Pros

  • Historic boutique hotel once home to such stars as Marilyn Monroe and James Dean
  • Convenient (yet quiet) walkable location in the heart of Hollywood, near many attractions
  • Clean rooms with comfy memory foam mattresses, mini-fridges, and flat-screen TVs
  • Highly personalized bed-and-breakfast style service
  • Laundry room on-site
  • Free continental breakfast served in the lobby
  • Free Wi-Fi
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Cons

  • Rooms are very small with basic decor
  • Breakfast room/lobby area can get crowded in the morning
  • Microwave is located in the laundry room (not in individual hotel rooms)
  • Nighttime noise is a problem for some guests
  • No elevator
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Bottom Line

Located off a quiet back street amid some of Hollywood's most congested areas, the 33-room Hotel Hollywood began taking reservations in 1927. Since opening its doors, the hotel has had its fair share of famous guests and residents, including Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Henry James, and Orson Wells. All the tiny rooms come with memory foam mattresses, microwaves, mini-fridges, and flat-screen TVs, and a free breakfast is included in the low rates. This hotel is a deal for tourists looking for an intimate, personalized experience without the bells and whistles of a resort or luxury hotel because -- with no full restaurant, gym, or pool -- there really are none. Owned and operated by an apartment rental service, the hotel also does short-term rentals, so a mix of semi-permanent residents and tourists is likely.

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Oyster Hotel Review

The Hotel Hollywood

Scene

A standard motel-hotel with an old school vibe and personalized service

Perhaps engrained from its early days as a short- and long-term hotel, the Hotel Hollywood still retains that standard, traditional small hotel vibe and personalized service. This is quite a feat considering the hotel was bought in 2005 by a local apartment rental company. Currently, it is run as a hotel and short-term residence and features friendly staff who are on a reciprocal first-name basis relationship with guests. Although the hotel is just one block from the famous Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard and walking distance from other iconic sights and landmarks, the hotel is off a quiet side street with low traffic. At first glance, the area may seem a bit sketchy, but that's Hollywood. The area is safe, although guests should always exercise caution when traveling. The hotel itself doesn't have much common space save a few high tops in the breakfast room, which doubles as the lobby. Hotel decoration is minimal but oddly doesn't feel too lacking. Pale yellow walls, natural wood trim, and occasional framed black-and- white photos of James Dean and Marilyn Monroe (whose old rooms are available for rent) constitute the predominate decor. Whether its the hotel's history, small size, or bed and breakfast style service, the vibe feels much more residential than hotel -- a place to rest one's head from days gone past.

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Location

Quiet and walkable location off a side street in the heart of tourist Hollywood

Within easy walking distance from myriad tourist sites and iconic landmarks, the Hotel Hollywood is in an ideal spot for exploring on foot. Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame is only a block from the hotel, and the famed Chinese Theater, El Capitan (where they film "Jimmy Kimmel Live"), Dolby Theater, and shopping mecca Hollywood and Highland are less than a quarter mile away. The hotel is also convenient to Universal Studios, The Grove and Farmers' Market, and CBS Studios (where "The Price is Right" is filmed) are all within a 10-minute drive from the hotel. Shops, restaurants, bars, and movie theaters are within a 15-minute walk, and just three blocks away, guests can hop on the metro at the Hollywood and Vine red line stop to head downtown or toward the Valley.

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Rooms

Slightly small and basic (but clean) contemporary rooms with satellite channels and mini-fridges

Rooms at the Hotel Hollywood are basic but clean and contemporary. Guests who request the Marilyn Monroe or James Dean rooms (306 and 102, respectively) may be disappointed to find out that there is nothing special about the rooms except for the fact that someone famous once stayed in them. By far, the rooms' best feature is the super comfy memory foam mattress beds complete with fluffy pillows. Rooms on the whole are fairly small, made even more snug by the addition of sitting furniture and dedicated kitchenette spaces for the mini-fridge. Carpets are style-less and industrial, while hanging ornate mirrors add a little pizazz to the modern but slightly dated bathrooms. Some rooms have flat-screen TVs, while others have high-mounted archaic sets, but all have self-controlled air-conditioning units.

