My wife and I enjoyed a staycation last month at the Andaz in West Hollywood. It’s a great Hyatt property in the heart of LA that I look forward to returning to.
Andaz West Hollywood Review
We live less than a half hour away from the hotel with normal traffic and headed over to the hotel at about 2:30pm after dropping off the kids at my parents house.
COVID-19 Precautions
I did not have to deal with the front desk the entire stay…check-in and check-out was completed over my mobile phone. When checking in, the app noted that I had been upgraded to an Andaz King Suite, which appeared to be a very large room.
We did walk through the lobby after dinner and found a sanitation station with wipes, masks, gloves, and sanitizer.
Conspicuous signs warned that masks had to be worn at all time within the premises and all the staff we did interact with carefully observed this (though not all the guests).
Use of the gym and pool are by appointment only. When using the gym, you gain access for 45 minutes only, but all to yourself.
The mini-bar in guest rooms is currently not stocked, but there was a self-serve selection (water bottles, orange juice, granola bars, pretzels only) downstairs near the check-in area.
We also received the following sheet:
Guest Room (King Suite)
Our room was located in 505, on the far corner of the fifth floor. I’d call the design of the room modern and minimalist, which worked fine for me, though it was a bit bare. The room was certainly clean, but the smell of the cleaning product used was quite strong (it almost smelled like they were trying to mask a room that the previous guest had smoked in). Nevertheless, my nose quickly got used to it and it was fine (none of the windows open in the room, so fresh air was not an option).
The bedroom was also spacious and included an extremely comfortable bed with great bedding…one of the main goals of spending a night without the kids (and not on a plane) was to sleep well, and we slept very well.
The bedroom had several things I appreciated, including:
- magnetic mobile phone charger on the alarm clock
- white noise machine
- air purifier
- earplugs
Thankfully (one of the blessings of the pandemic, I suppose) it wasn’t too loud at night and we had no trouble falling asleep.
I also liked the bathroom, which was cleverly designed to be split into two, with a toilet and sink divided off the shower/tub area by sliding door that locked. The bathroom had two doors, one from the living room and one from the bedroom. Toiletries were from Jonathan Adler.
I forgot my shaving cream and toothpaste, but texted the hotel front desk and some were sent up immediately and left on my door handle.
Bathrobes were still in the closet, which we used when we went up to the pool the next day.
Down the hall was an ice machine and a dispenser with filtered and still and sparkling water. We enjoyed the sparkling water very much and appreciated this benefit.
My favorite part of the room was the easy chairs overlooking Hollywood and in the distance, downtown LA. Next time I hope to wind up on a higher floor, but even the view from the fifth floor wasn’t bad.
view from the pool:
Happy Hour
Despite the pandemic, the hotel still offered a happy hour between 5:30PM and 6:30PM in the Riot House:
Breakfast at Riot House
There’s no coffee machines in the room, also ostensibly due to the pandemic, but the hotel has very good coffee available in the lobby. The coffee is from Vittoria, one of my favorite Australian companies. We started the day off with a cappuccino (for me) and an Americano (for my wife). Very, very good!
I was pleased to see that the Andaz did simply close down its restaurant like many hotels have, but offered to-go service throughout the day. Globalist members of the World of Hyatt program still receive complimentary breakfast for up to two adults and two children registered in the room.
Heidi and I enjoyed a very good breakfast, as well. More coffee, of course, but nice egg white omelets and fresh fruit. We also tried the breakfast burrito, which was tasty and I enjoyed a cold pressed juice.
I look forward to returning to the dining room (hopefully) in the post-pandemic future:
Fitness Center
As I mentioned, the fitness center is open by appointment only due to indoor gym restrictions in Los Angeles County. Heidi and I reserved a slot from 9:30AM to 10:15AM and enjoyed a nice workout. The gym has a wide assortment of equipment, including Peloton bikes.
