Fun hotel in Hollywood area?

[Jajone]

Looking for a hotel in the middle of it all or that has something special about it. Kids want to be immersed in the touristy stuff.

 

[StageTek]

There aren't any "Hollywood" themed hotels in Hollywood. Kinda strange really.

http://hollywoodbandb.com/ is really cool. Maybe not what the kids are looking for. In the middle of it all
you'll find the Roosevelt. A little off the path but close is the Magic Castle Hotel. Nice but not really a
"magic" hotel, just next door to the famous Magic Castle.

 

[sheetz]

Hollywood really isn't a Disneyfied "family" vacation destination and most of the hotels there are geared towards young 20-30 something clubbers. The Loews is probably one of the more family friendly hotels, although I don't know if you'd label it "fun." The Sheraton and Hilton by Universal Studios might be more fun for families, but more due to their proximity to Universal and Citywalk than the hotels themselves.

 

[AdamEfimoff]

delete

 

[Jajone]

So, I checked out all that was suggested right in Hollywood and got sticker shock. I was open to paying up to $400/night for that experience, but I was getting quotes over $700. We will have 5 of us, so needing a room to accommodate that. Does anyone have suggestions for other hotels "in the area"? We will have a car and not afraid to drive as we have done so on a previous trip. Just looking to be closer since we want to tour for 2 days and our main place to stay will be Anaheim. We plan to do a Warner Brothers studio tour, so something near there would be great too.

 

[StageTek]

Too true, if you want to be in the middle of it you'll get sticker-shock. Prices are better farther away from the "attractions".

 

[sheetz]

I think it's probably due to your having 5 in your group. Try AirBnb. There seem to be a lot of nice places for under $300.

 

[Jajone]

I think it's probably due to your having 5 in your group. Try AirBnb. There seem to be a lot of nice places for under $300.

I have never heard of that website so I checked it out. Some great options. Can you give me some info on what neighborhoods I should look at and what I should know about renting through that website?

 

[AdamEfimoff]

http://www.onefinestay.com/search/?city=515&price_max=560&page=1&region=515&price_min=400

 

[sheetz]

I have never heard of that website so I checked it out. Some great options. Can you give me some info on what neighborhoods I should look at and what I should know about renting through that website?

Anything around Hollywood and Highland is right in the middle of the Hollywood tourist district.

AirBnB is like VRBO where home owners rent out their homes to travelers. I'm not an expert on them but make sure to read everything carefully. Make note of the cancellation policy and pay close attention to the photos. Sometimes they'll say things like "luxury apartment" when the furnishings are from IKEA!

 

[kathy884]

I needed to get two rooms, and was on a budget for a one night Hollywood stay before three nights in Anaheim. Anyway, This is where I am going to stay (Best Western Plus Hollywood Hills Hotel). It's a basic little place, but is clean and comfortable I hear, has a great little coffee shop there, there is a Hollywood theme with all the pictures, it has a great location, and it fits well with my budget. This was a recommendation to me from the Trip Advisor forum experts for my budget, and it gets a lot of repeat visitors which is always a good sign.

http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwes...ls-Hotel/Hotel-Overview.do?propertyCode=05204

Another property I looked at and considered is the Hollywood Orchid Suites. It's pretty basic, but sleeps more people and is apartment style (I believe has a kitchen, etc.) I wanted a more flexible cancelation policy, so went with two rooms at the Best Western instead.

 

[SMD]

I needed to get two rooms, and was on a budget for a one night Hollywood stay before three nights in Anaheim. Anyway, This is where I am going to stay (Best Western Plus Hollywood Hills Hotel). It's a basic little place, but is clean and comfortable I hear, has a great little coffee shop there, there is a Hollywood theme with all the pictures, it has a great location, and it fits well with my budget. This was a recommendation to me from the Trip Advisor forum experts for my budget, and it gets a lot of repeat visitors which is always a good sign.

http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwes...ls-Hotel/Hotel-Overview.do?propertyCode=05204

Another property I looked at and considered is the Hollywood Orchid Suites. It's pretty basic, but sleeps more people and is apartment style (I believe has a kitchen, etc.) I wanted a more flexible cancelation policy, so went with two rooms at the Best Western instead.

