The Orlando Rating: 3.5 Pearls

West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California

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The lobby of this stylish boutique

You could almost mistake the Orlando, a cozy 98-room boutique hotel, for one of the many trendy cafes and shops that surround it on a lovely stretch of Third Street, just a few blocks east of Beverly Hills. Tourists may flock to Rodeo Drive, but many locals and shoppers in the know prefer to part with their money on Third Street.

Just five stories tall, and with vibrant orange awnings, the hotel and its restaurant, Minestraio, an airy, affordable trattoria (pasta dishes in the low teens), easily blend in with the chic neighbors. Inside, the stylish lobby -- complete with an iMac for guests to use at no cost -- gives way to rooms that are relatively large, about 300 square feet, and comfortable but not quite luxurious. Terrycloth robes await guests on the beds, but the beds themselves are only moderately comfortable; pillows and comforters are stuffed with poly filling, not down, as they are at the Luxe Rodeo Drive and Maison 140, two boutique hotels in Beverly Hills proper with rooms that are more luxurious but also about two-thirds the size.

And despite contemporary dark wood furniture, flat-screen televisions, and iPod docks, certain room elements feel cheap. Flimsy closet doors easily jump off their tracks, shelves come loose from walls, and curtains squeal when pulled shut. The service is unpretentious and professional. The front desk staff doesn't address guests by name when they pick up the phone, but they answer calls promptly, and are known to go the proverbial "extra mile." Turndown service is provided each day. The only service snag I encountered was my room not being cleaned until 3 p.m.

Ultimately, the Orlando is a good hotel in a great location. For roughly this price, you'll find a more luxurious (but smaller) room at the Luxe Rodeo Drive or Maison 143, a better party scene at the Standard Hollywood, or a more stylish pool at the nearby Le Parc Suites Hotel. But for travelers looking for a calm, cozy boutique hotel with a dash of style on one of Los Angeles' best streets, this is a solid, affordable pick.

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The Orlando is in West Hollywood on lovely Third Street, a popular, pedestrian-friendly stretch of upscale boutiques and great cafés and restaurants, like Toast, a hot spot for brunch, the Little Door, a romantic Mediterranean restaurant with a lovely garden, and AOC, a wine bar with a James-Beard-award-winning chef. In addition to boutiques like Trina Turk on Third Street, the hotel is within easy walking distance of two of the city's best malls: the phenomenally popular outdoor Grove and Farmers Market (11 blocks away) and the Beverly Center (two blocks away).

• Third Street has a handful of bars (but no clubs). The Sunset Strip, the mile-and-a-half stretch of Sunset Boulevard known for its cutting-edge rock clubs and night spots, is less than two miles away.
• Santa Monica Beach is a 20- to 30-minute drive.
• A few miles, or about a 10- to 15-minute drive, to the touristy strip of Hollywood Boulevard with the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the celebrity footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre
• Universal Studios Hollywood, a movie-themed amusement park, is about eight miles and a 20-minute drive.
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is 16 to 25 miles away (depending on the route), a half-hour's drive in light traffic. In heavy traffic, it can take more than twice as long.

The saltwater pool is an L.A. rarity.

For a small, reasonably priced boutique hotel, the hotel has a nice assortment of features, including a small pool and a pretty nice gym.

• The hotel's pool isn't huge, only about 12 by 20 feet with a maximum depth of four feet
• No pool attendant on call, but guests can order food and drinks from the restaurant via a courtesy phone on the pool deck. Just remember that it's an Italian restaurant, so don't expect tiki drinks.
• The small fitness center, open 24 hours, has a multipurpose strength-training machine, elliptical machine, treadmill, exercise bike, some medicine balls, and adjustable PowerBlock dumbbells.
• Cardio machines have individual cable TVs. Water and headphones are provided, and the gym has its own showers and two dry saunas.
• A masseuse is on call for in-room massages ($140 an hour) or massages in a single occupancy massage room ($125 an hour).

Small dogs are welcome.

Only standard rooms on the 2nd floor are open to pets. Animals are not allowed in public spaces, save for transit to and from the room, and they must be on a leash any time they're outside the room.

• Owners must agree to take responsibility for any damages or injuries caused by their pet.
• The hotel charges a $50-per-day nonrefundable fee.
• Pets left alone in rooms must be restrained in a carrier.