Under 5 minutes walk to the Highland and Hollywood Mall, the Kodiak Theatre, the Walk of Fame and Hollywood Boulevard. Not one to drive to for those that dislike traffic as it is pretty central and the roads all around are very busy. The valet parking at the hotel is good though.
Nice rooms and decent breakfast and the pool looked good as well (outdoor up on the 3rd floor).
THe front desk clerk was helpful with maps and information, would definitely recommend.
We stayed at HIE a few months ago and had a very enjoyable, pleasant experience. The location is perfect, 2 blocks from Hollywood Blvd.. Between that and the hotel is the Hollywood and Highland shopping and dining complex which is attached to the Kodak Theater which is right next door to Grumman's Chinese Theater. Hollywood and Highland has some cool shops and places to eat. You can stand on the upper floors and roof looking down on Hollywood Blvd. and people watch or just take in the city. The Jimmy Kimmel Theater is right across Hollywood Blvd. as well and since they tape around 5 pm you can watch them tape outside if they are doing any of the crazy stuff they sometimes do. Also on Monday morning as we were walking to go sight seeing some TV show was filming an action scene at the intersection a half block from the hotel....cool stuff.
Now about the hotel. The hotel was standard HIE fare, which I consider to be a good thing. Clean, nice, well appointed rooms. With the curtains drawn you wouldn't know if you were in a HIE in Hollywood or Texas....but as their old add said the best surprise is no surprise. Outside though was what was different. Around the pools, the parking garage and different places were painted with huge murals. The whole place had a very nice feel and was very nicely appointed. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful.
BTW we stayed on the 8th floor, in the back part of the hotel. Yeah you have to take two elevators but it was really nice and quiet back there. All in all we had a very nice stay and would absolutely stay there again.
Despite a somewhat unattractive street presence (given the car parks either side of the lobby entrance) the Holiday Inn Express Hollywood was very nice once you'd gone through the front doors.
Staff were professional and during our visit proved helpful and very pleasant on a day to day basis.
Our room was large, clean and comfortable, with a king size bed, well fitted bathroom, TV, WiFi, sofa, desk, and a fridge (not a mini bar). Iron and ironing board were also included in the room together with hair dryer. Getting to the room was bit of a torture - two lifts involved, as the hotel seems to have been built like topsy. So a bit a a rabbit warren. But we soon figured it out.
Breakfast was good, hot food, cakes, toast and so on. Juice and coffee tea were available as were (curiously) hard boiled eggs, which I enjoyed. More fruit would have been nice - just banana was offered, although you could have as many as you like. The breakfast area was often packed, and sometimes spilled out into the pool area. The hotel was quite full when we were there (we saw staff having to turn people away), which explains a packed breakfast room.
Pool was available - nothing flash, but nice to take a dip at the end of a hot day (music was a bit loud though).
The hotel is in Highland Avenue which is a bit scruffy, but very close (5-10 minute walk) to the Hollywood attractions and all the bus tours. also you could jump on a metro bus there to Santa Monica (actually two buses at $1.50 each - 25c for seniors - so $6 for a round trip - about 45 minutes each way).
There are plenty of places to eat close by. Also lots of shops.
All in all we enjoyed our stay at the hotel very much.
You dont think its going to be much looking from the street, but the service was fantastic, our room wasnt ready at checkin (the joy of flights arriving from Oz at 0600), but we offered baggage hold, and a place to freshen up, and then ask if we wanted to do a tour or recomendation on somewhere to eat.
Taking the option to store our luggage and then head for a walk, we found Hollywood Bvd about a 10 minute walk away.
When we returned later in the afternoon our room was ready, and located in the back of the hotel, which ment 2 lifts (elevators) but no big deal, the room was clean and huge, free wi-fi and bar fridge big enough for us to store our own drinks in. The bed was comfortable and the room quiet, I thought we might have been the only people on the floor.
Breakfast is included and is the standard buffet, but does include a pancake maker that shoots out a cooked pancake in 45 seconds or thereabouts.
There is a small business centre on the same level as the pool and breakfast room.
Overall I thought this was one of the best places we stayed in the US, we were offered late checkout but only til 1400 as they were fully booked and would need our room, but again storing our bags was no problem, and a car was arranged for us to get to the airport.
The big question I ask myself after staying anywhere is - would I stay here again - and for HIE Hollywood Walk of Fame - the answer would have to be yes, without a second thought. Overall great people, location and services.
...experience at this hotel. Bailey, the front desk clerk, couldn't have been nicer and more helpful. The hotel is beautiful and ultra clean. It even smells good! Very close to the Hollywood Bowl--walking distance--and wonderful to come home after the show and go straight to bed!! Great hotel--I will definitely be back.
Debby
