A business traveller’s guide to Los Angeles

America’s most exciting city is also its most misunderstood: Los Angeles’s sprawl conceals one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse metropolises. 

Here, you’ll find the headquarters of some of the world’s biggest entertainment and media companies, fashion labels and online gaming giants, as well as major players in innovative industries including aerospace, robotics and biotech. 

The City of Angels can be chaotic, but with guidance you can embrace its challenges while maximising its charms.

Where to start

In terms of scale, it’s better to think of LA as you would an Asian megacity like Jakarta, rather than as a traditional American city. And like the Indonesian capital, it can be tricky to get your bearings here.

Business travellers will likely spend a lot of time in Downtown LA. This sprawling central business district boasts numerous swanky office towers and high-end hotels in the Financial District; an eclectic mix of hip creative spaces, cafés and bars in the Arts District; multicultural neighbourhoods like Chinatown and Little Tokyo; and much more.

LAX, the city’s international airport, is located on the Westside. This area is also known as Silicon Beach and is home to a booming tech scene. Nearby, you’ll find the coastal cities of Venice and Santa Monica; you’ll find the famed Santa Monica Pier located at the latter. 

When people think of LA, they often think of Hollywood. While the entertainment industry is still LA’s primary economic driver, Hollywood today is left mostly to tourists, while the real business of dream-making takes place in cities like Burbank in the San Fernando Valley, known locally as “The Valley”.

Farther east is the city’s happening heart, boasting dynamic neighbourhoods with excellent food, shopping and a booming art scene. East Los Angeles is also where you’ll find towns like Silver Lake, whose waterfront is lined with luxury properties.

Where to take clients

Angelenos give even New Yorkers a run for their money when it comes to the power lunch. Book a client lunch well in advance at the Polo Lounge in the Beverly Hills Hotel, still the place for the city’s power-players to talk shop and seal deals over shrimp cocktails. For a slightly more modern – though no less celebrity-filled – choice, head to the Sunset Tower Hotel and save room for one of their famous ice cream sundaes.

Since the weather will invariably be beautiful, you’ll want to eat outdoors as much as possible. Try Superba , a bakery and café with cheery patio seating and locations in both Hollywood and Venice.

For fine dining, head to the downtown Arts District, where converted lofts vie for space with some of the city’s best restaurants. Bestia serves excellent wood-fired neo-Italian-Californian cuisine – reservations are a must.

Less well-known is Dolan’s in San Gabriel Valley, a predominantly East Asian neighbourhood. The restaurant is one of the country’s few Uyghur cuisine specialists and the perfect place for a hearty feast with colleagues.

Where to stay

When most business travellers stay in Hollywood they gravitate towards the W Hotel , but book the Hotel Roosevelt for old-school Hollywood vibes and an unbeatable pool scene – complete with a mural by David Hockney. If business takes you downtown, choose the Intercontinental Los Angeles Downtown , which occupies the top floors of LA’s tallest skyscraper and boasts views stretching all the way to the Pacific.

If you’re staying on the west side, there’s no finer beach hotel than Santa Monica’s iconic Shutters on the Beach . If you’re staying on the east side, follow the hip crowd to the à la moment gem, the Silver Lake Pool & Inn , the perfect flexcation spot, where you can get work done in your mid-century room before enjoying a few drinks while lounging by the palm-lined pool.

What to say

Angelenos are friendly to a fault, so don’t be surprised if you leave every bar and coffee shop with new friends. If you want to fit in, just complain about the traffic or how expensive everything is.

LA is a proudly liberal city, so arrive with an open mind. What’s more, its incredible diversity gives you plenty of chances to flex your language skills, especially if you speak Spanish, Korean, Armenian, Chinese or Thai.

What to know

To get around the city, rent a car or use a rideshare service such as Uber or Lyft. Remember to leave plenty of time for unexpected traffic jams.

Downtime done right

LA is run through with hiking trails like Runyon Canyon and large outdoor spaces like Griffith Park, famed for its observatory , or the botanical gardens of The Huntington . The city also has its share of beautiful indoor spaces, chief among them the Gamble House , a stunning craftsman estate once home to the family behind Procter and Gamble.

Take something home

Skip the international brands for local shops and indie labels from the city. Prioritise pleasure with Flamingo Estate , purveyor of decadent home goods, or invest in some status candles from cult scent purveyor Boy Smells . If you have a fashion lover in your life, they’ll be thrilled with a jumpsuit from Big Bud Press , a local clothing brand whose comfortable, jewel-tone fits scream Los Angeles.