See More Rooms

Features

Minimal features; free continental breakfast and laundry room

The Hotel Hollywood isn't one for amenities. The hotel's best feature is the hotel's free continental breakfast. Served as a spread in the lobby turned breakfast room, guests can fill up on coffee, bagels, cereal, fruit and toast -- and grab a few granola bars for the road. Other than this, social interaction is minimal as the only other public areas are a slim side smoking alley, a four-machine laundry room (also where the microwave advertised as "in-room" can be found), and a two-computer business center area. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel, and the front desk is happy to arrange hop-on hop-off tours or give local recommendations toward the best food, bars, shops, and sights. Off-site parking -- which in this popular area of L.A. is always hard to find -- is available for a fee and is located about a block away.

See More Features

Oyster Hotel Review

The Hotel Hollywood

Scene

A standard motel-hotel with an old school vibe and personalized service

Perhaps engrained from its early days as a short- and long-term hotel, the Hotel Hollywood still retains that standard, traditional small hotel vibe and personalized service. This is quite a feat considering the hotel was bought in 2005 by a local apartment rental company. Currently, it is run as a hotel and short-term residence and features friendly staff who are on a reciprocal first-name basis relationship with guests. Although the hotel is just one block from the famous Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard and walking distance from other iconic sights and landmarks, the hotel is off a quiet side street with low traffic. At first glance, the area may seem a bit sketchy, but that's Hollywood. The area is safe, although guests should always exercise caution when traveling. The hotel itself doesn't have much common space save a few high tops in the breakfast room, which doubles as the lobby. Hotel decoration is minimal but oddly doesn't feel too lacking. Pale yellow walls, natural wood trim, and occasional framed black-and- white photos of James Dean and Marilyn Monroe (whose old rooms are available for rent) constitute the predominate decor. Whether its the hotel's history, small size, or bed and breakfast style service, the vibe feels much more residential than hotel -- a place to rest one's head from days gone past.

See More Scene

Location

Quiet and walkable location off a side street in the heart of tourist Hollywood

Within easy walking distance from myriad tourist sites and iconic landmarks, the Hotel Hollywood is in an ideal spot for exploring on foot. Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame is only a block from the hotel, and the famed Chinese Theater, El Capitan (where they film "Jimmy Kimmel Live"), Dolby Theater, and shopping mecca Hollywood and Highland are less than a quarter mile away. The hotel is also convenient to Universal Studios, The Grove and Farmers' Market, and CBS Studios (where "The Price is Right" is filmed) are all within a 10-minute drive from the hotel. Shops, restaurants, bars, and movie theaters are within a 15-minute walk, and just three blocks away, guests can hop on the metro at the Hollywood and Vine red line stop to head downtown or toward the Valley.

See More Location

Rooms

Slightly small and basic (but clean) contemporary rooms with satellite channels and mini-fridges

Rooms at the Hotel Hollywood are basic but clean and contemporary. Guests who request the Marilyn Monroe or James Dean rooms (306 and 102, respectively) may be disappointed to find out that there is nothing special about the rooms except for the fact that someone famous once stayed in them. By far, the rooms' best feature is the super comfy memory foam mattress beds complete with fluffy pillows. Rooms on the whole are fairly small, made even more snug by the addition of sitting furniture and dedicated kitchenette spaces for the mini-fridge. Carpets are style-less and industrial, while hanging ornate mirrors add a little pizazz to the modern but slightly dated bathrooms. Some rooms have flat-screen TVs, while others have high-mounted archaic sets, but all have self-controlled air-conditioning units.

See More Rooms

Features

Minimal features; free continental breakfast and laundry room

The Hotel Hollywood isn't one for amenities. The hotel's best feature is the hotel's free continental breakfast. Served as a spread in the lobby turned breakfast room, guests can fill up on coffee, bagels, cereal, fruit and toast -- and grab a few granola bars for the road. Other than this, social interaction is minimal as the only other public areas are a slim side smoking alley, a four-machine laundry room (also where the microwave advertised as "in-room" can be found), and a two-computer business center area. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel, and the front desk is happy to arrange hop-on hop-off tours or give local recommendations toward the best food, bars, shops, and sights. Off-site parking -- which in this popular area of L.A. is always hard to find -- is available for a fee and is located about a block away.

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Air Conditioner

  • Basic Television

  • Business Center

  • Concierge

  • Cribs

  • Internet

  • Kids Allowed

  • Laundry

  • Meeting / Conference Rooms

  • Poolside Drink Service

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.