The Family-Friendly W Hollywood Hotel

For travelers wishing to experience the glitz and glam of the  City of Angels, the W Hotel in Hollywood is the place to stay! An impressive boutique high rise on one of the world’s most famed boulevards, facing the Pantages Theater, the W Hotel in Hollywood is the perfect location for touring downtown LA by Metro and the neighboring posh Beverly Hills. There are plenty of eateries and attractions around to occupy family members of all ages, yet away from the noisy and crowded Hollywood and Vine intersection.

Décor

The decor can be described as a strange combination of futuristic, funky, with just a touch of whimsy in gorgeous hues of whites, browns, and reds. From the giant red lit W sign at the entrance, the crystal waterfall and candelabra in the center of the lobby to the elegant red-carpeted staircase; the W Hollywood manages to impress travelers from the very moment they walk through the door.

Ideas to Steal for home

  The sofa pillows resembling vintage cameras caught our eye but sadly the hotel doesn’t sell replicas in its gift store.

Booking

We used the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) website to book the hotel on points but did call the front desk to remind them of our special needs – quiet room and feather-free bedding. I also mentioned that my son was excited to visit and asked for early check-in.

Our Welcome

We were checked in very quickly, given a free Wi-Fi code (loyalty pays at SPG!), and shown to our top floor club room after riding in probably one of the most unusually lit elevator I’ve ever seen.

Fellow travelers

The hotel is frequented by a mix of people, including a younger crowd working in the entertainment and music business.

Our Guest Room

You know you are in for a treat when even the peephole on the door is decorated with crystals. Our all white clubroom (think a cross between the Jetsons and Clockwise Orange) came with two leather headboard queen sized beds, making it perfect for a family of four. The beds, though on the low side, were very comfortable. The room also featured a mirrored closet, a rectangular desk table and desk chair, a mini nightstand, a wall mounted TV. We especially loved the window seat with views overlooking the city, and the tufted side table holding cocktail drinks that looked straight out of a 50’s Lana Turner flick. Did I mention that the hotel caters well to techie needs, with multiple outlets to plug in electronics, a safe to leave tablets or small laptops while you tour the city, and a sound machine to relax the travelers after a jam-packed day of movie-land sight- seeing.

The fun surprise

The room mini bar contained an assortment of candies, nuts, chocolates and….condoms. Don’t be too shocked – this is Hollywood after all!

The pleasant surprise

  During our stay, the hotel was offering free shuttles to anywhere within a five-mile range in a luxurious Acura SUV. We took advantage of this service to skip walking to the El Captain Theater in the heat!

The Bathroom

The shiny white marble tiled bathroom is well-lit and a comfortable size. The amenity kit is supplied by Bliss and included the regular soap, shampoo, and conditioner, along with some lotions. The walk-in shower would have been a ten in my book had it not come with only partially opaque glass walls facing into the room, making privacy for parents when traveling with kids a bit awkward.

Safety

The TV set is safely encased in the wall, and can’t be pulled off. There is no grab bar or anti slip mat provided for the bathroom.

Breakfast

Though the hotel does not have an executive lounge, you can get breakfast at the cafe downstairs. For more budget-friendly alternatives, you should check out the various food venues on Hollywood Boulevard that offer discounts and kids eat free coupons.

Amenities

  The rooftop swimming pool is one of the property’s best assets boasting private cabanas complete with lounge beds and  TVs. You should be advised that, like most properties, there are no lifeguards so you should not leave your kids unsupervised especially if they are not experienced swimmers.

Service

The staff went out of their way to be of help anywhere from calling to see how we liked the room to restaurant reservations.Also, I wanted to mention their excellent concierge service who took the time to print out recommendations for us.

For additional fun

Even if you are not interested in spending time there, you have to sneak a peek at the disco nightclub near the pool area to admire the decor and city views. Traveling moms who wish to pamper themselves should book a treatment at the  Bliss spa at the entrance of the hotel, especially if they liked the amenity kit products in the room.

Autism travel tips

We stayed on a weekday when it was very quiet, and the noise was not an issue, but we were told that the hotel can get very noisy during the weekends when the nightclub is open, as well as summer holidays when the younger partygoers arrive. The room temperature is individually controlled so you can adjust the air conditioning or heat according to your particular needs.   Surprisingly the hotel has no handheld showerheads, so this might be a problem for parents if they might need to help their kids with their showers. https://youtu.be/MNwisX-5BXc https://youtu.be/OsEIWJZ0I_o   [mappress mapid=”79″]]]>