Built in 1970 but with many recent renovations, this Holiday Inn pays homage to historic Holiday Inns with photographs and stories lining the rooms, walls, and common areas. There's a Spanish-style fountain outside and a gift shop stocked with California souvenirs. Other than that, the decor is standard chain hotel fare. The lobby and common are clean and comfortable with nice lighting, comfortable couches and seating, and soft, sedate colors. Landings restaurant and lounge are colorfully decorated with long diner-style lounges and high chairs but the place, in spite of many hanging lights, is a bit cave-like. The pool is clean but doesn't have any ambiance, it's surrounded by a concrete wall with only a couple of tables and chairs surrounding it.

The Holiday Inn LAX is located within a 10- to 15-minute shuttle ride from LAX, or about eight minutes of driving in a private car. The area immediately surrounding the hotel isn't pleasant for walking. There are certain conveniences -- a McDonalds and La Quinta Hotel are just outside of the hotel's entrance and there's a spectrum of rental car agencies in the area. The busy intersection of La Cienega and Century mean there are entrances to every major highway, including the 105 and 405 freeways, two-minutes away. The Ocean Express shuttle, which stops directly across from the hotel, takes passengers to and from the lovely Manhattan Beach in 10-minutes. Loyola Marymount University is three miles away and the Toyota Sports Center is three-and-a-half miles away.    

Like the lobby and common areas of the hotel, the rooms are adorned with interesting black-and-white photos of celebrities, airports, and cars. Double Standard rooms have plenty of floor space and include contemporary armchairs, a desk, flat-screen TV, coffeemaker, safe, mini-fridge, free Wi-Fi, and ironing facilities. Bathrooms are stocked with Bath & Body Works toiletries and include shower/tub combos and single sinks. Some rooms have nice views of the city and mountains in the distance, and from higher floors guests can watch LAX planes landing and taking off. Executive Rooms have a deep red accent wall, and more square footage with slightly larger bathrooms. Adjoining rooms are available for families and groups. 

In addition to free Wi-Fi access in rooms and throughout the hotel, guests get a free shuttle to the airport. Landings Grill serves an ample breakfast buffet (included in some packages), and American classics for lunch and dinner. The Lounge has a stocked bar and serves a weekday happy hour. There's a fitness center with clean, modern equipment, and an outdoor heated pool free for guest use. The business center is open 24-hours and has desktop computers and printers. Several meeting rooms, a ballroom, and boardroom are available as well. An on-site mini-mart sells Disney souvenirs and magazines. There's a daily charge for parking at the hotel, a common theme in car-crazy Los Angeles.