I would research that Best Western a little more. The rooms may be clean, but the area around the hotel is pretty sketchy. That coffee shop is full of drunk people at night and hung over people in the morning. The coffee shop is not "clean" in my experience. I'm a local who has worked in the area, and I don't like going there at night or in the morning. Maybe I'm just getting old, but I don't like to be surrounded by post-party hipsters at the end of the night or early the next morning. Also, all of the hotel room doors open to the parking lot. Are there going to be kids in a separate room? I would not be comfortable with that in that particular location. It is probably fine for one night, but I would not consider using it as a base for touring Hollywood with children.

 

[AdamEfimoff]

@kathy884 this where flight center might be helpful. or a travel agent. I would just get a home in beverly hills or holly wood etc
Either via onefinestay or airbnb

 

[kathy884]

SMD, Thanks for the words of warning. We'll be aware and lower expectations. It's three of use DS 21 (college student on long Christmas break) and me in one room (two double beds) and my sister in law in another close by room (She's 55). We'll be using the rental car and park it in that garage in the mall area by those Hollywood attractions (just a mile away from the Best Western). We were planning on having breakfast at that café on a Tuesday morning in January before checking out -- doing the Warner Brother's Studio tour, hitting the Griffith Observatory, and hitting the Santa Monica Pier (our tourist attractions in the area) prior to an evening drive to Anaheim, hopefully leaving late enough to miss rush hour lol. We are staying over a Monday evening the week before the MLK holiday. Maybe I should find another place for breakfast. Then it's off to Anaheim where we will be staying overnight Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Disneyland here we come. DH is skipping this adventure. The Hollywood stuff and Disneyland hold no appeal for him -- too cheesy and touristy. // Most of our family vacations are things we'll all like -- a favorite being summer trips to mountain destinations in the Western US. // I'd be open to other hotel/motel suggestions too. Some other options I looked at sounded horrible for parking the rental car and I ruled those out. Others too I ruled out because they were too expensive (given that I'd be getting two rooms) as a big priority for me is that my son, me, and my sister-in-law all have our own beds - not have to sleep with each other. I'm paying for trip expenses for my sister-in-law too FYI who would love to go to Disneyland and Hollywood, but typically doesn't have the time, budget, or people to travel with. She takes care of my 92 year old mother-in-law and part of my budget too is paying for a home health aid to stay with my mother-in-law for the duration of the trip too (another $1000), all factors contributing to my fairly modest accommodations budget.

AdamEfimoff, The home might be something for OP to consider. I can't see that for one night for us, though. Usually when I've rented homes there has been a three day minimum and cleaning fees, etc. that make short term rentals quite expensive. Also, home rentals are usually more involved to rent than a hotel and don't have a super easy cancelation policy. And I'm looking at something I can easily book and cancel if plans change plus I don't have an overly large budget. And I'm looking at something close to the things we're going to be doing for this one night.

There are almost 1000 Trip Advisor reviews, FYI, and here are people's descriptions of their experiences staying at this place. Most reviews are quite favorable. I have read, though, OP, what others are saying on this thread. The Hollywood area in general sounds a little sketchy.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_R...ywood_Hills_Hotel-Los_Angeles_California.html

 

[AdamEfimoff]

@kathy884 I am blessed to have parents in the top 1-2 % tax bracket. So my suggestions are always high end and quite pricey. There is no surprise I have always wanted to work in travel. I have very little exp in budget hotels so have very little knowledge in that area. So really do not like contributing because my advice will be awful. I personally read tripadvisor, flyertalk, zagat, disneyland unofficial guides and doring kindersley guide.

