Beverly Hills often conjures up visions of obscene luxury and extravagance. I know I always think of Julia Roberts shopping on Rodeo Drive in Pretty Woman. Yet Marriott's Residence Inn in Beverly Hills offers a very reasonably priced home base for tourists and business travelers visiting West Los Angeles.

I recently returned from a one night stay at the hotel and found myself impressed by the service and the amenities offered.

The Location
We came in straight from LAX, 8 miles away, so it was about a 30 minute drive on a weekday afternoon. Fortunately, our rental car GPS took us on local streets and it was an easy drive. Our business was all in the West LA area, so this was a great location for us close enough to the freeway to get to other parts of the city but also located right by some major local thoroughfares like Wilshire Blvd.

We did not spend time in Beverly Hills itself, but my colleague took a 1 hour walk the next morning and said she was able to walk by some great sights. The hotel itself is located on South Beverly Drive (between Pico and Olympic) minutes from the Beverly Center shopping center, Rodeo Drive, etc.

The Room
When I first walked in, I noted that the room was larger than I expected for a typical hotel room, given the kitchen and sitting area. It was all very clean and relatively new furnishings. Upon second glance, I realized it was laid out fairly efficiently, as they managed to squeeze a lot of function out of limited space.

I had never stayed in a Residence Inn before, so I was not sure what to expect when I read that there are suites with a full kitchen. My room had a two burner electric stove, a full-size refrigerator with top mounted freezer (as opposed to a mini fridge), a sink with a garbage disposal, and a microwave. There was also a standard coffee machine (which has become ubiquitous in most hotels in this class).

I did not cook, since I was only at the hotel one evening for a quick business trip. Yet I enjoyed the free bag of microwave popcorn to tide me over until the evening reception.

The king sized bed was comfortable and firm, without any lumps or sagging. It had nice linens, a down comforter, and 6 pillows. The bathroom was modestly sized, but had a sink outside of the toilet/bathtub room so that was a nice touch. Toiletries were minimal (shampoo, conditioner and soap) but adequate.

The HUGE LG 32" flat screen TV swiveled so one can watch from the comfort of bed or from the soft (which is advertised as opening up into a sofa bed but I didn't use it). There was also a nice semi-circle writing desk adjacent to the kitchen with free wireless internet access and a DSL modem for direct wired access. This was a really nice touch, especially for any guests staying for extended visits. I didn't bring my laptop on this short trip so I didn't get to use it.

Other Amenities
I was pleasantly surprised by the free hot breakfast which included your standard selection of bagels, bread, muffins, and cereal but also had scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage, made-to-order omelettes (but with only 5 ingredients or so: ham, cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions) and self-serve/make-it-yourself waffles.

There was also an evening "cocktail" hour which was much less impressive. The night we were there was advertised as "Soup and Salad Night" and included a bottle of red wine, a bottle of white wine, soda from the soda machine, a bowl of potato chips, some barely warm churros dusted in sugar, a very simple green salad, and 2 kinds of soup. I had a glass of white wine, a churro (which I took one bite of and then tossed) and some chips.

I also noted in the information in my room that the hotel staff will pick groceries for you without any fees. You drop off a list and they'll just charge the groceries to your hotel room after delivering it to you by the evening. How great is that?

I did not go searching for the spa or fitness center, but the hotel's website lists its services. It sounds a little spartan from the site description.

Finally, there are two computer workstations right in the lobby in front of the elevator with free access to the Internet and to print documents (like airline boarding passes). There was almost always someone on the computer, except for at 6:30 am when I went down for the breakfast.

Final Thoughts
We paid $229 a night for a weeknight in June. There was also a $22/night fee for the valet parking (which appeared to be mandatory as there was no sign indicating where else we could park). Both these rates are consistent with Los Angeles business hotels and quite fair given the amenities offered. I love it when hotels don't nickel and dime guests.

I talked with another guest while we were waiting for our waffles to cook, and she and her husband were staying at the hotel because her daughter was graduating from UCLA. I think this hotel is very family-friendly and convenient for those looking to take advantage of its West LA location close to tourist spots, universities, and shopping.

I would definitely stay here again if I needed a reasonably priced business hotel on the West Side. I think it offered a little more than I needed, but it was a pleasant stay and convenient to where I needed to be.

Recommended: Yes