Hollywood Hotel - The Hotel of Hollywood

Hollywood Hotel - The Hotel of Hollywood is Where All the Action Begins!

Neon signs. Headlights. Non-stop brake lights, flashing lights and the usual crazy cast of street characters. Hollywood Boulevard. The quintessential destination on the instantly downloadable, L.A. -in-a-day travel itineraries. Through the crush of tour buses, commuter cars and wall-to-wall people, I catch a glimpse of my hotel. Hollywood Hotel - The Hotel of Hollywood. Finally.

I turn into the tree-lines driveway and pull the rented convertible through a grand, Spanish-style archway and up to the front doors. Paneled wood, glazed leather, polished nickel, iron scroll-work, silk shades, museum-worth art and the most ravishing lilies I've ever seen - this is classic set decoration. But then, this is Hollywood, where decadence and glamorous fantasy were invented. The ambiance is, like so many of the iconic early productions, light, fresh, luxurious and cosmopolitan.

Grand Hotel, The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon. The designer of this place must have been inspired by them all. And yet it's done so well. Not themed, not hokey. No predictable, framed movie posters or Silver Screen head-shots. Everything here is much more subtle than that. The feel is classic chic, timeless, yet ultra-modern. With just enough of the right touches to remind me where in the world I am. Whoever put this together had an eye for detail. Impressive.

Making my way to the elevator, I am distracted by vignettes of significant interest. A threesome enjoying cocktails at the cleverly mirrored bar, perched, possibly even posed, on gilded bamboo barstools. One of them, a tallish redhead, is sharing some apparently hilarious shot on her camera. Her friends, however, appear to be more interested in the arriving tray of tapas. Beyond the bar, I notice another group partying under the stars on a lush, greenery-encased patio.

In a more intimate corner of the lobby, a devastatingly gorgeous couple is settled into a pair of saddle-stitched, leather club chairs, focused on a game of backgammon. They are suntanned, casually dressed and clearly at ease in their surroundings. Behind them, a vertically mounted flat screen is showing footage from the recent Paris runway collections - a reminder that, here in L.A., I am in retail-therapy heaven!

In front of a minimalist, floor-to-ceiling fireplace, an older but disarmingly attractive woman sits at one end of a tufted daybed, examining the contents of her glossy shopping bags while her dachshund sits on the hand-tufted rug, waiting patiently for a hint of attention. They are framed by a pair of exquisite Chinoiserie screens - a nod to the retro, Hollywood regency-style favored by top-drawer decorators like Billy Haines and Dorothy Draper. I had spied books of their work artfully positioned in an antique cabinet by the front desk.

Room 333. That must be a good number. It's certainly a good room. Cool tile floor, louver shutters open just enough to catch a view of the ubiquitous palm trees, ceiling fan stirring the warm air, soft lamplight and an irresistibly sumptuous-looking bed that I swear is whispering "Come, come lie down and you will sleep like a baby."

I step out of the shower, wrap myself in the plush white robe and take a sip of the 15-year Balvenie over ice. A weakness of mine, I must confess. Safe in the knowledge that the Hollywood Hotel has a well-stocked bar, I feel entirely at home. Maybe I'll give the swank supper clubs a miss this trip. I settle into the down-stuffed lounge chair, rest my tired feet on the pristine, tailored ottoman and think about checking my messages.

I drain the glass. Messages can wait - right now, plump pillows and dreams of movie stardom are calling.

Hollywood Hotel - The Hotel of Hollywood provides comfortable and affordable lodging in Hollywood. The hotel offers many amenities such as a recently renovated pool, courtyard area with bar, multiple saunas, free breakfast buffets, business center, gym with state-of-the-art equipment, and more. This pet-friendly property also houses a bar & lounge which is home to weekly open mic nights and comedy shows from some of Hollywood's best comedians. The hotel offers valet parking and EV charging.

The property is located a block from the Metro Red Line which is a convenient transportation option. There are many cabs available, and Los Angeles has quickly adapted to ride-share apps, making Uber or Lyft available & convenient.

The hotel consistently makes improvements and renovations to keep the property up to date and looking beautiful for its guests.

Make Hollywood Hotel your home away from home during your trip to Los Angeles!