 

[AdamEfimoff]

I am sorry about your mother in law. I wish OP explained this because this would help give us the best hotels for you

SMD, Thanks for the words of warning. We'll be aware and lower expectations. It's three of use DS 21 (college student on long Christmas break) and me in one room (two double beds) and my sister in law in another close by room (She's 55). We'll be using the rental car and park it in that garage in the mall area by those Hollywood attractions (just a mile away from the Best Western). We were planning on having breakfast at that café on a Tuesday morning in January before checking out -- doing the Warner Brother's Studio tour, hitting the Griffith Observatory, and hitting the Santa Monica Pier (our tourist attractions in the area) prior to an evening drive to Anaheim, hopefully leaving late enough to miss rush hour lol. We are staying over a Monday evening the week before the MLK holiday. Maybe I should find another place for breakfast. Then it's off to Anaheim where we will be staying overnight Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Disneyland here we come. DH is skipping this adventure. The Hollywood stuff and Disneyland hold no appeal for him -- too cheesy and touristy. // Most of our family vacations are things we'll all like -- a favorite being summer trips to mountain destinations in the Western US. // I'd be open to other hotel/motel suggestions too. Some other options I looked at sounded horrible for parking the rental car and I ruled those out. Others too I ruled out because they were too expensive (given that I'd be getting two rooms) as a big priority for me is that my son, me, and my sister-in-law all have our own beds - not have to sleep with each other. I'm paying for trip expenses for my sister-in-law too FYI who would love to go to Disneyland and Hollywood, but typically doesn't have the time, budget, or people to travel with. She takes care of my 92 year old mother-in-law and part of my budget too is paying for a home health aid to stay with my mother-in-law for the duration of the trip too (another $1000), all factors contributing to my fairly modest accommodations budget.

AdamEfimoff, The home might be something for OP to consider. I can't see that for one night for us, though. Usually when I've rented homes there has been a three day minimum and cleaning fees, etc. that make short term rentals quite expensive. Also, home rentals are usually more involved to rent than a hotel and don't have a super easy cancelation policy. And I'm looking at something I can easily book and cancel if plans change plus I don't have an overly large budget. And I'm looking at something close to the things we're going to be doing for this one night.

There are almost 1000 Trip Advisor reviews, FYI, and here are people's descriptions of their experiences staying at this place. Most reviews are quite favorable. I have read, though, OP, what others are saying on this thread. The Hollywood area in general sounds a little sketchy.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_R...ywood_Hills_Hotel-Los_Angeles_California.html

 

[SMD]

I think the Best Western is adequate for adults and fine if you're spending little time in the room. My main concern would be people who planned to walk around the area, kids staying in a room next door to parents and then spending a lot of time in the room like you might in a nicer hotel with a pool and other amenities. It is in a good location relative to Griffith Observatory. It's farther to Hollywood Blvd, etc, but it's not really necessary to stay near there.

 

[StageTek]

I would research that Best Western a little more. The rooms may be clean, but the area around the hotel is pretty sketchy. That coffee shop is full of drunk people at night and hung over people in the morning. The coffee shop is not "clean" in my experience.

I, too, am a local and getting old. But I don't work in the area, I live in the area. It's my favorite coffee shop in Hollywood.
Late night Fri/Sat can be "hipster" crazy but the rest of the week dinner is great. And breakfast is always terrific. I eat there
several times a week - I'm usually tired after a long work night so maybe I'm one of those "hung over people in the morning".
Since I live and walk around in that area I can say it's not as bad as SMD sees it.

I think (I know) you'll be fine at that hotel.

 

[kathy884]

Thank you so much for posting StageTek! The menu looked great for both dinner and breakfast for DS who is a fairly picky eater, so that is back on my list now as an option for dinner Monday night and a definite for breakfast on Tuesday. It's super convenient to have a a place to get some food right where you are staying. We're talking week day and a not particularly popular time in January. DS doesn't go back to school until after the MLK holiday, so we are taking advantage of that for our little mini trip, especially for going to Disneyland at a rare time when crowds will be a little lower.