DESERT to the CITY
This boutique hotel, located between LA’s Sunset and Hollywood boulevards, offers a hip city escape at a manageable price.
The place
Tommie Hollywood is part of the JdV collection by Hyatt and is in Selma Ave. Nightlife and quintessential Los Angeles sights are within walking or Uber distance.
The space
You enter through huge carved wooden doors leading into a large, inviting lobby space with a (fake) fire, plenty of breakout seating, an all-day cafe and workspaces with charging ports. The space is retro cool with a modern twist.
The room
One of the hotel’s 212 rooms – a stylish king room on the third floor with a view of the cute UPS car park across the road.
At 18 square metres, it was snug, but quite cleverly designed, with two drawers built into the end of the bed base, one of which had the safe, and plenty of charging ports. Suitcases go under the bed but there’s nowhere really to put your clothes, and the bathroom is small too.
The room had no fridge or coffee machine. The hotel is pet-friendly and there are accessible rooms available.
The amenities
The rooftop pool is part of the Desert 5 Spot and inspired by Pioneertown, a cool Western-themed town near Joshua Tree National Park that’s home to the famous Pappy + Harriet’s bar. There are great views of the city and this is a cool place to hang out. There’s also a 24-hour fitness centre.
The food
You can grab food from Tommie Cafe in the lobby and order food in a basket at Desert 5 Spot, but do book into signature restaurant Ka’teen, a Mexican-inspired outdoor eatery.
Worth stepping out for
Hollywood Walk of Fame, Dolby Theatre and TCL Chinese Theatre are a few blocks away. The Hollywood Bowl is 3km away.
The highlight
The location, slick design and price point ,make this an appealing option for this part of LA – and Ka’teen was excellent.
The lowlight
If you’re not at the club, you won’t miss out – even with earplugs in, you’ll still hear pounding bass from the one nearby until 3am on weekends.
The verdict
Stay here to play, make friends and enjoy the decor and location. Give it a miss if you’re someone who loves to spend time in their room and prefers peace and quiet.
The writer was hosted by Tommie Hollywood and Discover Los Angeles.