Here’s a hotel I stay at a ton but haven’t reviewed for years, so it’s about time.
The Andaz West Hollywood is located on iconic Sunset Boulevard, basically right between Hollywood and Beverly Hills. It’s not an especially walkable area, but I do absolutely love the location, as there are tons of great restaurants in the area, great views of the Hollywood Hills, and lots of fun stuff to do within a 15-20 minute drive.
The Andaz has sort of become my second home. And while I love the Andaz brand as a whole, I especially love the Andaz West Hollywood.
Weekend rates (which are peak times here, since lots of people spend weekends in West Hollywood) tend to hover around $250-300 per night, depending on whether you’re looking at a pre-paid or flexible rate. And since there aren’t many other discounts to be had at this hotel, I find the Citi Prestige Card fourth night free benefit to be extremely valuable, as it basically knocks the rate of a four night stay down to about $200 per night.
During my most recent stay at the Andaz West Hollywood I used one of my Gold Passport Diamond Suite Upgrades, which can be used to confirm an upgrade to an Andaz Suite at the time of booking. This hotel has quite a few suites, so I’ve never had issues confirming an upgrade here.
The Andaz has a pretty modern exterior, especially in comparison to a lot of the other charmingly past their prime buildings in the area. That makes sense, given that it was renovated in 2009. Previously it was the Riot House, which has a ton of entertainment history.
Andaz West Hollywood exterior
The Andaz’s lobby is cute and spacious. As is the norm with Andaz properties, there’s not a “formal” front desk, but rather there’s a desk which the “hosts” are stationed at, and then they come up to you with an iPad to check you in as you enter the hotel. I love how personalized the Andaz check-in process is. At check-in you’re also offered a drink, which is a nice touch.
Andaz West Hollywood lobby
Andaz West Hollywood lobby
I really can’t say enough good things about the people that work here, so I might as well start now. As a general rule of thumb I find West Hollywood isn’t an area known for customer service. That’s because so many people in the service industry have aspirations other than the hospitality industry, so in general I find service is more disinterested in LA/West Hollywood than elsewhere.
Which is why the level of service at this hotel is so damn impressive. A special shout out to Dean and Walter, who are awesome. Though really all the hosts/front office staff are.
Andaz West Hollywood lobby
In this case I was assigned room 1105. The hotel has guest rooms through the 12th floor, and then there’s a rooftop pool on the “penthouse” level. While the layout is identical on each floor, in general you’ll want a room on a higher floor if possible, since you’ll have better views and less noise from Sunset Boulevard.
Upon existing the elevator, room 1105 was at the far end, down the hallway to the right.
Andaz West Hollywood hallway
Andaz West Hollywood room entrance
The rooms either face Sunset Boulevard or the Hollywood Hills. In the case of the suites, the living rooms face Sunset Boulevard, while the bedrooms have a side view of Sunset and the Hollywood Hills.
Andaz West Hollywood floorplan
The standard suite at this hotel is the Andaz King Suite, which is roughly 800 square feet. That’s pretty huge for a “standard” suite which a Diamond Suite Upgrade confirms into.
Upon entering the door is the living room.
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite entrance
The living room is huge and well designed. It features a desk with rolling chair next to the flat screen TV.
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite living room
Then there’s a high-top table with four chairs, underneath a chandelier.
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite living room
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite living room
Then there’s a three person couch by the window with a large lamp above it.
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite living room
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite living room couch
Then next to the desk is the rather quirky orange dog, which can be found in all guest rooms.
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite living room dog
Possibly my favorite feature of rooms at the Andaz are the sunrooms, which are available in most guest rooms. In the suites they feature two chairs with ottomans.
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite living room sunroom
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite living room sunroom
All-in-all the living room is great for entertaining.
