Universal Studios hotel and tickets

[thetallone101]

It's been a long time since I've been to Universal CA as we have been frequenting WDW and Universal FL. We will be visiting Universal CA on a Sunday in August so I know it will be a busy day. Given that the park is smaller in comparison to FL, how important is it to get an express pass? The difference in price is quite significant so I want to make sure that it's worth it.

Also, what hotels do people recommend? Hotels in Hollywood are quite pricey, but I also don't want to fight traffic.