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Best Western Sunset Plaza Hotel
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11 reviews for Best Western Sunset Plaza Hotel
Okay, maybe we were just in a particularly good location and suite (or maybe the place was just renovated?), because my experience totally does not jibe with the low-star reviews below.
I am a hotel snob. The thought of stepping into a Best Western was seriously itch-inducing. However, on a recent Friday night, I found myself walking in to attend a birthday party in a suite there.
The hall did not smell like cheap hooker perfume, but maybe it wasn't late enough for that element to be traipsing through the corridors...
The room my friends had looked very freshly renovated and redecorated, as it had a large flat-screen TV, new furniture, and stylish bedding. The colors were very neutral, sophisticated, and modern. The suite was divided into:
- a kitchen (with sink, small full-size fridge, island with swivel barstools)
- large sitting area with three club chairs and sofa
- very large bedroom with two king-sized beds
- walk-in closet
- nice bathroom with dual sinks, huge bathtub, and separate shower
The living area and bedroom were divided by French doors, and both areas had really attractive windows that provided views of Sunset as well as foliage.
All in all, I was like jaw-droppingly surprised and impressed with this place, despite its brand name. The room was about half the cost of an equivalent room at The Standard a block away.
It would be interesting to know if part of the hotel has been renovated, or if only suites have been upgraded, which might explain the disparity in room reviews. If you trust that I'm a hotel snob (hell, I REAMED the W in Chicago), trust me when I say if the Best Western can be judged by their room, it's great. BTW, Suge Knight stayed there the same night, so if you're impressed by the standards of hip-hop moguls, there ya go.
Minus one star for the never-ending stream of people/hub-bub in the lobby, lack of security, and abundance of light from Sunset.
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I have a BIG family, so when they all came to visit at one time, we had to get a whole block of hotel rooms...okay, maybe not a block, but seven. Is seven a block?
Anyway, the Best Western offered pretty much exactly what my family needed: rooms that weren't too expensive in a nice setting. I personally would HATE staying on the Sunset Strip, but for a group of people trekking in from the Midwest, it seemed pretty darn cool. My sister even got to see Steve Wozniak!
Pros: Incredibly helpful desk staff; comfy, clean rooms; GREAT pool and patio area with beautiful vines (lots of rooms open out on this, so it's a huge plus); lots of touristy stuff to do in the area if your guests are so-inclined; not too far away from anywhere
Cons: The rooms that don't look out on the pool look out on the parking lot of an apartment building next door. Blah. They cost just as much as the rooms with the rad view. Also, parking SUCKS. Guests aren't supposed to park on-site at all, so I had to park literally a half-mile away because there's nowhere to park on the Sunset Strip and walk to the hotel. Also, even for guests, parking is sort of pricy.
In short, a good moderately-priced hotel. Everyone in my family said that when they come visit again, they'd want to stay there, so I guess that's about as much as you can ask, no?
A BOIL ON THE BUTTOCKS OF THE WORLD.
I think that sums it up nicely.
I see some 4 and 5 star reviews below. I seriously wonder to myself what their previous hotel experiences have been? I would rate this hotel on par with the Imperial Palace or Circus Circus in Las Vegas. However I feel I might be insulting those two a little. They at least have the decency of not portraying themselves as something they are not.
To start, the entire hotel smells of cheap-hooker perfume. Really. Have you ever been to a strip club for a bachelor party? Yeah. That's the flavor I'm talking about. The carpet is old and musty, and by musty I mean moldy or mildewed. My sinuses went nuts. They are obviously aware of the problem, because that cheap-hooker smell is the ridiculous carpet cleaner/freshener they must coat every inch of the hotel with. Its disgusting.
In my room I found that the carpet was actually damp by the air conditioner, which rattled like crazy as only a 20 year old window mount unit can...This is a $200+ per night hotel? The desk doesn't even have a proper chair.
When I called prior to booking my reservation, I made it very clear that I was in town on business and would have to conduct a significant amount while in my room. I was repeatedly assured that it was quiet and setup for business use.
Lying SOB.
I will not bore you with the rest of the details, but let it suffice to say that I opted to not stay here. I didn't even bother to find alternate accommodations before leaving. It just didn't matter, I simply needed to get out of this sh*thole.
