Funky stay on offer at Hollywood hotel
WHEN AccorHotels, the Frenchbased hotel group, planned the first American outpost of its trendy Mama Shelter brand, it chose Los Angeles and a vacant property that was built in 1926 as a hotel. Formerly the Hotel Wilcox, it was popular with the entertainment industry, owing to its prime Hollywood location. At some point in the 1970s, the Church of Scientology used the space. Fast forward to July 2015, and the Mama Shelter Los Angeles opened to a new generation of travellers.
Walking into a lobby with a chalkboard ceiling, I was immediately struck by the large foosball table, the rapper DMX’s early-2000s hit Party Up (Up in Here) playing in the background and Mad magazines scattered on tables. This eccentric boutique hotel really wants you to have fun. The open-layout bar, lobby and restaurant fused effortlessly.
This 70-room hotel is on Selma Avenue in Hollywood, almost equidistant from Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard. The Walk of Fame, the TCL Chinese Theater (formerly Grauman’s Chinese Theater) and the iconic Capitol Records building are only blocks away. The immediate area around Mama Shelter is served by Metro Rail stations. I drove from Los Angeles International Airport and used a nearby self-parking lot, which was less expensive than the hotel’s valet service.
My airy third-floor Medium Mama room had a view of the Hollywood sign and a comfortable king bed. Every room has a 27-inch iMac computer, which doubles as a television. To browse the internet, keyboards are available by request. In a hat tip to the film industry, each room comes with a copy of a movie script. (My room had the script to Swingers, the 1996 film written by Jon Favreau.) A small, empty minifridge, a far cry from the overpriced minibars at most hotels, was tucked under the work table in my room. Instead of a closet, there was a clothing rack with a handful of hangers. I heard live music from a bar down the street well into the morning, but I didn’t mind (the bar has since closed).
A glass-enclosed shower with white tiles and a rectangular wall-mounted sink lent a contemporary feeling. The hotel provided organic Absolutionbrand soap, shampoo and face cream.
The rooftop bar features amazing views of the Hollywood landscape, along with much of the city. The space also doubles as a restaurant and yoga studio. The rooftop menu includes entrees like the 8-ounce Le Royale wagyu burger ($18) and grilled salmon ($26). The bar on the first floor was festive and inviting. Among the many cocktails was the How I Met Your Mother, made with vodka, Aperol, grapes, lemon juice, mint and beer ($12). Wi-fi is free. As a fan of Monopoly, I was pleased to see a table with an engraved Los Angeles version of the game.
The hotel restaurant, with stucco walls and Spanish tile flooring, has a communal feeling with long tables and colourful blankets on the seats. An in-house coffee shop opens at 7am, and a happy hour is held at the bar from 3pm to 9pm on Sunday and Monday and 3pm to 7pm Tuesday through Saturday. At Sunday brunch, I had the French toast, with strawberries and bananas ($12) and a side of maple glazed bacon ($4).
For a nontraditional Los Angeles hotel, you really can’t go wrong with Mama Shelter. The friendly staff was a huge plus, as its infectious enthusiasm set a welcoming tone throughout the property. Rates from $149.