Why do I love this area so much? Because of the view. I know I’m probably in the minority, but I love the Los Angeles skyline. It’s so sprawling and anti-climactic, which I realize probably doesn’t appeal to most people. For me there’s no better place from which to work than a chair with an ottoman overlooking Sunset Boulevard, the Sunset Tower, and downtown Los Angeles in the distance.
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite living room view
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite living room view
Anyway, back next to the desk is the minibar. A nice feature of all Andaz properties is that soft drinks and snacks are free. The minibar is replenished daily. It is nice to have a Diet Coke, some still and sparkling water, etc., always at your disposal.
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite minibar
In terms of snacks they have Pop Chips, trail mix, and a granola bar.
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite minibar snacks
Back near the entrance is the guest bathroom. It’s fairly simple though functional.
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite living room
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite guest bathroom
The shower is partitioned off from the rest of the bathroom with a glass shield, and I do appreciate that the shower head is both mounted to the wall and can also be removed and held. The water pressure and temperature control are excellent, and the nozzle twists so that you can have different types of water “streams.”
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite guest bathroom
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite bathroom
Toiletries are “Lather” branded, which I’m surprisingly impressed with. I really quite like them.
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite toiletries
Anyway, there’s a door leading to the bedroom, which is also quite spacious. The bedroom features an extremely comfortable king bed. Extremely comfortable. I actually prefer it to the Westin Heavenly Bed and Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bed. The mattress is plush, but there aren’t quite as many unnecessary sheets you’ll end up getting tangled in.
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite bedroom
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite bedroom
Then there’s also a chair with ottoman facing a flat screen TV.
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite bedroom seating
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite bedroom TV
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite bedroom TV
One thing odd about the suite is that there’s another bathroom in the bedroom, which is almost identical to the one in the living room. And the bathrooms are literally next to one another. So in theory they could have blown out the wall and made one big bathroom instead.
But I actually sort of prefer the current setup, as you have two functional, full bathrooms. That’s especially great if you’re traveling with someone.
Andaz West Hollywood Andaz Suite bathroom in bedroom
Beyond the “obvious” things about the suite, there are two other things to note. First of all, Wi-Fi is free for all guests, and is legitimately high speed. And second of all, the rooms at this hotel are all actually intelligently designed. In other words, there are outlets where you’d expect/want them, which I can’t say about some other hotels.
Hyatt in general has the best elite breakfast perk, as Diamond members receive complimentary full breakfast daily. But the Andaz has an especially good breakfast, in my opinion.
Breakfast is served daily from 6:30AM until 11AM in the Riot House Restaurant, which is located just off the lobby. It’s a beautiful space physically, with a good number of tables.
Andaz West Hollywood Riot House Restaurant
I especially like the seating located across from the bar, where you have nice window views.
Andaz West Hollywood Riot House Restaurant
The breakfast menu reads as follows:
Truth be told I’m not sure what specifically the Diamond breakfast benefit is. What I can say is that I’ve never been charged an overage for breakfast. Some days I go with the “breakfast table” option, while other days I order a la carte.
The way the breakfast table works is that you get coffee, juice, anything from the buffet, and eggs how you want them prepared.
The buffet isn’t really intended to be a “full” spread, but rather logically supplements an omelet or whatever.
The breakfast table consists of an area with mostly cold options, including cereal, pastries, muffins, bread, fruit, greek yogurt, etc.
Andaz West Hollywood Riot House Restaurant breakfast table
Andaz West Hollywood Riot House Restaurant breakfast table
Andaz West Hollywood Riot House Restaurant breakfast table
Andaz West Hollywood Riot House Restaurant breakfast table
Andaz West Hollywood Riot House Restaurant breakfast table
Then there’s an area with some meat and cheese.
Andaz West Hollywood Riot House Restaurant breakfast table
And then there’s a rotating hot selection with sausage, bacon, breakfast potatoes, waffles, etc.
Andaz West Hollywood Riot House Restaurant breakfast table
I usually just do the breakfast table and then a veggie egg white omelet with avocado.
