by : Cary Ordway

Sometimes a getaway to Los Angeles really is meant to be a trip to see Los Angeles attractions, and not necessarily to experience first-hand the grid-lock that now is present almost any time of day on certain L.A. freeways. The solution? Choose a base of operations just a little outside of the city and focus on the attractions in that particular area.

If such popular destinations as Malibu, Santa Monica and the Reagan Library are on your must-see agenda, then we've discovered a hidden gem that you can use as your weekend headquarters. The Westlake Village Inn, located about 12 miles north of Malibu, near Highway 101, is a surprising oasis of class and style that is situated right in the middle of a group of suburban communities little more than a half hour's drive northwest of Los Angeles.

The surprising part is not that it's upscale