Lobby at Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, a great place to stay before the Rose Bowl

Hotels in this story

Price Dates

The Hollywood Roosevelt

Magic Castle Hotel

Omni Los Angeles at California Plaza

Sunset Tower Hotel

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Los Angeles Downtown

It’s almost the new year, which can only mean one thing for sports fans: The college football championship in Los Angeles is just around the corner! The Texas Longhorns take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in the BCS National Championship Game on January 7, though not before Oregon takes on Ohio State in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Both games will be played in the Rose Bowl, in Pasadena, 10 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, and fans are sure to flock to SoCal for the festivities. If you’re traveling all the way to Los Angeles to cheer on your team, you may as well make a weekend out of it. Pasadena has it’s own hotels, but to really explore and get the full West Coast vibe, we recommend booking at the following L.A. hotels that told us they still have space.

Vacant rooms are few, so don’t delay!

Where to stay on Dec. 31 for the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day:

Hollywood/West Hollywood, Los Angeles

$194-$294

Located steps from Hollywood Boulevard, the Magic Castle is a quirky, unpretentious 40-room hotel with simple, spacious rooms, an exhaustive list of free perks (Wi-Fi, breakfast, minibar treats), access to the exclusive Magic Castle club next door, and exceptional service. Overall, it’s a great value and one of L.A.’s hidden gems.

Hollywood/West Hollywood, Los Angeles

$349-$429

This 300-room Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, literally an L.A. landmark, combines the shimmer of silver-screen history with a cutting-edge party scene centered around a massive pool and bar. A terrific casual restaurant is open 24 hours, and service is surprisingly good. The rooms, though well designed, are smaller than average for L.A.

Downtown, Los Angeles

$329-$379

This 453-room luxury hotel caters largely to business travelers and other adults, but it’s spacious standard rooms, heated lap pool, and proximity to attractions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art make it a sleeper choice for families who can afford it.

Hollywood/West Hollywood, Los Angeles

$275-$425

A rejuvenated Sunset Strip landmark with just 74 rooms, the Art Deco Sunset Tower draws A-list celebrities and treats everyday guests like stars with impeccable service and a vibe that channels the glamorous history of Hollywood. Despite its small pool, the Tower is still a great value.

Downtown, Los Angeles

$228-$278

A veteran goliath with hundreds of rooms, a small shopping mall, loads of event space, and a wing of business offices, the Wilshire Grand doesn’t have the fanciest digs in Los Angeles, but it’s newly renovated and friendly, and the price is right.

Where to stay on Jan. 6 for the BCS National Championship:

Hollywood/West Hollywood, Los Angeles

$225

See above.

Downtown, Los Angeles

$135-$234

See above.

Downtown, Los Angeles

$299-$314

This 434-room behemoth with a starchy personality and a somewhat undesirable downtown location was, as of October 2009, undergoing a massive renovation. Spacious rooms, two good restaurants, a tranquil, half-acre garden, and charming vestiges of its former life as a Japanese-owned hotel are all promising features, but even after the renovation it won’t have a pool or spa.