Andaz West Hollywood Riot House Restaurant breakfast egg white omelet
Or sometimes I just select the greek yogurt parfait and a smoothie, which are excellent as well.
Andaz West Hollywood Riot House Restaurant breakfast greek yogurt parfait
Service in the restaurant is also excellent. A special shout out to Andrew and Gasper, who are especially awesome.
In terms of other features of the hotel, there is also a rooftop pool. As is the case with most pools in LA, it’s not actually intended for people to swim, but rather a place for people to show off their abs or implants while just dipping their toes in the water. Personally I like the covered daybeds they have on the right side of the deck, as they’re a great place to relax and get some work done.
Andaz West Hollywood rooftop pool
Then on the second floor the hotel has a functional gym with modern equipment. It’s not the most expansive gym you’ll ever find, but it does the trick.
Andaz West Hollywood gym
All Andaz properties offer complimentary coffee in the morning and then some offer a wine reception in the evening. Even though I have breakfast included as a Diamond benefit, I usually go down and grab some coffee at 6AM, and then have breakfast substantially later. In addition to coffee they usually have some pound cake as well.
Andaz West Hollywood coffee in the morning
Andaz West Hollywood bottom line
In case it’s not obvious, I really do love the Andaz West Hollywood. The staff are awesome, the rooms are beautiful and well designed, and the location is great. It’s my go to hotel when staying in the LA area.
I’d say the closest chain hotel competition for the Andaz is the SLS Beverly Hills. While it’s a quirky hotel, I can’t say that I prefer it to the Andaz. And given that rates are considerably more expensive at the SLS, I can’t really justify choosing to stay there unless I had a compelling reason to. It’s the Andaz all the way for me.
Have you stayed at the Andaz WeHo? If so, how was your experience?
Ben,
I have a photo that I believe you took in this room. Somehow it ended up on my wife's and daughter's phones. It's a photo of a messy room. Oddly, the photo they have has the messiness blurred. Through online sleuthing I found the original and traced it back to you. I'm happy to talk about this more (and security options) so if you have any idea how/why your blurred photo has been posted online, I'd love to know!
Dean just totally hooked us up for our stay next week. He let me use 2 dsu's on the day of expiration when central reservation wasn't able get it done. Looking forward to our stay.
I really dislike the rooms in this hotel. I much prefer the closing century city Hyatt to this property.
@Lucky - slight correction to your review. There actually are rooms on the Penthouse level. I stayed at this property over this past weekend in room 1409 (the Penthouse level). These rooms have a higher ceiling (about 12') but they do NOT have the "sunrooms".
In terms of the hotel itself, parts of it were great (the pool, the view, the breakfast chief among them), however the room itself was so sparse and sterile (I...
@Lucky - slight correction to your review. There actually are rooms on the Penthouse level. I stayed at this property over this past weekend in room 1409 (the Penthouse level). These rooms have a higher ceiling (about 12') but they do NOT have the "sunrooms".
In terms of the hotel itself, parts of it were great (the pool, the view, the breakfast chief among them), however the room itself was so sparse and sterile (I was in a regular room); it felt like a bizarre mix of hospital room and office building. Also, the shades let in a TON of light and while the hotel offers earplugs, they do not provide eyeshades. And the $38 parking was a bit excessive (especially given there was a $15 lot next store).
That has to be one of the ugliest rooms you have ever posted pictures of. Ok not really :), there have been some not so great airport hotels you stay at. But it looks like it was decorated by some college freshman who didn't have enough money to buy more stuff.
Not a major fan I'm afraid - took a month to sort out an overcharge and as a non-Diamond member the breakfast is massively overpriced.
Lucky, they must have been pumping some special 'oxygen' into your room because you're slipping. The room is barely furnished, it looks like they brought in the 'B' team to 'rethink the space'. It is completely devoid of character and class. Yay, the bed is super comfy....
