Set in the heart of Cedar Springs, the city's fashionable gay neighborhood, the Daisy Polk Inn is near good restaurants and nightlife and offers tidy and immensely comfortable rooms (floors are heated) that are carefully furnished in antiques. Luxury hotel touches include daily housekeeping, and flat-screen televisions and DVD players. Wine and cheese are served upon arrival; fresh baked goods, in the morning. Strengths: Better bath amenities; beautiful common areas. Weaknesses: Rundown apartments across the street are an eyesore; baths in the main house are somewhat cramped. Room to avoid: The Reagan Room, since its lovely bath is across a small hallway (214-522-4692; daisypolkinn.com; doubles, $139–$350).
–June Naylor

Los Angeles
Villa delle Stelle was built by Columbia Pictures to house stars like Humphrey Bogart and Buster Keaton. Today, its four one- and two-bedroom suites and family-friendly bungalow retain a sense of home, albeit a very luxurious one (the Art Deco Dudley Moore Suite, named for the owner's late ex-husband, features his Disklavier piano). There are no common areas, so the afternoon wine and cheese come to your door. Strengths: Beautiful decor; personalized service; in-room fax; proximity to Hollywood Boulevard shops and restaurants. Weakness: The immediate vicinity is less than scenic, although the house is on a cute block. Room to avoid: None (323-876-8100; villadellestelle.com; doubles, $255–$285 for one night, less for two or more).

Patio furniture with navy cushions piped in white, sea breezes, and a relaxed staff make the 21-room Inn at Playa del Rey feel like a friend's beach house. Muffins, corn bread, and feta soufflés are served at breakfast; wine and cheese in the evening. The best rooms have fireplaces and acres of space and look onto a nature reserve that is home to snowy egrets and brown herons (pack binoculars). Strengths: Bright, comfy common rooms; big bathrooms; spa tubs; free bikes; walking distance to restaurants and beach; ten minutes to LAX. Weaknesses: VCRs instead of DVDs; tiny TVs in some rooms. Room to avoid: Number 208 gets traffic noise (310-574-1920; innatplayadelrey.com; doubles, $165–$325).

A revamped 1910 Colonial Revival, Channel Road Inn has 15 rooms, some with fireplaces or balconies, all with fancy linens and their own bathrooms. The old-world touches usually stop short of cloying (we could do without those "adoptable" teddy bears on the beds). The inn's perch, high on a hill above Santa Monica Canyon, makes the most of the ocean light and breezes. Tea, wine, and cheese are provided each afternoon, and breakfast is served in a windowed nook off the living room; a small rose garden in back is a nice spot for contemplation. Strengths: A block from the beach; bikes and beach chairs provided; Wi-Fi; walking distance to restaurants such as the celeb-studded Giorgio di Baldi. Weaknesses: Not quite as friendly as other B&Bs; uninspiring views. Rooms to avoid: Those on the second floor facing the street can be noisy (310-459-1920; channelroadinn.com; doubles, $225–$450).
–Margot Dougherty