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Hotel Review: Andaz West Hollywood

Ah, Los Angeles - a city that has certainly become dear to my heart. You may have realised by now that I tend to visit La La Land a couple of times a year. On my most recent trip I opted to stay at the Andaz West Hollywood - a place I've passed by many times, and certainly heard quite a bit about.

Nestled along the famous Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles; the hip and modern 239-room hotel is situated beside the Comedy Store and just across the street from the House of Blues; in the heart of West Hollywood - a district full of character to say the least. If you didn't know, Andaz, a Hindi word which means personal style; is a brand by Hyatt - and offers the levels of service you'd expect from a global hotelier, along with the individuality of a boutique hotel where locals and those from afar mix and mingle.

Features

Keeping with that "personal style", the Andaz West Hollywood know what the modern discerning traveller (like me) want from a hotel, including complimentary wifi throughout and coffee in the morning and a wine reception on select evenings. In the rooms, you'll find all local telephone calls are covered; a complimentary non-alcoholic minibar that's restocked each day. Yes, you did read that last part correctly. I even didn't believe it at first.

The hotel itself also features a rooftop pool area with comfy sun-loungers, a 24-hour fitness centre, limited spa services and a market-to-table approach to cuisine as the Riot House restaurant; which was open daily from 06:30 - 14:00, and the bar from 17:00 until late.

Checking In

I didn't arrive at the hotel until quite late in the evening after a long-flight from London; and the last thing I wanted to do was have to stand around to check-in. To my surprise the Andaz doesn't have a front-desk as such, but one of the hosts was checking me in from a little podium and chatting away as though we had known each other for a long time. Personalised service with a complimentary welcome drink. I loved it.

My Room

The room situation was also very impressive. Clean, simple and spacious spring to mind. Depending which side of the hotel you are, you'll experience floor-to-ceiling views of Downtown LA and the bustling Sunset Strip towards the Hollywood Hills. Mine? A 342 sq. ft. View King that overlooked the strip.

I've stayed in quite a few hotels over the past few years; and it is so nice to find a load of charging outlets in places where you'd expect, and decent lighting too. The bathroom was also of a good size and featured a lovely power shower. As for the complimentary non-alcoholic minibar, this was certainly a great touch. Restocked once a day, you'll find a can of regular coke, diet coke and sprite, along with a couple of bottles of water in the refrigerator. On a tray, you'll find a granola bar, single-serve bag of popped chips and a bag of nuts and raisins to munch on. More than enough I think.

Relaxation.

Located on the Penthouse Level; the Sundeck Pool and Bar area was certainly the perfect place to relax and unwind whilst catching some rays; especially when temperatures were above 90F during my stay in late October.

For all the fitness fanatics, you'll be pleased to know there is a moderately sized 24-hour fitness centre located on the mezzanine level.

Food and Drink

Being on the Sunset Strip, you are never more than a moments walk from a variety of restaurants, bars and entertainment venues; including The Comedy Store, Saddle Ranch and Chop House, Mel's Drive In and so much more.

That being said, the Andaz West Hollywood features the RH Restaurant and Bar. RH, standing for Riot House - is a cool, contemporary and modern restaurant serving up farm-to-table cuisine for what I would say is standard hotel prices. Room service is also available from early in the morning until 10pm at night.

Getting Around

Los Angeles is really like a very large slice of American Pie, with so much going on.
Sunset Boulevard is packed full of bars, restaurants and clubs which are close (if you actually wanted to walk); but if you want to explore anywhere else, I'd recommend that you hire a car, or request a Uber.

Uber in Los Angeles is fantastic and will get you from A to B for an affordable price. Sure, there are certain times where you'll pay a little more as demand is high - but otherwise you could get from the Andaz to Santa Monica for about $20.

The Verdict

Overall, the Andaz West Hollywood is a really nice modern hotel with certain aspects that impressed me; such as the free wifi and complimentary non-alcoholic minibar. The few times I actually spoke to an Andaz Host; I received a good level of service, and the cost of room service was typically as one would expect.

I'd give my stay a 8 / 10.

The Andaz concept by Hyatt is fantastic and I really do like it. I wish other hotel chains would follow suit and create something similar.

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