Preparing for a trip to Hollywood? Get a sneak peak with audio books that you can download into your iPod or laptop. These one-minute vignettes can give you an insight on the city’s colorful history. Very educational and full of trivia you may not hear on a standard tour.

Pig N Whistle

Restaurant by day, bar by night. It keeps its interest factor up by changing themes each night — attracting different crowds. “Nubar” night attracts the 30somethings, while the cool martini night draws the younger partygoers. Run by the same people behind Sunset Room, a favorite celebrity hangout.
6714 Hollwood.(323) 463-0000.

Cat ‘N Fiddle

One of the Rolling Stones favorite pubs. Mostly male crowd, with a laid-back vibe that locals love. Best drink is the Snake Bite.
6530 Sunset.(323) 468-3800

Merix

Known for its margarita selection and other frozen drinks (that’s why the crowd tends to gravitate here on Sunday afternoons). Is largely known to be a gay hangout.
8350 Santa Monica Blvd., #210. (323) 848-2450

Les Deuz Cafe

A casual French bistro reputed to be the hangout of stars like Cameron Diaz, Sharon Stone, Jerry Seinfeld and Lenny Kravitz.
1638 N. Las Palmas Ave. (323) 465-0509.

Hollywood has some of LA’s hippest and most happening party scenes — and not just because of the celebrity sightings.

While the “hot spots” change every few months (partygoers tend to tire of a place pretty quickly) some places have earned the loyalty of stars, moguls and the regular LA residents.

The Room

The music is amazing, thanks to a fantastic list of DJs. Go here on a Tuesday. Might be hard to find this place, though — just go to Cahuenga between Selma and Hollywood. Look fora blue building with an orange awning. Then, walk to the back and ask for the doorman.
1626 N. Cahuenga Blvd. (323) 462-7196

Opium Den
The hang out of young alterna-rockers. Monday’s the best day, since it’s the local radio station KROQ’s “Zeke’s Backyard” night.
Burgandy Room, 1621 1/2 N. Cahuenga Blvd. (323) 465-7530
Opium Den, 16051Ž2 N. Ivar Ave. (323) 912-0636

Daddy’s

Best place to get a drink… and to find a date. Bartenders are really friendly, and you may be able to meet someone interesting while waiting for your order.
1610 Vine. (323) 463-7777.

The Frolic Room (Hollywood and Vine)
Go here after the theater show ends. Love the wall paper mural that features the stars of Old Hollywood. But if you feel Marilyn Monroe’s talking to you, you know you’ve had enough.
6245 Hollywood Blvd. (323) 462-5890.

Earlier we discussed the importance of realistic expectations of a HOllywood hotel. This includes checking out separating the marketing hype and looking for customer reviews — but that’s not all. Many tourists want to pay dirt-cheap than complain that they’re not getting the star treatment. It doesn’t work that way.

The trick is to identify what’s important for you and put your money there. Here is your criteria:

1. Location. Clearly the most aspect of any hotel, since you’ll want to reach the major tourist attractions with minimal hassle. If it’s not within walking distance of the tourist spots, check if it’s near the pubic transportation system or if it provides shuttle services.

2. Parking. You need this if you brought your car with you. Is the parking free? If not, how much will you pay? When you look at customer reviews, check if the parking is secure.

3. Rooms. This is a matter of preference. Some want luxury and sophistication; others just need a clean, soft bed (they reason that they won’t be spending that much time in the hotel, anyway).

4. Support services. Dry cleaning, laundry/ironing are handy if you’ll be spending a lot of time in Hollywood (you won’t have to pack as many clothes). Business travelers may need wireless internet, photocopiers and faxes. Families may want to look for babysitting/childcare services and recreational facilities like a pool.

Looking for a Hollywood hotel? You’ll find a number of accomodations, from premium hotels with all the glamour, luxury and class you’d come to expect from the City of Stars, to budget rooms for travelers who prefer to spend their dollars elsewhere.

While most hotels will claim to give the best service or the finest amenities, the smart traveler should also check out reviews by customers. This is probably a more accurate description of what you can expect from your stay, but do bear in mind that people have different expectations and needs. What one describes as “the most wonderful place I ever stayed in” may be ho-hum to an experienced traveler who’s seen the best (and worst).

You also need to be a little realistic. You can’t expect a three-star hotel to have all the trappings of a five-star hotel. You do get what you pay for. The most important thing is to know what’s important to you.