The ultimate guide to celebrating a birthday in Los Angeles

This traveller is heading to Los Angeles for a birthday celebration, and Doc Holiday has the lowdown on what not to miss. 

Escape's Doc Holiday, Dilvin Yasa, answers your travel-related questions.

I would like to take my daughter to Los Angeles to celebrate her 21st. Can you recommend any hotels and places of interest?

How fabulous! There’s no better fit for someone celebrating her 21st than the slick hotels of West Hollywood (or WeHo, as the locals call it). A vibrant area that borders Beverly Hills, West Hollywood means a hop, skip and jump (or stagger) to the city’s famous Sunset Strip and Santa Monica Boulevard, as well as the chic Design District.

I have long loved Chamberlain West Hollywood, which offers slick interiors and that classic rooftop scene WeHo is known for, but it’s set slightly back from Sunset so you can still achieve a moderate amount of peace when required (perfect when I’m travelling with my own daughters). I don’t doubt you will also love 1 Hotel West Hollywood, The London, Andaz West Hollywood and Pendry West Hollywood.

If we’re discussing WeHo attractions, you’ll want to check out the world’s coolest bookstore, Book Soup, enjoy an evening of stand-up at The Comedy Store (or hard rock at the Whisky a Go Go), and stroll along the Sunset Strip before grabbing a late-night burger at Mel’s Drive-in. Pink Taco is also excellent for casual Mexican in a fun, rock environment.

The Hollywood sign is one of Los Angeles' most famous landmarks.

Everyone’s got their ideas on “places of interest” (my idea of hell, for example, would be to go to a theme park but I know I’m probably in the minority here). Assuming you’ve already marked the likes of Universal Studios Hollywood and Paramount Pictures, I recommend spending a day shopping (or people-watching) in Beverly Hills, where you can book in for an exquisite 21st birthday brunch at The Polo Lounge at The Beverly Hills Hotel or a traditional afternoon tea at The Peninsula Hotel’s The Living Room.

Take a hike through Griffith Park and visit Griffith Observatory for the best view in town, enjoy a day out at Santa Monica where much of the action centres around its sun-soaked beach clubs, and if you can, catch a show at the Hollywood Bowl.

There are plenty of fantastic museums to see, too (the Getty and LACMA, sure, but your daughter will most likely also want to see the Grammy Museum, The Broad, and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures). Your best bet? Trawl discoverlosangeles.com with your daughter and decide what works best for the both of you.

Originally published as The ultimate guide to celebrating a birthday in Los Angeles