Hotel Review – Andaz West Hollywood
Andaz West Hollywood
Where
The Andaz West Hollywood is on Sunset Boulevard in the ever more trendy West Hollywood area. It is across the road from the Hard Rock Café and very close to The Comedy Store.
Back story
The hotel’s history dates back to 1963, when western legend Gene Autry decided to build the first high rise hotel on ‘The Strip’ and called it the Hotel Continental. Back then nightclubs began springing up – such as the Whisky A GoGo, the Troubador and The Roxy, and rock bands came to the city to find fame and fortune. In 1966 Jim Morrison lived here for a year but was kicked out for hanging off the balcony by his fingertips.
That set the tone for the future. Hyatt took it over in 1967 and from then on it was known as the ‘Riot Hyatt’ and the corridors were full of superstars such as the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. Keith Richards famously threw a television out his window. You can read about some of what they got up to in the compendium in your room.
Rooms and interiors
The hotel is vibrant and friendly from the moment you enter. The lobby is all high-tech pizzazz with check-in carried out on iPads – no long reservation counters here. There are 239 rooms and suites including a knock out penthouse, which features a dining space, a wet bar and wine fridge, a master bathroom with a marble rain shower and soaker tub, and a teak patio overlooking the Hollywood Hills.
In our View King room, we love the separate sitting area with a chaise lounge and loveseat sofa by the floor-to-ceiling windows. You can look straight out onto the billboards and busyness of The Strip and you can see all the way to the Pacific. The sitting room gives us that bit of space so that if someone is sleeping, the other can relax and enjoy the city view. The beds are really comfortable with Pacific Coast down blankets and crisp, white sheets. The furnishings are modern with bright art works giving splashes of colour. There is an iHome stereo with iPod docking system so we can play our own music, and we love the complimentary non-alcoholic drinks and snacks at the mini-bar, free drinks and snacks in the lobby and free Wi-Fi everywhere.
Every room has a meaningful quote on the window – ours says “You’re alive. Do something.”
Dining
The Andaz has an excellent restaurant – the Riot House – which is a sleek and sophisticated space that is perfect for romantic dinners or for catching up with friends. It has a farm-to-table philosophy featuring Southern California-inspired dishes and an extensive wine cellar.
There is also a bar, which offers signature cocktails and lighter options. There is another bar The Sundeck Bar – on the rooftop. We dine in the restaurant for breakfast and dinner, and thoroughly recommend it.
Features
The rooftop pool is the place to be at any time of day – but is sensational at sunset. The pool has cosy cabanas that you could easily spend several hours in, reading a book or just chilling out, with dips in the pool every so often. There is a spa and a 24-hour gym.
What I love
While it is a very hip place it is not so hip that we feel out of place. It is quite uplifting and as for the large orange plastic dog in our room – I love it. We visit Disneyland, Santa Monica and hike up to the Hollywood sign – all an easy drive from here.
Contact details
westhollywood.andaz.com
By Helen Hayes
