Where to Stay - Los Angeles 2010 - page 91

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renovated with extra-large bathr ooms, dark-wood platform beds with luxurious F rette
linens, and all the latest high-tech accessories. R ooms on the upper floors hav e skyline
views, while the individually decorated cabana rooms have a balcony or terrace overlook-
ing the O lympic-size pool (whose mural, b y the way, was originally painted b y David
Hockney). The hotel's main restaurant is Dakota (the porterhouse is superb), and there's
also a popular late-night 1950s-style burger bar called 25 Degrees. You'll like the location
as well: smack-dab in the touristy section of H ollywood Boulevard, across from Grau-
man's Chinese Theatre and along the Walk of Fame. It's also a playground for the young,
hot Hollywood set, with antics fr om the poolside Tropicana bar and ex clusive Teddy's
lounge getting as much press as Lindsay Lohan on a bender.
7000 Holly wood Blvd., Holly wood, CA 90028. & 800/950-7667 or 323/466-7000. F ax 323/462-8056.
www.hollywoodroosevelt.com. 300 units . $285-$360 double; fr om $425 suit e; fr om $300 poolside
cabana rooms. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet park ing $18. Amenities: 2 r estaurants; 3 bars; bab ysitting;
concierge; executive-level rooms; exercise room; Jacuzzi; Olympic-size outdoor pool; room service; spa.
In room: A/C, TV, CD player, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi ($10 per day).

INEXPENSIVE
Best Western Hollywood Hills Hotel Location is a big selling point for this
family-owned (since 1948) member of the r eliable Best Western chain: It's just off U.S.
101 (the H ollywood Fwy.); a M etro Line stop just 3 blocks away means easy , car-free
access to U niversal Studios; and the famed H ollywood and Vine intersection is just a
5-minute walk away . The entire hotel has been r ecently renovated in a contemporar y
style, and all the spiffy guest r ooms come with a r efrigerator, coffeemaker, microwave,
and wireless Internet. The rooms in the back building ar e my fav orites, as they sit w ell
back from busy Franklin Avenue, face the gleaming blue-tiled, heated outdoor pool, and
have an attractive view of the neighboring hillside. A major convenience is the 101 Hills
Coffee Shop located off the lower lobby.
6141 Franklin Ave. (btw. Vine and Gower sts.), Hollywood, CA 90028. & 800/287-1700 or 323/464-5181.
Fax [phone]. w ww.bestwestern.com/hollywoodhillshotel. 86 units . $129-$169 double . AE, DISC,
MC, V. Free covered parking. Small pets accepted with $25-per-night fee. Amenities: Coffee shop; heated
outdoor pool; access to nearby health club. In room: A/C, TV, fridge, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).

5

Days Inn Holly wood While it's east of the prime S unset Strip action, this r enovated
motel is safe and convenient, and extras like free underground parking and continental break-
fast make it an especially good value. Doubles are large enough for families. Some rooms have
microwaves, fridges, and coffeemakers; if y ours doesn't have a hair dr yer or an ir on, they're
available at the front desk. For maximum bang for your buck, ask for a room overlooking the
pool. Ask about AAA, AARP, and other discounted rates (as lo w as $95 at press time).
7023 Sunset Blv d. (btw. Highland and La Br ea aves.), Hollywood, CA 90028. & 800/329-7466 or 323/
464-8344. Fax [phone]. w ww.daysinn.com. 72 units . $130-$180 double; $145-$220 Jacuzzi suit e.
Rates include continental breakfast. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Free secured parking. Amenities: Heated out-
door pool. In room: A/C, TV, Wi-Fi (free).

Magic Castle Hotel Kids Value Located a stone 's thr ow fr om H ollywood
Boulevard's attractions, this garden-style hotel/motel at the base of the H ollywood Hills
offers L.A.'s best cheap sleeps and is ideal for wallet-watching families or long-term stays.
You won't see the Magic Castle Hotel in Travel + Leisure anytime soon, but the units are
spacious, comfortable, and w ell kept. N amed for the M agic Castle, the illusionist club
just uphill, the hotel was once an apar tment building; it still feels priv ate and insulated
from Franklin Avenue's constant stream of traffic. The units are situated around a central