When checking out, I asked to speak to the manager about a refund on my first night (I only put my bags in the room prior going to/returning from work). He would not give me his name, and refused to refund me the initial night's stay since I had "checked in".
Well, Best Western may feel like they can push me around...they are bigger than I am. Fortunately, VISA is on my side and is much much bigger than Best Western. Dispute resolved. Cash back in my pocket.
I am a frequent business traveler, and I typically stay at Starwood, Mariott or Hilton properties. Best Western, Holiday Inn and the like are usually a bit far down on the menu for my taste. I only considered this location after speaking to the staff directly, reading some of the reviews here and considering the ridiculous prices of many of the hotels in the area. (I didn't want to gouge my client on T&E)
That said, after my experience at this hotel, I will make it my life's mission to ensure everyone I speak to knows about my experiences here; and I will never in this lifetime allow one dime of my money, my company's money or anyone I know to go to this or any another Best Western as a result.
A special message to the manager in question (you know who you are)
.|.. O_O ..|.
STAY AWAY FROM FLEABAG HOTEL.
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On a much nicer note: the Hotel Le Petit? Amazing experience and really a great place with great staff. If you appreciate unique experiences, French press and fresh fruit versus donuts and coffee, you will be pleasantly surprised at how much nicer the experience can be. It is only a few blocks away and worth every penny. Please tell them I sent you.
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Location, good rates & comfortable beds are the only things I liked about the hotel. It's probably great if you need a hotel for one night to do some clubbing or shopping.
I stayed in the hotel for a few nights because I was in the area on business. I found the hotel to be a marginal fit for a business traveler. The free breakfast was not available until 7:30, so I was forced to drive around looking for breakfast. The fitness center was TINY & the equipment was not working. I could hear everything going on in the rooms above & next to me, so the room was not exactly peaceful.
Once in the room, still un-impressed. The door didn't latch when shut, it had to be slammed several times in order to lock it. The showerhead was the worst I have ever experienced. The bed was very comfortable, however it sat in a room with old & dirty carpet. The layout of the room was cramped, with no where to sit except on the bed or at a desk facing the corner.
The location of the hotel was pretty good & they have a secure parking garage which was nice.
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If you're not leaving on the midnight train to Georgia because you'd rather live in his world than mine, then perhaps L.A. is not too much for you. And sometimes a Hollywood Bowl concert calls your name...or a trip to Fred Segal's...or maybe you're just high-falutin' and want to go to the Getty.
Finding a reasonable place to stay in LA isn't too hard, but the city is so spread out that it just depends on what you're doing there. A solid all-purpose place is the Best Western Sunset Plaza on Sunset near LaCienega since it is so central to the happenings there.
I usually can find a weekday deal for less than $100, and the rooms are pretty expansive and clean. It's within walking distance from the House of Blues and the Comedy Club but not much else. Remember this is LA. Well, you can stroll about a mile to Melrose, but at that point, get the car out.
The hotel provides super-convenient parking in a garage in the back. The key is to drive to the 10-minute parking in front of the hotel when you check in, get your key and parking pass for your dashboard, and then you drive around the block to the garage entrance on DeProngre Avenue. Pretty convenient for LA, I must say, since you don't have to deal with Sunset traffic when you come in and out of the hotel.
It's not perfect...the continental breakfast has those stale croissants and bagels they must save for years like gallstones. But skip it and get your breakfast elsewhere...because all you want to do is have some fun...until the sun comes up over Santa Monica Boulevard.
ROOM - 4 stars...better than the typical Best Western
AMBIANCE - 3 stars...decent
SERVICE - 3 stars...I always have to ding that bell to get someone out, but they do their job otherwise
OVERALL - 4 stars...go for convenience...there are far worse.
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Made a reservation to stay for three nights at this conveniently located (if you are a partier) hotel right on The Strip. Unfortunately, the hotel is a dump and needs some work. I ended up checking out two days early. The only positive thing I can say about my stay is that the clerk at the front desk didn't argue with me or charge me for my unused nights.
Location:
The location is great if you don't mind a bit of traffic, noise and partiers. You're within easy walking of a number of bars, night clubs, comedy clubs and restaurants.
Parking:
There are several small parking lots underneath the hotel that can fit a fair number of vehicles as long as they are small. Don't bother if you are driving a Suburban. They also fill up so plan ahead.