You should go out of your comfort zone (point giving, reward having hotels) and give us a review of the Mondrian or Standard and their rooftop parties next time.
Loyalty Schmoyalty
Love WeHo and love LA (I lived 500 yards away from the Andaz for 3 years) but hotels in LA in general aren't great. If you like the hills you'll find better accommodation with better views for less with AirBnB.
As for the area not being particularly walkable....I've got to disagree with you Ben - all the best parts of Sunset are walkable, tons of restaurants (either sunset plaza, La Ciennega or WeHo centre)...
Love WeHo and love LA (I lived 500 yards away from the Andaz for 3 years) but hotels in LA in general aren't great. If you like the hills you'll find better accommodation with better views for less with AirBnB.
As for the area not being particularly walkable....I've got to disagree with you Ben - all the best parts of Sunset are walkable, tons of restaurants (either sunset plaza, La Ciennega or WeHo centre) are walkable. 8000 Sunset is walkable for gym, groceries, spa, independent movie theatre and, if you go West and South a bit the whole of WeHo is within walking distance....I know because I did it. Often :)
Was just going to post here, but it seems everyone beat me to that same point.
this totally DOES NOT look like a place that I would want to stay at all. That Suite looks very depressing. The table with the high bar stools looks very uncomfortable, and could the sofa be ANY FARTHER a way from the TV. This looks like a cheap apartment one might move into when they are broke or "between...
Was just going to post here, but it seems everyone beat me to that same point.
this totally DOES NOT look like a place that I would want to stay at all. That Suite looks very depressing. The table with the high bar stools looks very uncomfortable, and could the sofa be ANY FARTHER a way from the TV. This looks like a cheap apartment one might move into when they are broke or "between places", furnished by IKEA with some oversize cheap Vizio TV.. I half expected to see a bundle of wires hanging from the TV to the floor.
I'm really not surprised to see the comments here and not surprised to see some guests actually LEFT after spending one night there.
I love your posts and website and am thankful that you have highlighted a property that I will put into my EXCLUDE list if ever looking for lodging in this location.
Very unimpressed. Looks like someone moved out of a small apartment into a much bigger one and didnt have enough furniture!
I stayed there a couple years ago. It is my only Andaz experience. I was thoroughly underwhelmed. The room was so spartan that missed the 4 Points at LAX. I have been hesitant to try another Andaz after that.
Although the suitespace is big, the furnishings are just plain spartan.... Is this the trend of hollywood modern minimalism? It lacks a theme, cozy ambience or even character. For example rooms are at W: hip and funky, Firmdale: new england design, Mandarin Oriental: asian elegance ---- here it looks like they ran out of money put some things in to fill space - high setup dining table, rather have a desk with a ergonomical chair....
Although the suitespace is big, the furnishings are just plain spartan.... Is this the trend of hollywood modern minimalism? It lacks a theme, cozy ambience or even character. For example rooms are at W: hip and funky, Firmdale: new england design, Mandarin Oriental: asian elegance ---- here it looks like they ran out of money put some things in to fill space - high setup dining table, rather have a desk with a ergonomical chair. And the way the door opens straight on to the pillar in the room ;)
Oh and one more -- there is no option to park other than the $34 valet parking fee.
I stayed in this exact suite with my family one month ago (different floor) and the negative comments are spot on. The room was very noisy at night (there's a comedy club right below the windows), the hallways are quite dark and the furnishings are much too sparse. A free minibar with one Diet Coke, one Coke, two other soft drinks and a few snacks (popchips and something else) I have no interest in isn't...
I stayed in this exact suite with my family one month ago (different floor) and the negative comments are spot on. The room was very noisy at night (there's a comedy club right below the windows), the hallways are quite dark and the furnishings are much too sparse. A free minibar with one Diet Coke, one Coke, two other soft drinks and a few snacks (popchips and something else) I have no interest in isn't much of a minibar. Pool was incredibly crowded and small. Sure the service was friendly, but we regretted taking a friend's recommendation the moment we checked in. Many better options at this price in the LA area.
