Airport hotels can be dreary places. Often put to work as quick turnover joints for pilots and flight crews, the accommodations are usually basic and easily forgettable.
So, the minds behind the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles deserve a salute for reaching beyond the basic and working to make their hotel a destination for all travelers and a safe base for LA tourists looking to explore America’s second largest city. Situated minutes from Los Angeles International, the Sheraton Gateway is close to the 405 and in the midst of major LA throughways like Century, Sepulveda and La Cienega.
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After undergoing a recent, multi-million dollar renovation, the hotel offers five levels of accommodations. The guest rooms include Traditional, Deluxe and Club Level options. The Executive and Corner Suites are the top shelf offerings and offer separate bedroom and seating areas.
The decor is modern and clean, offering a welcoming vibe while you’re resting up from a day cutting across Los Angeles. And LA waits within reach. While the realities of SoCal traffic means getting anywhere can be a challenge, the right conditions and time of day will find you at the beach, in Hollywood or downtown in 20-30 minutes.
I’ve stayed in enough airport hotels to fear the dining options downstairs. Beyond bargain basement, cardboard breakfasts and tinny coffee, I’ve ended up ordering plenty of local pizzas to avoid lunch or dinner in my room.
At the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles, The Brasserie and Castero hold the Sheraton end up with both ambitious cuisine and familiar comfort food. I took on a seafood soup that ranked amongst some of the best I’ve sampled.
If a traveler decides to lay low at the Gateway and let LA buzz away on its own, he or she will find an outdoor heated pool, fitness center and 24 hour room service. There’s also around the clock valet, front desk and extended concierge service.
We’re not talking LA resort at this Sheraton under the jets, but it more than serves the purpose as a hotel sanctuary offering relief from the cars, crowds and craziness of Los Angeles. With competitive rates, the hotel offers everything travelers need once they shake the Venice Beach sand out of their shoes.
