The best vacation rentals in Los Angeles are the ones that match the trip you are actually taking: a beach bungalow if you want sand every morning, a Downtown loft if you want nightlife, and a private house with a pool in the Valley if you want space, quiet and a short drive to the studios. Hotels put you in a room; a good rental gives you a kitchen, a living room, a yard and the feeling of living in Los Angeles rather than visiting it. Below is how we would choose one, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, with the questions worth asking before you book, and an honest look at where our own Inn in Valley Village fits.
Start with the trip, not the listing
Los Angeles is enormous. The city alone covers roughly 500 square miles, and the wider county stretches from the mountains to the ocean. A rental that is "central" to one traveller is forty minutes of traffic from another's plans. Before you open a single listing, write down the three places you will go most often. If two of them are Universal Studios Hollywood and the Warner Bros. Studio Tour, you want the Valley side of the hills. If they are the Santa Monica Pier and Venice Boardwalk, stay west. If they are the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Arts District, Downtown makes sense.
Our guests tell us the same thing every year: the single biggest predictor of a good LA trip is how little time they spend on the freeway. Pick the rental that is closest to your mornings, and the whole week gets easier.
Los Angeles neighbourhoods for vacation rentals, honestly compared
Here is how the main areas feel from a renter's point of view. None of these is "best" in the abstract; each is best for a particular kind of stay.
- Santa Monica and Venice. Beach, bike path, sunsets, the pier. Rentals here tend to be apartments or small houses, and you pay for the postcode. Parking is tight. Perfect if the ocean is the point of the trip.
- Hollywood and West Hollywood. Walkable to the Walk of Fame, the Hollywood Bowl and the Sunset Strip. Lively and loud; many rentals are in apartment buildings. Good for couples who want to be in the middle of everything.
- Downtown. Converted lofts, rooftop pools, museums and restaurants within walking distance. Less family-oriented, and you will drive to almost every other attraction.
- Beverly Hills and the Westside. Quiet, polished, expensive, with easy access to Rodeo Drive and the museums along Wilshire. Houses here rarely come with the relaxed, kick-your-shoes-off feeling families want.
- The San Fernando Valley: Studio City, Toluca Lake, Valley Village, Burbank. This is where the studios actually are. Universal Studios Hollywood, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour and the big production lots are all on this side of the hills. Streets are residential, houses have yards and pools, and the 101 and the 405 put the rest of the city within reach. This is where our Inn sits, and it is the side of LA most visitors never think to look at until they have stayed here once.
If you are weighing a hotel against a house, our guide to cool places to stay in Los Angeles walks through that decision in more detail.
What separates a great LA rental from an average one
After years of hosting, these are the things we would check on any listing in the city, including our own.
A real kitchen and a real living room
The whole point of renting instead of booking a hotel is space. Look for a full kitchen (stove, oven, fridge, coffee maker) and a living room where everyone can sit down at once. Photographs of a bed in a studio with a microwave are a hotel room by another name.
Outdoor space you will actually use
Southern California weather is the reason people come. A rental with a patio, a garden or a pool turns the evenings into part of the holiday rather than dead time in front of a television. Ask whether the pool is heated and what that costs; in the cooler months an unheated pool is a very pretty thing you will never get into.
Where the host is
A host who lives on the property, or very close by, means a quick answer when the Wi-Fi hiccups or the barbecue will not light. In the City of Los Angeles, short-term rentals are regulated under the city's Home-Sharing Ordinance, and legitimate listings display a city registration number. A registered, resident host is a good sign that the place is run properly.
Parking and getting around
You will almost certainly have a car. Confirm that the rental has off-street or easy street parking, and check how long the drive is to your top three destinations at the time of day you will actually make it.
The fine print
Read the house rules before you fall in love with the photos: minimum stay, quiet hours, maximum guests, pet policy, cleaning and service fees, deposit, and whether the booking is refundable. A rental that is clear about all of this up front is usually clear about everything else too.
Where the Inn at The Enchanted Manor fits
We will be straightforward: the Inn is not for everyone. It is a private, storybook guest house for up to six people on an 18,000-square-foot garden in Valley Village, 4.9 miles from Universal Studios Hollywood. If you want a high-rise with a concierge, this is not that. If you want to open French windows onto a lagoon pool in the morning and sit by an outdoor fire at night, it may be exactly what you have been searching for.
Georgia Durante, our owner and host, spent 25 years remodelling her home into the manor, and she lives on the property. Her motto is "They come as strangers and leave as friends," and that is the tone of a stay here. As one guest, Andrew W., put it: "It was hard to believe it was actually Los Angeles."
