FlyNinestein From United States of America, joined Jul 2008, 28 posts, RR: 0 Posted (4 years 1 month 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 2753 times:
I will be in Los Angeles for a couple of nights at the end of May
Can anyone recommend a good hotel to view the LAX airport that is "spotter Friendly" please?
I know there have been other posts on this but the ones I looked at were at least a few years old and I dont know if that information might have changed.
Isitsafenow From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 4984 posts, RR: 26 Reply 1, posted (4 years 1 month 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 2734 times:
The Radisson...I had a high room looking north and read a post where a fellow had a high room looking south. Both are good.
They have or at least had, a rooftop bar where you could go outside and sit and enjoy the California smog and watch planes land if landing toward the west.
safe
If two people agree on EVERYTHING, then one isn't necessary.
Eghansen From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (4 years 1 month 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 2728 times:
If you go to Google Earth and turn on "Lodging" it will identify all the hotels north of Century Blvd. Most of them have at least some windows facing north or south if your hotel room is on a high-enough floor.
There are not any large hotels south or north of the airport with good views that I have seen, only in between the runways.
FlyBoy84 From United States of America, joined May 2005, 364 posts, RR: 5 Reply 4, posted (4 years 1 month 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 2629 times:
It was a LLLLLOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGG time ago, but I stayed at a Hyatt (IIRC) across from LAX! My room faced north and I had views of UA planes including the DC-8 landing and taking off! Don't know if that hotel is still there...but it sure was great for spotting!
AirframeAS From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 14150 posts, RR: 26 Reply 5, posted (4 years 1 month 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 2618 times:
Pnwtraveler From Canada, joined Jun 2007, 2046 posts, RR: 12 Reply 7, posted (4 years 1 month 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 2578 times:
The Hilton as well if you have a high room and one facing the airport. I was on the Executive Floor and had a great view. Spent too much time at the window and too little time in bed.
Skymiler From United States of America, joined Aug 2007, 469 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (4 years 1 month 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 2510 times:
Be careful what you ask for!
I had a great spotting room, was fast asleep when a KAL 747 had to do a go-around at full TOGA power. That ended ANY thought of peace and quiet -- shook the whole hotel. Unfortunately I do not remember which one. Blew me out of bed so hard and fast I was able to see the aircraft on its climb out and hard bank to port!
The In-and-Out burger is great -- and they have a shuttle bus for those with long layovers!
Saintex From Canada, joined Apr 2009, 176 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (4 years 1 month 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 2422 times:
Quoting BA84 (Reply 3): For the side view, the top deck of the parking garage beside In N Out.
From where you will be thrown out very soon. However, the parking structure above the Westchester Village shopping center is OK, but up-sun most ot the time.
Hawaiian717 From United States of America, joined May 1999, 3091 posts, RR: 8 Reply 10, posted (4 years 1 month 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 2416 times:
Quoting FlyBoy84 (Reply 4): It was a LLLLLOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGG time ago, but I stayed at a Hyatt (IIRC) across from LAX!
That Hyatt is now a Radisson, and is the same one Isitsafenow mentioned.
BO__einG From Canada, joined Apr 2000, 2759 posts, RR: 20 Reply 11, posted (4 years 1 month 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 2395 times:
If you got extra money the Renaissance Montura has views of the airport as well as the approaches to the 24s. The view is not side on like Radisson but you get to see the runway and touchdown areas. Photography would be thru the glass and you would need up to 100mm for side on and 400mm for landing shots.
Expanding my global domination one spotter at a time..
Koryo From Vatican City, joined Feb 2009, 285 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (4 years 1 month 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 2393 times:
The only problem with the Radisson is that the windows are covered with is extremely dirty and impossible to see through plastic making photography absolutely impossible.
This forum is as good as you make it. Never post a message in anger. Take the high road and others will follow.
AndyEastMids From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 996 posts, RR: 2 Reply 13, posted (4 years 1 month 20 hours ago) and read 2374 times:
I used to like the Holiday Inn on Century - OK, its a bit further out (almost at the 405) and not the most elegant of hotels, BUT the price was always fair and the rooms had dual SLIDE OPEN windows from floor to ceiling with a very small balcony... No views of the south side or the airport, just the north side approach. However, it was fun to lounge in a chair with a gentle breeze coming in, coffee or room service, just waiting for the landings to swish past. With a north facing room on the top floor and a 400mm lens, this sort of picture was entirely possible:
However, the Holiday Inn is undergoing a major refurb at the moment and whether the slide open windows remain will be interesting to see...
The other hotel I used to use was the Renaissance... Not so much spending time in the rooms (slide open windows are fastened shut with screws), but the top floor of their parking garage. I understand that they've become quite anti- there now, but even so on one time the duty manager came up and told me I had to leave the garage, and I said that as I was staying at the hotel (guest pass in hand) and had a car parked on the roof, I had no intention of leaving. YMMV.
Of course, it was difficult to beat the roof of the Radisson, but that seems to be still lost to us for now!
None of the other major hotels seem to have both views and opening windows. These days therefore, I tend to take whatever hotel is competitively priced, and make do with Imperial Hill and In-N-Out!
Cschleic From United States of America, joined Feb 2002, 1030 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (4 years 3 weeks 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 2205 times:
The Embassy Suites that's across from the Budget Car Rental and Burger King has sliding doors that open. It's good for looking west/north. You have to ask for a north facing room high up (it's only eight or nine floors high), to get side shots of planes on final to the north runways. Some room views might have power lines in the way...kind of depends on which room. If you get a west facing room, make sure it's on the north end of the building otherwise buildings across the street get in the way. It's not cheap, but you can sit in an armchair in the room watching planes going by.
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