Hotel:
The hotel appears to be undergoing some simple renovations. The molding, chair rail and crown have been removed from the hallways. What's strange is that it looks like it's been that way for quite some time.
Room:
One thing I noticed right away is that there is a faint smell of mildew in the hallways and much stronger in the room. My guess is that it comes from the ancient window air conditioners.
The room itself was nice but needed some work. The view was HORRIBLE. It looked out to a fifty foot tall brick wall. Truly awful.
This brings me to the worst part of the room. Besides the smell, the air conditioner was so noisy that I had a hard time sleeping. This is not good in August in LA. I decided to open the windows where I discovered that the window screens were missing. I also noticed that everyone else had their noisy air conditioners running as well. The cacophony was horrible.
After a terrible night's sleep, I decided to check out and head over to the Hollywood Renaissance which is a great hotel.
There are numerous better choices in the area. Avoid this dump.
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Best Western Sunset Plaza Hotel
Not a bad hotel, but pretty basic. Furnishings old & uncomfortable. Bed linens are rough. Otherwise clean & comfortable. Breakfast only OK.
Parking is a hassle, and Sunset Blvd is horrendously busy. There is a nice Western type restaurant across the street.
I found the noise level in this hotel unacceptable. Book a room that faces the pool.
Just like many people in LA, this place looks pretty on the outside, but it lacks substance on the inside. (Okay, that was a snide dig, but I needed to take some poetic license. There's nothing wrong with LA people, really).
The pool area is very pretty in an old-Hollywood meets Tuscany sort of way, with bougainvillea reflecting in the clear blue water, the location is convenient to all sorts of cheesy venues, and there is a Pink Dot close by for any 3a.m. cravings. Lastly, given all that, the rate is fairly reasonable, and therefore in my lower-middle class price range.
My room was clean, but stuffy and mildewy. The fridge was leaking and I think the spongy damp carpet had something to do with the slightly funky smell. Well, that and the fucker smoking in the room next to, above, or below mine. Wherever that ass was , I figured turning my TV up super loud all night was sweet revenge. (I used to smoke like a chimney, so I'm not a hater. I just had the courtesy that this selfish cancer-candidate did not and would slowly kill myself outside, away from other people.) Between the mildew, stuffiness, and smoke, I felt sorta like I was sleeping at the end of the bar at Grant and Green.
The one thing that bugged me most, however, was the fact that they advertised a non-existent business center. Since I was traveling for work, I was counting on using the copy machine I thought I was paying $175 a night for. When I politely pointed out their false advertising, I was curtly pointed in the direction of the nearest Kinko's and told I'd better start hoofin' it if I wanted to get my copies made in time for my meeting. Fart faces.
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I loved it here, reminds me of a Melrose Place setting, pool in the center type thing...I stayed for 6 nights. The first room I was given was stinky, smelled like cigs. Then I was quickly given another room that was completely acceptable, it was the room in the upper left corner, top floor (facing the hotel), window faces Sunset. The room was noisy, as to be expected, your on the Strip for goodness sake..but it was a nice stay..I can't go back again, cuz now I have a dog..they don't accept pets.
Great location, you can walk or take a taxi everywhere...The housekeeping was good, the front desk staff were very helpful. The rooms were decent, and there is internet access that you have to pay for =(. They were remodeling while I stayed there but they are done now. I would recomend this too a friend, however there are many better places to stay, but this was right on the strip and I walked in without a reservation and got a room for over a week. I prefer to stay at the Hollywood Renaissance which is where I am staying next time im in the Woodhood.
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Semi-decent service (brisk and efficient but not exactly friendly). The hotel is fairly small. I got a cramped feeling in the lobby. But the rooms are beautiful. I asked if I was eligible for a FREE BIRTHDAY UPGRADE when I checked in and gave a huge, hopeful smile, and I got one! Went from small single to suite with balcony with a beautiful view and huge king bed. And the bathtub.... was the best part. Spa-style jets, huge, and could fit two people. I woke up early hungover after partying all night just to be able to take a bubble bath in this... and I'd do it all over again if I could! Only gripe? Amazingly shitty parking for any guests or friends you have staying with you or visiting while you're in town. They only offer one parking spot as a guest of the hotel and there is literally 0 street parking unless you pay in blood to some shady parking lots up and down Sunset. However, that isn't entirely the hotel's fault. So, carpool or take public transport from elsewhere to make it here. Have fun!