Inside the Inn you get a large living room with a fireplace and two down couches, a queen Murphy bed on a plush mattress, and a full kitchen with fridge, stove, oven, microwave, blender and coffee maker, with coffee and tea provided. The octagonal breakfast room has French windows on every side and two skylights, looking straight onto the pool and the outdoor fireplace. There is premium cable, a DVD library, Wi-Fi, air conditioning, ceiling fans and laundry, plus a crib, high chair, toys and games for families.
Two optional rooms make the Inn work for larger groups. The Secret Room is a finished attic behind a bookcase with four twin beds, reached by a ladder, so it suits older children and agile adults rather than toddlers or grandparents. The Great Room, with its stone fireplace, adds another 1,000 square feet. With both opened, the Inn sleeps a maximum of six. Malaya G. told us: "My kids didn't want to get out of the pool. They loved the secret room behind the book case."
Outside, the saltwater grotto pool has three waterfalls and no harsh chemicals, with a raised Jacuzzi and nine light colours for the pool and spa. There is a thatched gazebo bar with a refrigerator, sink and barbecue, a lava-rock fire pit, an outdoor fireplace on a private patio with plush couches, a tri-level deck, an outdoor shower and fairy lights strung through the trees. There is even a children's playhouse, a miniature of the main house with two twin beds, a fireplace and cable TV. A private chef and masseuse are available on request.
Inn rates and rules, in plain numbers
We would rather you know everything before you enquire. These are the current rates for the Inn.
| Item | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday | $575 per night |
| Friday to Sunday | $595 per night |
| Minimum stay | 2 nights |
| Extra guests beyond 2 | $50 per person per night |
| Secret Room and Great Room | $100 per night |
| Cleaning | $185 |
| Admin fee | $190 |
| Refundable deposit | $300 |
| Pet fee (by agreement) | $85 |
| Pool heating (optional) | $10 per hour |
Check-in is after 3pm and check-out is at 11am. Guests must be at least 21 to book. Bookings are non-refundable once made, so please be sure of your dates. The Jacuzzi is available from 9am to 11pm, quiet hours begin at 10pm, and parties are not permitted without permission. There is an alarm in the rental and cameras on the exterior of the property only.
Getting around from Valley Village
The manor sits on a quiet cul-de-sac minutes from the 101 and the 405, and it is an easy drive from both Burbank and LAX airports. The LA River runs behind the house. From our front door, Universal Studios Hollywood is 4.9 miles, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour is 7.4 miles, the Hollywood Sign is 7.2 miles, Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive are 6.5 miles, Griffith Park is 11 miles and Santa Monica Beach is 19 miles. Disneyland is 37 miles, which is a comfortable day trip. For ideas close to home, see our guide to things to do near Universal Studios.
One more thing the Inn can do
Because the manor is also an event venue, families sometimes book the Inn around a celebration held on the grounds: a milestone birthday, an anniversary, a baby shower or a small ceremony. If that is on your mind, our events page explains how the grounds work for gatherings of up to 100 guests, with your own caterer and your own beverages.
Ready to see if the Inn is your kind of rental
If a private pool, a garden full of fairy lights and a host who lives on site sound like the Los Angeles you want, we would love to hear from you. Call or text Georgia at (213) 999-3050, email stuntlady@me.com, or visit the vacation rental page for photos and availability. Come as a stranger; leave as a friend.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best area to stay in Los Angeles for a vacation rental?
It depends on your plans. Santa Monica and Venice are best for the beach, Hollywood and Downtown for nightlife, and the San Fernando Valley (Studio City, Valley Village, Burbank) for the studios, quiet residential streets and houses with pools. Our Inn is in Valley Village, 4.9 miles from Universal Studios Hollywood.
How much does the Inn at The Enchanted Manor cost per night?
The Inn is $575 per night Monday to Thursday and $595 per night Friday to Sunday, with a two-night minimum. Extra guests beyond two are $50 per person per night, and the Secret Room and Great Room are $100 per night. Cleaning is $185 and the admin fee is $190.
How many people can stay at the Inn?
With the Secret Room and the Great Room both opened, the Inn sleeps a maximum of six guests. The Secret Room has four twin beds reached by a ladder, so it suits older children and agile adults.
Is the pool at The Enchanted Manor heated?
Pool heating is optional at $10 per hour. The saltwater grotto pool has three waterfalls and uses no harsh chemicals, and the raised Jacuzzi is available from 9am to 11pm.
Are pets allowed at the Inn?
Pets can be accommodated by agreement with a pet fee of $85. Please ask when you enquire.
