Andaz West Hollywood, Los Angeles, USA

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The Andaz West Hollywood has been a landmark for more than six decades, but not always the serene Sunset Strip star it has evolved into today. The Andaz West Hollywood is a landmark in rock n’ roll history remembered by those old enough to have been there as the Riot House.

So named because it was the former Continental Hyatt House that attracted the biggest bands of the 60s and 70s, many reveling in misbehaving between cutting records and performing at Whiskey A Go Go and Roxy down the road.

The Andaz West Hollywood was originally named for a very different kind of musician – the Hollywood singing cowboy, who opened it in 1963 as Gene Autrys Hotel Continental. The rockers moved in after it was leased from Hyatt three years later, lured by the hotels’ proximity to clubs along the Strip, booking touring bands.

Not so sure a perch in the days when Keith Richards and Keith Moon threw TVs out of their windows and Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham rode his motorbike through the hallways, it’s now a stylish base for what remains the neighborhood’s most trendiest part of Los Angeles, on a great white road whose concert halls persist and whose giant billboards continue to make the Strip an unmissable spectacle for visitors.

All credit goes to Hyatt, which has retained the hotel that bears its name for most of its life, for acknowledging its debauched heritage by naming its cafe Riot House to celebrate the bad old days.

Tribute is also paid by a giant installation of guitar heroes and another of brightly colored boots, not to mention elevators whose doors are lined with murals of record covers.

Who for

If, like the hotel, you are a fan of old-school rock, you can enjoy the memories while enjoying the serenity of this hotel. Couples would feel at home here.

Accommodation

This first hotel to grace Sunset Strip was designed by the same architect as the legendary Cinerama Dome, and features balconies that have seen rock history in its own right – Lemmy wrote Motorhead on one, and Robert Plant is said to have proclaimed himself a another’s golden god in 1977.

These days balconies have been glazed over to protect pedestrians from falling TVs, even though these are wall-mounted giant screens these days and the space has been reconfigured to provide seating areas with a panoramic views of the Sunset Strip from the front and the scenic Hollywood Hills from the back.

Rooms overlooking the Strip are definitely recommended for enjoying the color and life of the neighborhood day and night; the blinds effectively block out bright lights while you sleep.

My Sunset King room, named for both its view and gloriously expansive bed, was painted dark green, a soothing downfall for the Technicolor show playing outside, and had a well-appointed bathroom with a large walk-in shower. Italian.

There were good toiletries in large bottles on a shower shelf and comfy bathrobes but no makeup remover pads, mini bar, electronic docking station and plenty of room to spread out and curl up. relax in the lounge area with a great view of the action.

food drink

The Riot House cafe comes into its own in the morning, offering breakfast with great street-level views along the Strip. Although the porridge doesn’t look very Hollywood, Chef RH makes the best cooked steel cut oats outside of Ireland, properly cooked in water rather than milk and served tantalizingly with fruit beans and nuts as an accompaniment. Avocado toast is also available, as are LA’s favorite breakfast burritos, Eggs Benedict, and the everlasting American sweet offerings of buttermilk pancakes and French toast. Old rock stars can relive their glory days with a Bloody Mary and other breakfast cocktails.

While the hotel expects most guests to eat out, we had a great cheeseburger at the hotel, which has limited sit-down lunch service, and at all times there is snack and drink service from the Riot House Market in a corner of the cafe. area. The RH bar serves cocktails and aperitifs in the evening.

Facilities

There’s a sleek rooftop pool — with bookable cabanas, obvs — and a ready supply of craft beers and cocktails at the poolside bar; in summer there is also a daytime catering service.

Downstairs is a gym, though no treadmill can be as rewarding as pounding the bustling sidewalks towards Hollywood in one direction, Beverly Hills in the other.

What’s nearby?

Pit stops line the Strip at street level, and a good place to take a break and cool off is the Sunset Plaza shopping complex with its stylish boutiques and cafes.

Entertainment is a short walk from the hotel, with the Comedy Store next door, the Viper Room, Whiskey A Go Go and Roxy all within walking distance and the Troubadour a mile further. While there are plenty of cafes within walking distance, ride for the city’s most exciting nighttime view – the lights of LA laid out as you make the steep descent down nearby La Cienega Boulevard into the restaurant Row best known in the west.

La Cienega crosses Santa Monica Boulevard, Melrose Avenue, and Beverly Boulevard, respectively, as you head south; all of these are notable for their many eclectic dining options; another reason to choose the Andaz West Hollywood – and West Hollywood itself – as a base for LA’s hottest nightlife.

How much?

Rooms at the Andaz West Hollywood Hotel are from 287

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Read also: Travel guide to Los Angeles