We spent three nights here on a recent trip to LA. This hotel is ideally located for sightseeing. It's walking distance to Kodak Theater, Grauman's Chinese Theater, Walk of Fame. The hotel was brand new and very nicely decorated. Our room was clean, spacious and very comfortable. Every member of the staff we interacted with was friendly and very helpful. We liked having the convenience of the business center so we could check our emails. The complimentary breakfast was adequate, though lacking in fresh fruit options. Overall, a very positive experience. We would definitely stay here again.

I was travelling with a friend and we stayed at this hotel during a recent trip to the LA. We found it quite a pleasant stay, though there were a few small issues.

The hotel is conveniently located near Hollywood Blvd, the Kodak Theater and Grauman's Chinese theater. Universal Studios is also within easy travelling distance by public transport or taxi. There is also a small group of shops across the street (the pizza place is great!)

Upon arrival (on a Friday afternoon) we were unable to check in as we had arrived several hours early. They were happy to look after our luggage while we went and explored the area. We came back a little before check in time (3pm) and sat in the lobby for a while until a room became available. While we were there, some kind of building inspector arrived and from what I could gather, needed to ensure that the hotel was within regulation (something about ceiling height).
By the time 3pm came around a room was available and checking in was a breeze.

We were allocated a room on the 6th floor but be aware that the elevators only go up to the 5th floor, at which time you need to go around to another set of lifts to get to the higher floors. Unfortunately, the second set of lifts were not working at the time so we went back down to reception and they had to open up the staircase to we could get our suitcases to our room. The elevators were fixed by the time we decided to go back downstairs (about an hour later).

The room itself was really nice, clean, modern and comfortable. The complimentary wireless internet service was good, though it did slow and drop out from time to time but comparatively speaking it was better than the last hotel we stayed at.

A buffet breakfast was included with our stay and it was delicious! But you have to get up relatively early - breakfast closes at 9 so if you sleep in you'll miss out.

During my stay in LA I lost my credit card, so I immediately cancelled it thinking that the hotel had already charged it. I booked the room through the Holiday Inn Express official website www.hiexpress.com and upon booking it says specifically:
"Reservations require full payment for the entire stay at the time of booking. Fully non refundable. Prepayment is charged to credit card between time of booking and day of arrival and is non refundable."
As my card was lost AFTER my day of arrival I assumed it had already been charged and I promptly cancelled it. Upon checking out, I found that this was not the case, despite the official website's statement (which was also repeated in the confirmation e-mail). We ended up paying for the stay in cash which significantly depleted our funds for casual spending.

Overall it was a good stay. The staff at the hotel were The hotel staff were polite and friendly at all times. Despite the issues we experienced I would possibly stay there again if I were travelling on the same budget, although if I had more money to spend on accomodation I might try the Renaissance Hotel down the street.

A good, solid, basic HI Express hotel right in the heart of Hollywood. I grew up in LA, but now live in a neighboring county. Had to get a room for a wedding in Hollywood and this property was available in what I knew was a relatively safe location and was at a reasonable price (direct from HI website).

Location: First off, Hollywood itself isn't a real nice place to stay - it's sketchy in several areas and not necessarily what many out-of-towners might picture. This hotel is on a main street, walking distance to Hollywood Blvd and in a safer part of Hollywood than many other hotels.

Room: Very clean, still had a 'newly built' smell and feel to it, which was nice. Bathroom was well-sized, lots of hot water and great pressure. Yes, the air conditioning unit is noticeably noisy - I got used to the sound and didn't hear it within minutes, but if you get bothered by this sort of thing it's something to note.

Breakfast: Nice, sunny room with plenty of well-stocked items. The service lady who managed the area did a great job of keeping it clean and prepped. We were able to find seating without issue.

Staff: Yeah, the check-in person was aloof (a young guy, obviously not viewing this as a big career break or anything), but every single other person we encountered was polite, helpful and smiling. (I especially want to note the cleaning crew, who took the time to acknowledge us with a pleasant and sincere 'hello' or 'good morning' each time we passed.)

Parking: $20 for in-out space, with $2 city tax = $22. I don't see the point in this. I think guests should get to park for free. But, it is LA and free parking isn't typical. Though, that'd be a nice touch.

Pluses: There's a little market across the street that was well-stocked, lots of wine, chips, etc. Very convenient. Hotel is near freeways, so central to getting around. Walkable to Hollywood Blvd, if that's important to you.

Minuses: Parking fee. But that's really about it.

One last note: If street noise will bother you, be sure to ask for a room toward the back. We didn't ask for it, but got #442 which was tucked in the back with a nice view of Hollywood Blvd's buildings. We couldn't hear the traffic. But the street the hotel is on is a *main* street, constantly busy - so consider this when checking in.

All in all, I'd stay here again easily and can recommend it to families with kids, tourists of any age or anyone looking for a place to stay when coming up for an event at the Bowl (which is literally walking distance from the hotel).

I spent 2 nights at this hotel with my wife and son during our USA holiday. From what I know most people stay in Hollywood, Santa Monica, or Anaheim area, and initially I had wanted to stay at the Holiday Inn next to Santa Monica Pier, but read from many reviews that it's noisy because it's next to a freeway. I got this hotel recommendation from answers.yahoo.com.

The best thing that this hotel is that it's refurnished/opened only around middle of this year, so everything is new. The reception is not big, but has a contemporary look. The front desk folks are helpful and friendly. I asked for a high-floor room, and got the 8th floor (the highest). The room is surprisingly big and has got a plasma TV. Breakfast is complimentary and is substantial - cereal, fresh milk, cinnamon rolls, toast, jam, butter, banana, coffee, team, juice, scrambled eggs, etc...great for preparing for an onslaught of LA in the morning ! Interent in room is both wireless (signal weak) and wired (sufficient bandwidth).

The hotel is located very centrally, taking about 10 min to walk to Hollywood Boulevard where all the action is. For about USD 150 per night, this is good value. Note that many US hotels charge separately for parking, and this is no different - I had to fork out $20 per night.

There's also a good grocery store, pizza place, and Subway just across the street. Further down towards Hollywood Boulevard is the high-class Renaissance Hotel, which costs probably twice as much.

On the downside....the pillows too small and flabby for my liking. Ironically the less flabby ones have the word "Firm" imprinted on them, while the more flabby ones show the word "Soft". Definitely not the best pillows I've experienced. Also, to reach the 8th floor, ones has to take an elevator to the 5th floor first, then change to another elevator. A slight hassle but no big deal.

All in all, a very nice hotel that is centrally located and reasonably priced. Will recommend to friends.