best place to take in the Hollywood cityscape without having to set foot on the heaving Walk of Fame. The thing that makes it a little different from your Mama's, however, is that as well as being in actual Hollywood, there's an award-winning rooftop bar and restaurant.

Located in a revitalized pocket of Cahuenga Boulevard, the trendy hotel chain’s first West Coast outpost is as Hollywood as it gets. From an Insta-friendly mural by elusive graffiti artist Mr. Brainwash to a rooftop pool that doubles as a dance floor, the hotel clearly doesn't take itself too seriously. In fact, Dream is self-dubbed "classically unconventional", a nod to the vibrant quirkiness that has been infused into it's very core. But make no mistake, all of that eccentricity doesn't detract from its substance. There's a 24-hour front desk, so you can go to all things late-night and vibrant in the city and not have to worry about being without your lovely bed, which is good peace of mind.

Eclectic is the best way to describe The Line. This sought-after hotel in Koreatown pops all over with colour – that is when it's not showing off industrial polished concrete or warm woods. At only a few miles from Hollywood, it's perfectly placed, and in-house amenities include a sun-dapppled pool, beside which you can dine from the Openaire Restaurant, not to mention an Alfred coffee shop, a lobby bar, and minibars with both Korean and American snacks. There's poolside dining too, if you like (and who wouldn't!) and should you decide it's worth leaving the spot, you're just 15 minutes in the car to Beverly Hills and Universal Studios. Ideal.

Formerly the Farmer's Daughter, this Fairfax hotel has had a major makeover courtesy of the Grifka Group. The 1962 property—where Julianne Moore famously studied the script for Boogie Nights—is now decked head-to-toe in minimal shades of white, grey and pastels throughout, giving it a somewhat bright and airy beachside vibe. It's conveniently located just a few minutes' walk from entertainment hotspots such as The Grove (literally across the street), CBS Television City and the historic Farmer's Market that gave the old hotel its name.

This bespoke hotel positioned a mile (that's an easy 15-minute stroll) from Rodeo Drive oozes primo Beverly Hills luxury. From poolside cabanas to in-room spa treatments (at an extra fee), life is good—and expensive—when you stay at Mr. C. After all, this is a member of the "Leading Hotels of the World Co." and lives up to the name. There are private balconies, 42" TVs, live jazz bands and a whole lot more to enjoy.

Night owls, artists and musicians are the target at the Ace Hotel, which has a poolside bar, lobby coffee kiosk and a 1920s movie palace. The striking ’20s architecture adds culture cred, though its occupants are likely to give more attention to the cocktail list than Spanish-Gothic motifs in the masonry, but do both if you have the range, they're great. Pets are allowed too, should you be a night owl that owns a night owl (maybe check that you're allowed legit night owls though).

Situated above favorite local bar Covell (and owned by the bar’s founder Dustin Lancaster), Hotel Covell offers nine well-appointed rooms, each meticulously curated with reading nooks and Crosley record players, clawfoot tubs and statement furniture. Plus adorable Smeg refrigerators stocked with locally sourced offerings. The focus on luxury and comfort is exactly why people stay here (it's especially popular with those in the entertainment industires), they also offer long-term stays if you find you can't bring yourself to leave.