Less stuffy than the Beverly Hills Hotel, more glam than the Beverly Hilton, this iconic Beverly Hills hotel is a top luxury pick for business or leisure, families or romance. With beautiful guest rooms, a Wolfgang Puck restaurant, and a great spa, pool and fitness center, plus doting Four Seasons service, it's hard to find fault.

With 12-acres of lush grounds, this historic hotel is a serene, luxurious escape five minutes from Rodeo Drive. Its formal service and aura lend it a stuffier feel than the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire, but it also has anachronistic charms, like an old-fashioned soda fountain, plus a great pool and restaurants.

One of the best hotels -- if not the best hotel -- in the entire L.A. area, the Peninsula bills itself, accurately, as an "exclusive oasis." You can splurge (huge, gorgeous rooms; afternoon tea; renowned restaurant) or go downright charge-crazy (private villa, luxury spa). Just be sure to bring your platinum card.

A known celebrity hangout, Shutters on the Beach has an atmosphere of formal opulence, with expensive artwork in its lobby and restaurants, luxe features, and rooms that belong in a billionaire's beach house. Its oceanfront location and doting service are hard to beat, but Casa Del Mar rivals it with a more intimate feel and better amenities.

One of just a few true mega-resorts in Southern California, the 100-acre, 582-room Terranea in Rancho Palos Verdes offers a range of features that's unrivaled among Los-Angeles-area properties, including a top-tier spa, nine holes of golf, six restaurants, three pools, and gorgeous, manicured grounds.

A true jewel, this historic grand hotel is world-class yet refreshingly unpretentious (unless you count the Hollywood crowd at the popular lobby bar). But there is nothing modest about its spacious elegant rooms, rooftop pool, and commanding location right on the beach -- a rarity in L.A. It's one of the best luxury hotels in town.

This 453-room luxury hotel caters largely to business travelers and other adults, but is spacious standard rooms, heated lap pool, and proximity to attractions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art make it a fine choice for families, especially when its rates dip well below those at other luxury hotels.

Just blocks from UCLA (but unfortunately close to little else), this 238-room Kimpton hotel, opened in 2008, offers big 350-square-foot standard rooms (luxuriously outfitted with 42-inch flat-screens and Frette linens), a small heated pool, free coffee and wine hours, and a no-fee pet policy.

This 569-room Beverly Hills hotel, the site of the Golden Globes, excels at affordable luxury. Two business centers and superbly fast Internet in the elegant rooms make it a top pick for business travelers. Its huge pool and name-brand fitness center ably compete with the leisure facilities at more expensive hotels, but its restaurant and bars don't.