Los Angeles - Bed

		New Hollywood The recipient of a $25 million-plus overhaul, the once merely functional Sheraton Universal (adjacent to the studio) has now — after 40 years — finally earned its title “Hotel of the Stars.” The new look is classy, yet hip. It’s modern, but not extreme, favoring a deep brown-on-white motif with soft blue trim and bold furniture. The main lobby's large, glowing bar is where movietown movers and shakers take refuge. 333 Universal Hollywood Dr. (818) 980-1212 www.sheratonuniversal.com —J.P.

		Counting Sheep Little Bo Peep would feel right at home. Those facing layovers at LAX can get that cozy feeling at the nearby and new Custom Hotel, where the lobby offers sheep-shaped stools to rest yourself after a long flight. Equally out of the ordinary are the tube socks, neon-pink tape and model airplanes in the mini-bar. In addition to its hip quirks, this boutique hotel offers a good night's sleep at affordable rates (starting at a $149-a-night Park & Fly special) with a sweet view of the L.A. skyline. Best of all, you and your flock baa-rely have to leave the airport. And it's pet-friendly. 8639 Lincoln Blvd., Los Angeles 310-645-0400 www.customhotel.com *Confidential Deal: Get two free drink coupons and 15% off Custom Hotel’s BAR (best available rate) when you present this article.*

		Pacific Package With most of its 18 stories serving up views of Santa Monica harbor, The Huntley has it all: location, luxury lodging, spa and restaurant, to say nothing of a recent $18-million renovation, which also included the Presidential Suite (available for $1,800 a night). The New York Times calls this "a destination hot spot." Rooms with a Pacific vista go for under $300, which includes spa access. (Among those who've accessed it: Sarah Jessica Parker.) Zingy cocktails are available in the Penthouse restaurant, which also offers four-star stargazing. The secret is to arrive early (say, 6-ish), when you won't need a dinner reservation. 1111 2nd St., Santa Monica 310-394-5454 www.thehuntleyhotel.com

		Bed, Breakfast, Bear Someone's been sleeping in every one of the 14 bedrooms at Santa Monica's Channel Road Inn - and will still be there when you check into your room. And who's been sleeping in your bed? A teddy bear. The back story: Four sisters grew up in the present-day Green Gables Inn in Pacific Grove and would always leave their stuffed animals in plain view on the beds. When the girls were still teens, they began welcoming summer guests, who took a liking to the stuffed dolls. This seasonal vocation grew into a year-round business, and the Four Sisters chain scooped up 10 other West Coast properties - and the signature teddy bears have spent the night in each of them to this day. In Santa Monica, the inn is less than a half-mile from the Pacific. And you can take the bear home - or swimming. 219 W. Channel Road 310-459-1920 www.channelroadinn.com

		Come on Down! A favorite of Price Is Right hopefuls, given that CBS Television City is right across the street (as is such other tourist favorites as Farmers Market and The Grove outdoor shopping mall), unconfirmed legend holds that the TV show's longtime host Bob Barker was the one who built this hotel. The Beverly Center, a veritable Shangri-La for shoppers is also nearby, and the Farmer's Daughter has recently undergone a multi-million-dollar renovation - growing from just a modest hideaway motel into a modern-day home-away-from-home with tongue-in-cheek rural details. Where else does one find a denim bedspread — and, yes, the price is right. 115 S. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles 800-334-1658 www.farmersdaughterhotel.com

		Find Your Zen It's telling that downtown Los Angeles's Japanese district is called "Little Tokyo," for it is nearly as cramped and vertical as its namesake original. But there is an escape - really, an escape within an escape. The new, 21-story Kyoto Grand Hotel & Gardens boasts a "Garden in the Sky," with cascading waterfalls, soothing ponds and scenic flora amid its bamboo-shaded alcoves. Situated on a third-story terrace, this eye-pleasing half-acre also features an on-site spa that provides shiatsu massage and facial treatments. The hotel itself offers business-friendly guestrooms with work desks, 3 multi-line phones, laptop-compatible safes, complimentary weekday newspapers and high-speed Internet access, for when you're not in the garden. 120 South Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles 888-354-0831 www.kyotograndhotel.com

		Golf and Gulf Just add water, and play. Once a favorite desert hideaway for the likes of Bob Hope, and Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, the luxurious Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa has, after a more than 60-year history, added a pair of 100-ft. waterslides, pool and sandy beach, a lazy river, and tot-sized fountains and sprinklers - and calls those two acres Splashtopia. Still available to the adults while the kids get wet: the spa, as well as golf and tennis. 41-000 Bob Hope Dr., Rancho Mirage 866-423-1195 www.rancholaspalmas.com

		Eternal Beauty Every grande dame can use a little touch-up, and the iconic Millenium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles is no exception. Over its 85 years, this Beaux-Arts wonderland has enjoyed many an overhaul, emerging each time as the showplace it is (listed as an Historical Cultural Landmark). The glam lobby is a great place to start. Formerly the hotel's Music Room, this massive space — with its ornate marble fountain and intricate inlaid carpet — was the scene for fashionable tea dances in the 1930s. Fifty years later it served as the backdrop for the Ghostbusters movies. And today, this is still a great place for a good night's rest. 506 South Grand Ave. 213-624-1011 www.millenniumhotels.com -- J.L.

		Party on the Strip The Andaz claims its rooftop pool is West Hollywood’s highest. Maybe that’s why Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant once stood on its balcony — back when the building was known as the “Riot House” — and declared, “I am a Golden God!” Fresh off a $48 million makeover, the rooms are classy yet quirky — with a silhouetted palm tree painted on one wall, and “California … knows how to party” emblazoned on a window overlooking the Sunset Strip. Each room key has its own adjective (we got to choose between “creative” and “unforgettable”), and the room comes with a vinyl album (but alas, no record player). Call the place endearingly pretentious, a cool reflection of the La La Land world strutting just outside the lobby. 8401 Sunset Blvd. (323) 656-1234 www.westhollywood.hyatt.com