Tammy D.
Yelp
I've stayed in many, many hotels in my life, but never one as bizarrely anti-hospitality as this one. They've taken HANDS OFF to a whole new level. This reminds me more of a hostel than a hotel.
But before I elucidate, let's discuss the PROS:
If you're going to a show at the Troubadour or another nearby establishment, this is hands-down the best location in town. It took me three minutes to walk from my room to the Troubadour, right across the street.
MY room was clean and neat. I cannot speak for others. Sheets appeared to be freshly-laundered. Front desk person Marissa was courteous and helpful.
Valet parking: Carlos was great, took care of my car, and didn't make fun of it. Very reasonably priced when you compare it to other parking options in Beverly Hills.
NOW, for the bad.
This is a SERVE YOURSELF place. You are pretty much on your own. They have these little dressers in the hallway where you can pick up extra towels, soap, etc. Don't expect housekeeping to come by and fill stuff up. DIY all the way.
Bring your own soap, conditioner, and shampoo if possible., The dispensers they have in the shower (no tubs!) are a joke. I couldn't get one of them to work at all and the other two barely managed a squirt or two. It's like they bought them at Dollar Tree or something. Note to hotel: Don't put crappy stuff in your rooms just so you can say "We provide toiletries." Not a good marketing tactic at all.
No elevator. If you have heavy stuff, you are out of luck. If you have a bum hip like me, you are even more out of luck.
Water: Filtered water only available in two stations. Had to trudge downstairs every time I wanted a fill up.
NO MICROWAVES: There is a tiny little refrigerator, but no microwaves. I am on a special diet, and brought along pre-prepared meals I could heat up. I should have asked about microwaves. Although the front desk heated up some food for me in their employee microwave, in busy season they probably wouldn't have time to do so.
Plus, I like to make tea at night and a mic would have been nice to have. Do yourself a favor, bring along an electric kettle or your own microwave if you're traveling by car. Maybe a multi-pot. Hey! Make it a full-on camping trip with a Coleman propane stove. (Just kidding- don't burn the place down)
No place to put your makeup and accessories. Room is tiny, bathroom is tinier. No vanity or available shelving for makeup and accessories. Very inconvenient when you're trying to get ready to go out.
No place to sit other than the bed. Yeah, my room had a rickety table and a very uncomfortable chair. But not good for sitting for long periods.
TV: If I hadn't had a Roku tv myself, it would have been difficult to figure out. I couldn't get many local channels. Bring your Netflix or HULU log in. You won't get those premium channels for free.
Coffee maker! OMG! The only thing I ask for in any hotel is good coffee. Whether it is lobby coffee or room coffee. I don't like Keurigs except in desperate moments of caffeine deprivation. These aren't even genuine Keurigs, some kind of knock off. Mine didn't work right, and I had to hold it down to finally get some not-great coffee. I had brought my own pour-over rig and coffee with me but could not use them since there is no microwave to heat water. I wound up walking to Bristol Farms store (10 minute walk) where they have an excellent coffee shop that costs about the same as Starbucks but which I thought was much better. Still, good coffee in my room would have been awesome.
Valet: Bring a spare set of keys with you, just in case. If you come during the valet's "off hours," and you need to get into your car for any reason, you may be out of luck. I suggest bringing a spare set of keys so you can get into your trunk. Or, if you have an early flight and have to leave before the valet arrives, you're screwed. Get some extra keys if you've brought your own car. If you have a rental, I'm not sure. Ask the rental company what they suggest.
Better yet, tell the valet you MUST have your keys by a certain time. Maybe they can arrange to have them dropped off in the lobby.
Key codes: Instead of giving you a chipped key you can just insert or wave to open your room door, you get an 8 or 9 digit code you have to enter every time. Also, since the lobby closes at 11PM, you need the code to enter if you stay out past 11. Here's the issue: Bring your reading glasses- the keys are small. If you've been having adult beverages and are a bit tipsy, it's not so easy to enter the codes at all. And no one is around to hear you scream...
DO NOT GET A ROOM on the restaurant/courtyard side. There's a reason this hotel provides orange ear plugs- restaurants are noisy. The restaurant hosts parties. Drunks are loud, dishes clank, glasses break. Full video review copy and paste- https:www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO8dBqLyqvI