2 Best Hotels in Pasadena, Los Angeles

Fronted by the historic Horseshoe Garden, this 1907 grande dame spans 23 acres and includes an Italianate-style main building, Spanish Revival cottages, a lanai, an azalea-filled Japanese garden, and several dining options. Traditional guest rooms are handsome. Brocade fabrics are found throughout, as are flat-screen TVs and CD players. Restaurants include the contemporary Cal-French restaurant Royce, with a glass-walled wine room and showy chef's table, and California bistro, The Terrace. The Tap Room hosts Thursday night jazz, and other live music on weekends. The Chuan Spa, L.A.'s skin-technology destination du jour, features treatments derived from Chinese medicine and chemistry labs around the globe.

Two blocks south of busy Colorado Boulevard, the Hilton Pasadena is still within walking distance of the city's vast convention center and close to Old Town's boundless options for shopping and dining. A light and airy sandstone lobby says California casual, as do the rooms done in soft beige and browns, complete with pillowy beds. Business travelers appreciate the chaise lounge with a movable desk to work from the chaise or standard desk area. Expect the typical technological gadgetry: flat-screen TVs, Wi-Fi, and plenty of outlets for devices. The rooms with balconies are best.