Where to stay in LA?

[Disneylovers2000]

We are a family of 4 (2 - 12year olds) and are headed to SoCal next summer (2013). We were originally going to make it a Disney only trip but have now extended it to a few things in LA as well. We would like to spend 2 - 3 days in LA rather than driving back and forth from Anaheim. Is this recommended?
In LA we want to :
Universal
Santa Monica Pier
Original Farmers Market and The Grove
Griffith Park
Quick trip through Hollywood and Beverly Hills - from what I read, a short trip is all that is recommended.
Shopping at the Citadel.

I mostly want to know where to stay in LA. Our budget allows for about $150ish a night for hotel. What will I get for this kind of money - or would it just be better to stay in Anaheim and drive back and forth. If you have stayed in a great place in LA please share your experience!!
Thanks for your help!!

 

[carnival kid]

Not exactly sure of the cost....but last time we stayed at Magic Castle Hotel.
We had 3 adults and 1 baby. We had a 2 bedroom unit with kitchen and lounge. It was fantastic.

It is very close to all of the attractions you listed. It is walking distance to the theater area.

 

[Disneylovers2000]

Not exactly sure of the cost....but last time we stayed at Magic Castle Hotel.
We had 3 adults and 1 baby. We had a 2 bedroom unit with kitchen and lounge. It was fantastic.

It is very close to all of the attractions you listed. It is walking distance to the theater area.

Thank you so much for the suggestion! I checked it out today, and although it looks like a great place to stay, it is WAY out of our price range at $254.00/night I am thinking that we may just stay in Anaheim and drive back and forth as I think my quest for a lower priced hotel and LA are 2 things that do not go hand in hand!! I have been on TripAdvisor for days now and can't find anything

 

[BigDisneyOE]

We are staying at Mickeys Hollow (Google it and it will come up on VBRO), like you we had budget constraints. It's a bit more than $150 a night but it's a two bed condo with pools etc in the complex and walkable distance to Disneyland in a quiet area. We really wanted to self cater as it saves money and works well with some food allergies I have.

The other thing to do is see if you can pick up an unused timeshare week - we did that in Carslbad for the week prior and saved a bundle, stick 'rent unused timeshare week' into a search engine and there are several sites (we used a NZ agent). You will be constrained with timeshare as to when to check in / out. Hope those ideas are of some help.

 

[usnuzuloose]

If you are having trouble finding a hotel withing your budget, you could travel back and forth from Anaheim. You would just want to leave the Hollywood area before traffic starts.

 

[CalvaryMike]

How about an Hilton branded hotel? Not an Hilton itself, but Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn. There are many in the area and the rate might be right up your alley, depending on the time of year. They also include free breakfast for your whole family. IMHO, the breakfasts at Embassy is better than the other brands.

Also, if you don't already have one, sign up for the Citibank Hilton Visa card. You get 40,000 points (enough for at least one free night).

 

[Disneylovers2000]

Thank you for all of the information and suggestions!
I was looking at staying in Hollywood at the the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn, but I will definitely look into your suggestions calvarymike! Any other suggestions would be great! Thanks Dis'ers!!