The Standard, Hollywood

When hotelier Andre Balazs opened this first Standard back in 1999, he tried to do for boutique hotels what Ikea did for furniture: offer style on a budget. Targeted at the fashion-conscious but cash-strapped, this hotel offers a lot for a little: a hiply designed lobby and rooms that cheekily mix vintage décor from the '50s, '60s, and '70s; an affordable restaurant that stays open 24 hours for 2 a.m. post-clubbing meals; a convenient location (the nightlife-centric Sunset Strip); and DJs spinning in the lobby and at the hotel's cheekily-named mmhmmm lounge.

Ten years later, the Standard Hollywood still holds up -- for the most part. The rooms with their silver beanbag chairs and Warhol flower-print curtains have remained fresh with new linens. Bathrooms, renovated in 2012, are especially wonderful with gorgeous rain showers. The concierge/front desk receptionist can suggest French music festivals and hip hop nights in the same sentence, and any toiletries you're missing can be delivered up to your room, free of charge.

It’s hard to lodge at a stylish place on the Strip that offers this much (a pool, nightlife, cheap and good 24-hour dining) for this low a price -- and affordable style remains the Standard’s primary sell. While the nearby Mondrian and London West Hollywood (with equally choice Strip or just-off-the-Strip locations) have more richly furnished rooms and on-site fitness centers, they usually go for a bit more. If affordable, hip, and on the Strip are your key wishes, welcome to the Standard Hollywood.

Located at Sunset and Sweetzer Avenue, the Standard sits on the famous Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, the edgier section of tourist friendly Hollywood. The Sunset Strip, which has long been known for clubs like the House of Blues, the Roxy, Viper Room, and Whisky a Go-Go, has gotten significantly more upscale than its strip-club-and-head-shop days in the '70s and '80s. While its days of infamy are long gone, it's still home to some fun bars and restaurants, most with outdoor seating.

In the eastern part of Sunset Strip, the Standard is just a few-block walk from the House of Blues and the Saddle Ranch restaurant (famous for its mechanical bull), as well as the Mondrian and the Sunset Towers hotels. The Whiskey, Roxy, and Viper Room are a little farther west -- walkable, but you still might want to drive the two minutes to avoid the Sunset traffic whizzing by.

• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is a half-hour drive (but up to one and a half hours in traffic)
• The heart of the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Grauman's Theater is about a five-minute drive
• Universal Studios, about a 20-minute drive
• Santa Monica beach, 25- to 40-minutes away
• Luxury boutiques of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills are 10- to 15-minutes away

The blue rooms are furnished in a '50s-meets-'60s style, with silver Austin Powers-like beanbag chairs and Warhol flower-print curtains. They're fun, but stark white walls are a little drab. Bathrooms have showers, though orange tiling and orange countertops in some of the rooms are dated. 

• Guest rooms run from 295 square feet to 500 square feet; the suite is 615 square feet
• Rooms vary mostly by size and view, with the cheapest rooms facing Sunset Boulevard, and the pricier and quieter ones facing south, with a view of the pool or the city
• Large king-size platform bed in most rooms (except the Double and Large rooms, with two doubles), topped with Egyptian cotton sheets
• Most rooms have balconies
• Excellent, all-natural Kiss My Face toiletries, the same as at other Standards: sage-scented shower gel, cardamom-scented shampoo and conditioner, honey-scented lotion. Basic cotton towels and polyester/cotton blend waffle robe.
• The 32-inch LG flat-screen offers 47 cable channels, including free HBO. Pay-per-movies and just-missed TV episodes available for rent. DVD players can be borrowed from the front desk, as can iPads.
• Standard hotels have some of the best minibars, with plenty of liquor, wine, snacks, and other goodies.

The Standard lacks a business and fitness center, as well as a spa. Guests, mainly singles or couples without children in tow, don't seem to mind this, focusing their attention on the party-hearty atmosphere of The Standard. The pool (see more below) offers a fun atmosphere with wait service until midnight, while the nightclub (cheekily named mmhmmm) keeps guests busy into the wee hours.

• No business or fitness center (guests must walk two blocks to the nearest Crunch, which they can use for a daily fee)
• There's no spa, but in-room massages are available
• Free Wi-Fi throughout hotel

The hotel's outdoor pool with its hard-to-miss, bright blue Astroturf deck remains a huge draw for both guests and private events. It helps that the poolside wait service runs until midnight, turning the deck into a popular evening as well as daytime hangout.

• Open throughout the day and into the evening
• Poolside food and drink service available till midnight
• Lounge chairs with free towels
• Free pingpong table, paddles, and telescopes for spying on the city
• No lifeguard

Dogs weighing less than 25 pounds are welcome. There's no fee, but the hotel doesn't provide any dog bowls, food, or other pet amenities.

Although occasionally you will find hip moms playing with their kids on the Astroturf pool deck, the Standard Hollywood feels more like a party hotel than a pit stop on the family vacation. Still, if families don't mind the noise of the Strip or DJs spinning music in the lobby at night, they should enjoy the hotel's cheap kid-friendly food, pool with a pingpong table, and affordable rooms spacious enough to fit cribs and cots with ease. For a considerably more family-friendly atmosphere, try the Magic Castle in Hollywood or the Loews downtown.

• No separate kids' menu, but kid-friendly cuisine at reasonable prices: mac and cheese, mini cheeseburgers, pizzas
• No lifeguard at pool
• Families should consider the 340-square-foot Large room, which has two double beds, or the 500-square-foot X-Large room with a futon (sleeps three instead of the usual two); Skip the low-end Budget and Sunset rooms, both of which face the loud Strip
• Rollaways charged per night; cribs free

At the Standard Hollywood, guests eat for cheap with affordable entrees and cheap snacks like macaroni and cheese, guacamole, and fries. It may not be fine dining, but the casual American-style fare is available 'round the clock at the Standard's 24-hour, diner-style restaurant, or through room service. Even poolside food service runs until midnight.

• Same menu at 24/7 restaurant, Cactus Lounge, or poolside
• Casual American-style cuisine with some Mexican and Pan-Asian dishes. Appetizers include shrimp cocktail, sliders, sushi; salads; pizza; sandwiches and burgers; entrees include fish tacos, pasta, omelets.
• Extensive cocktail menu available not only at restaurant and pool, but also room service: specialty cocktails, Bloody Marys, mojitos, and margaritas
• 24-hour room service charges: 18 percent gratuity and delivery fee