Almost Beverly Hills
Written: Dec 18 '05 (Updated Dec 18 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Reasonably priced for the area, and with some character.
Cons: Dressed up chain hotel, and a tad noisy.
The Bottom Line: IF you have a car, this is a reasonable choice in the Century City/Beverly Hills area.
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| ulysses4's Full Review: Loews Beverly Hills Hotel |
Loews is an interesting chain. Each hotel is different. Some our more luxurious than others. In the elevators at this hotel is an advert that suggests that a reader's poll found them to be the best "upper upper luxury hotel chain". Not really. Still, they can be a good value in the near luxury category.
Certain addresses have cachet. Beverly Hills brings visions of upscale shopping, fancy homes, Hollywood style. This hotel is on the fringes of that fancy venue, enough to charge $28/day for valet parking (only choice). The reality of Pico Boulevard is much more plebeian, with a Ralph's Grocery store, some fast food places and an Office Depot around the corner. Also, a considerable amount of noise, even from my 11th story room.
Still, this is a convenient location if you have business in the Century City area, and don't want to stay at a mega convention hotel, a super expensive one, or some of the tired motels to the west.
ARRIVAL
An eleven P.M. arrival on a weekday night took the parking attendants a little by surprise. They regained their composure, and I entered a cozy lobby which I would describe as California European. While the immediate reception desk area is a little cramped, The main sitting area has that Metropolitan Home/Bloomingdale look. Warm gold toned walls, fireplace. Lots of sofas, lamps, greenery. A covered outdoor patio extends the lounging area, but not when it is 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
The front desk was efficient, and within a two minutes I was heading vertically toward my room. Music piped into the elevators established a mellow vibe.
ROOM WITH A VIEW
The hallways were clean, well lit, and rather generic.
This hotel likely started as part of some other chain. The twelve story narrow rectangular footprint looks pretty routine as you approach it. One nice feature, though, are small balconies for every room. With a couple of chairs and a small table, you might sit outside and facing East in the direction of Pico, see mostly overpriced residential properties heading to the horizon.
My room was quite spacious, L shaped, and followed the ersatz European theme. Floral curtains, tan patterned carpet, a huge bed, with a quality bedspread, pillows and linens and somewhat oversized furniture on the periphery. There were plenty of lamps, two small tables bracketing the bed and generic art work on the walls. A separate work area-desk, internet connections,phone, reading lamp at the short end of the "L" was ideal for the business aspects of my trip.
With a three hour time deficit, I headed straight for the horizontal. The bed was some high end foam mattress structure. It was like sleeping on a concrete pad with play dough on top. Not unpleasant, but strange if you are not used to it.
A large TV and minibar were within a massive credenza which remained closed during most of my stay.
The bathroom had some luxury touches: granite counter top, extra-thick towels. Reasonable lighting. Upscale sundries. Magnifying mirror. Hair dryer. Telephone in the bathroom. A fairly ordinary shower/bath combination.
Closet space was quite ample. Complimentary bath robes. Plenty of wooden hangars and skirt hangars. Iron and ironing board.
DINING IN
I had two breakfasts and a lunch at the hotel's Lot 1224 Restaurant. With stone floors, rattan chairs, blue-black tables, red stained wooden walls and a terrace for better weather, the ambiance was soothing, and the service, although a little harried, friendly. The meals were better than average for a transient hotel, but not a destination restaurant. Juice and coffee were first rate. Pastries ho-hum. The to order breakfast, in my case an omelet, was tasty, but seemed lonesome on a large plate garnished with a few slices of potato. The complimentary continental breakfast the next day was not particularly satisfying.
Flat breads and Indian crackers at lunch were more interesting, as was an Ahi Tuna sandwich with a piquant oriental sauce.
HOTEL AMENITIES
The hotel has a pool, work out area, and a somewhat bland VIP concierge lounge (think Marriott with slightly better furniture). Complimentary Wall Street Journals and USA Today were at the door each morning.
DEPARTURE
I advised the front desk that I needed to leave before 5 AM. They said the bill would be under the door around 3:30 AM. The valet parking people said they would move my rental car to the front and leave the key at the desk.
In the morning, there was no sign of the bill. A sleepy parking lot attendant brought the wrong car up to the driveway, and we then spent ten minutes looking for the right one. Despite that annoyance, I was generally pleased with the price value ratio and my overall stay. The staff was courteous and not pretentious. At a $179. corporate rate, I felt this was a fair value for the neighborhood.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ulysses4
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 in Hotels & Travel |
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Member: Alan R. Fridkin
Location: Westfield, MA USA
Reviews written: 236
Trusted by: 21 members
About Me:
Mediator;attorney;retired Navy Captain;avid traveler;bon vivant.
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