I believe it was originally called the Hyatt House. It was a beacon for hedonism from visiting musicians and bands, because of the high jinks it was colloquially known as the Riot House. Anyway, history lesson over. As someone who lives in LA I can tell you the noise from Sunset Blvd is LOUD, on Friday and Saturday night the strip is a zoo with bumper to bumper traffic. The location itself is great and...
I believe it was originally called the Hyatt House. It was a beacon for hedonism from visiting musicians and bands, because of the high jinks it was colloquially known as the Riot House. Anyway, history lesson over. As someone who lives in LA I can tell you the noise from Sunset Blvd is LOUD, on Friday and Saturday night the strip is a zoo with bumper to bumper traffic. The location itself is great and there's some fantastic bars and restaurants within easy walking distance plus Santa Monica Blvd is just a short walk too for the gay friendly bars and clubs. For me, there are much better hotels on the westside with better rooms and facilities. But you can;t beat the location!
I believe your comment, "All Andaz properties offer a wine reception in the evening" to be incorrect. My recent stay at an international location certainly didn't have it.
I can't say I'd go out of my way to pay $200-300 per night for such a property. The breakfast looked fine, but the room is unappealing. The views looked good, though.
@ Jaimito Cartero -- Good catch, true that not all of them offer it. Updated the post to reflect that.
I stayed in this hotel 2 years ago for 2 nights while in L.A. on biz. I was very uneasy in this hotel. Just a certain "je ne sais pas quoi" that bothered me about this hotel. The only think i liked was the breakfast buffet, and even that was a strange set up. I cld not wait to head back to the Beverly Hilton. I like Hyatt Hotels, i very often stay in them and am a Platinum cargo holder. But this particular hotel, i'm not interested in.
1.). I remember it being called the Riot Hyatt, not Riot House....but I'm sure they've taken every effort to remove the Hyatt branding from this property; 2.). That looks like an awful lot of light coming through those bedroom drapes - one of my biggest pet peeves; 3.). This looks like one of those places that probably comes off a lot better in person than in photos.
to me looks like someone took office space and tried to create a hotel room in it. way too sparse and not chic in a minimalist way at all. not crazy about the SLS either. I've always relied on airbnb for west side of LA.
I will say, coming from NYC, the service I encounter in Los angeles is always so relatively warm and friendly that it catches me off guard.
Gotta agree with the majority here, while the service sounds great, I don't think there's anything spectacular about the furnishings. The size of the room would be appreciated, and most importantly it looks like someone vacuumed the chair and ottoman which is always overlooked by housekeeping.
I like how the shower looks, but not the rest of the bathroom (or the room for that matter). I agree with the other posters - it's spartan and kind of creepy. It's definitely designed with style over substance in mind, but even its "style" is questionable.
Relieved to see among the comments that it's not just me: the room design is genuinely terrible. Hideous. Looks like an empty college dorm.
I like the look but it would work so much better with polished concrete floors vs. that hideous carpet.
General complaint about Hyatt bedding: The bed and pillows are great but the comforter is always way too thin.
And yes, Walter is great!!
Andaz West Hollywood is also one of my favorite hotels. Love the view and excellent restaurant. I like to book points and cash and use a suite upgrade. In addition, complimentary breakfast as a Diamond makes this a great deal.
"less noise from Sunset Boulevard" - this is the important point for this property. It is noisy. Even on the top floor.
Agree with the other commenters, this is not a great hotel.
Agree with the other posters, design is questionable. On second thought, fire that designer. Stayed there, great location, incredible Japanese restaurant a block away, etc, but the room, not my style. Needs better lighting and less of an office appeal. Where's the charm? They're probably trying to make the rooms look bigger with fewer items. That being said, there are much worse things than being in Hollywood at this hotel, especially if it's free. Too...
