> **Arrival is late.** Gilmore checkout is 11 AM Sep 27 and the drive from Miramonte is ~4.5–5 hrs, so the group lands in LA Sunday late afternoon. Real sightseeing days are **Mon Sep 28 and Tue Sep 29** — pick a base that keeps those two days short on driving.
>
> **Monday caveat:** several LA venues close Mondays — the Getty Center, The Broad and the Griffith Observatory building are the ones to verify before planning Sep 28.
Best fit for the sights list: Walk of Fame, Griffith Observatory, Beverly Hills, the Getty and DTLA are all short drives; a beach afternoon is one dedicated trip. Bed layout matches two couples exactly. Cheapest way to stay central, and the only shortlisted option with cancellation that runs past the Sequoia payment date.
### 2. Architectural house, Sawtelle (West LA) — best space
A bathroom each and a spare bedroom, in a genuinely convenient spot: 10–15 min to the Getty and 15–20 to Santa Monica. The catches are street parking in a dense residential area and a west-side start for the Sep 30 drive to Las Vegas.
Walk to the boardwalk, Abbot Kinney and the canals. The most proven listing on this list by review count. It is also the most expensive, the furthest from Griffith/Hollywood, and the slowest starting point for the Sep 30 drive to Las Vegas.
Cheapest solid option, near Manhattan Beach. Downsides: Hawthorne is a dull base, every Hollywood-side day costs ~45–60 min each way, and it is south of the best route toward Las Vegas. The cancellation policy is the real catch.
| [Designer Spanish house](https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/45527850) | LA | $760 | 4.90 (203) | Only 1 bathroom |
| [Glendale house](https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/53692156) | Glendale | $724 | 4.87 (228) | ⚠️ listed as 2BR but the sleeping plan shows one room — verify before booking |
| [Glendale apartment](https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/961909682458125803) | Glendale | $771 | 4.88 (121) | Pool + gym; 10 min to Griffith |
**Booking.com alternative** — Koreatown / DTLA 2BR apartments come out cheaper but with thinner review history and mostly paid parking. Search: [Booking, entire 2BR, rating 8+](https://www.booking.com/searchresults.html?ss=Los+Angeles&checkin=2026-09-27&checkout=2026-09-30&group_adults=4&no_rooms=1&nflt=privacy_type%3D3%3Bentire_place_bedroom_count%3D2%3Breview_score%3D80&order=price)
**Hotels** — Santa Monica hotels for 4 people put all four in **one room** and still run higher than options 1–2; only worth it if the group drops the 2-bedroom requirement.
