American Hotel

Between the Arts District's loading docks and Little Tokyo, American Hotel occupies a converted brick warehouse on South Hewitt Street, two blocks from the Sixth Street Viaduct — a plain, budget two-star base for travelers who want downtown Los Angeles without Hollywood prices.

Rooms sit above a ground-floor bar and music venue that's hosted local acts for decades, so street-facing units run louder after 10pm; back rooms are quieter. The Arts District's coffee roasters and galleries fill the surrounding blocks on foot.

Metro's Gold Line stop at First and Central is a ten-minute walk, useful for reaching Union Station without a car.