Agree with the other posters, design is questionable. On second thought, fire that designer. Stayed there, great location, incredible Japanese restaurant a block away, etc, but the room, not my style. Needs better lighting and less of an office appeal. Where's the charm? They're probably trying to make the rooms look bigger with fewer items. That being said, there are much worse things than being in Hollywood at this hotel, especially if it's free. Too bad it went from a Cat 4 to what a Cat 5 or 6 last year. It probably deserves the Cat 5 based on location and the food spread looks great as well. But there went the annual free night perk.
I stayed in that exact suite late last summer. The bedroom and the sunroom are great. The rest of the suite is somewhat awkward. It's almost too big, with little definition of space. The living room is big enough for a dance party, which I guess may be fitting in WeHo. I did like the separate full bathrooms and the rest of the Andaz amenities.
I won't go back to the Andaz West Hollywood for business because you can't work in the rooms at night. Zero overhead lighting. Working big lamplight in an otherwise dark room just doesn't do it for me (or anyone else i know).
Highly unimpressive looking.
I've stayed in that suite before!
I never liked the living space (bedroom is okay though). The room is just too bare. I wish they hired some designer to redo the livingrooms. Also, the televisions (they use Roomlinx which initially signed an agreement with Hyatt but backfired/fell apart) are too cumbersome and slow for what they do. There's a lag when you change channels, etc. However, it has a couple of neat features that I'd...
I've stayed in that suite before!
I never liked the living space (bedroom is okay though). The room is just too bare. I wish they hired some designer to redo the livingrooms. Also, the televisions (they use Roomlinx which initially signed an agreement with Hyatt but backfired/fell apart) are too cumbersome and slow for what they do. There's a lag when you change channels, etc. However, it has a couple of neat features that I'd wish other systems adopted.
Everything else on the property is great though.
Looks blah.... I like the Andaz Wall Street. Very spacious rooms and looks more interesting. I ordered room service for my breakie as I had an early morning flight. USD 65 dollars and I didn't order much; cappuccino, juice, eggs, and yoghurt. Luckily, wasn't charged for the overage.
Hey! You totally stole my shot composition! (jk)
https://instagram.com/p/yARECvpIot/
Fourteen dollars for plain buttermilk pancakes? Seriously.
Hmmmmm bit sparse if you ask me rather than "elegant minimalist". Nice looking pool and I like the Magis Puppy Chair though.
After just one night in this hotel last month, I cancelled the rest of my planned four-night stay and moved elsewhere.
There was no mention of my being a Gold Passport Plat upon checkin. Nor was I told that there would be coffee/pound cake in the lobby the next morning. I awoke looking for coffee in the room but found none.
The spartan double room with no coffeemaker faced Sunset Blvd. and a ginormous LED...
After just one night in this hotel last month, I cancelled the rest of my planned four-night stay and moved elsewhere.
There was no mention of my being a Gold Passport Plat upon checkin. Nor was I told that there would be coffee/pound cake in the lobby the next morning. I awoke looking for coffee in the room but found none.
The spartan double room with no coffeemaker faced Sunset Blvd. and a ginormous LED billboard that flooded the whole room with white light all night long. Even the curtain that partitions the bulk of the room from that little TV alcove (with a much-too-small TV) couldn't keep out the billboard's light. Hopefully, Lucky's end-cap suite was dark enough for him to sleep.
All this wasn't worth the $300+ rate (and don't forget $38 daily for valet parking).
You are right about service attitude there, i found many people working in service industries in Los Angeles are just doing the job for a living, and what they really care is pursuing their Hollywood dreams.
Same happened in many other places, especially in some of most famous tourist destinations like Lhasa.
I'm sorry, Ben, but you have clearly overlooked this property's most compelling feature: LUCKY CHARMS on the breakfast buffet!
Hmm... did you post pictures of a different hotel? LOL Because I don't see anything beautiful about the room... and that hallway looks really creepy.
The room looks sparse and meh
Nice toilet!