You can also go running the fresh air:
Pool
The pool, oh the pool. The hotel’s rooftop pool eptimozies every LA cliche. People do not go up to this pool to swim, but to show off their bodies.
Well, I went home after breakfast, picked up the kids, and brought them back for an afternoon pool party. It was an unseasonably warm day (even for LA), but we enjoyed a refreshing time in the pool for about an hour.
Here’s some picture I took just after sunrise before the pool got crowded:
Parking
Parking is located behind the hotel and very easy…it’s also currently free for Globalist members on any stay and for any World of Hyatt member using points.
CONCLUSION
This was a very a nice staycation and we look forward to returning, especially when the restaurant is re-opened and we can sit indoors and enjoy the full menu. I’ve actually heard a fair number of complaints (over noise + service) about this hotel over the years from clients and friends, but I greatly enjoyed my stay and would highly recommend it.
What was your experience like at the Andaz West Hollywood?
@ Matthew — Wow, I find it incredibly irresponsible for the hotel pool to be open.
I’m more impressed by how you prioritize building lasting memories with your lifetime spouse than the chic hotel. 😉
No comment! 😉
You need to tell us how you paid for the Andaz room (cash or points + tell us the amounts)
$180.
Could have used 20K points, but $180 was far better deal…
Coffee in a paper cup?! Not even a year ago we heard “I drive my wife and my business partner crazy by refusing to take coffee to go. Ever. I simply won’t drink it in a paper or styrofoam cup. “
Welcome to our new COVID-19 world. I’ve decided I’d rather drink good coffee in a styrofoam cup than none at all.
But when I fly, I’ll take JetBlue–
https://liveandletsfly.com/new-jetblue-mint-product/
Greetings from Queensland, Australia..(beautiful one day, perfect the next)..Decades ago I always stayed at this hotel the former Hyatt on Sunset..the noise from the musicians who made the hotel their LA home and the traffic outside was a negative but I always found the staff and service so Aussie friendly.. your review brought back many happy memories..a great location for a visitor to LA..
Have you had the opportunity to stay at the Sofitel Beverly Hills? I was there last June, and found it to be one of the best hotel experiences I’ve had in America so far!
I have not and I love the brand. I’ll have to check it out some time.
I find the public areas a little kitschy/over the top but I’d have to see it. (A few Andaz’ I’ve been to looked better IRL than on the pictures I saw online.)
As for the rooms, I don’t like they’ve got carpets. I know it’s just a cultural difference–carpets are more popular in the US than in Europe or Asia. As a European, I still prefer hardwood floors or tiles (potentially with a few rugs).
I really liked the La Peer in West Hollywood, though.
“People do not go up to this pool to swim, but to show off their bodies.”
Do you have a close-up of the couple in the middle of the photo? They seem to be the only ones showing off their bodies… ;-p
I gotta admit that the room is not only bare but also very boring. That dining table (more like a bar) is ghastly. The minimalist design only works in the bathroom, IMHO. Also, while it’s awesome that they have the water stations (it really should be more common), it’s a bit surprising that they’re letting people use them.
I like how this Andaz has subtly incorporated themes of the BLM movement into the guest’s stay. The name Riot House was an especially nice touch.
I am glad they finally combined the two bathrooms in the suites.
One of my favorite hotels in metro-LA… I stayed there just before the lockdown in US (mid-March)… Glad to see so much of the hotel is still open/accessible. Alfred used to be the host for breakfast service and he was one of the warmest/friendliest people in the hotel.
Small notes – the windows do (partially) open – they have little ‘vents’ that you can crack open embedded in the sills. And the views, from lower floors, were far better before the new structure went up across the street (just within the past year).
We, two afikts and our 2 teenage chikdren stayed there in 2018, room was about 8 floors up at the back looking out on the hills and the houses there. Some fan noise from what was probably air con or kitchen. Nice ambiance to the place, enjoyed the connection with music history. Valet parking was very efficient but being g from Europe we could never figure out wether we were under or over tipping.