Palihouse Hotel West Hollywood
A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to visit Los Angeles for a few days to surprise friends for a birthday party. We started our trip with a day recovering from jet lag in Malibu (see previous post) and then we headed to Shutters on the Beach for a few days to surprise a great friend for his birthday.
I was planning to share a review of Shutters on the blog, but for two reasons I have decided against it.
The first is that despite the hype (and price!), we were a little disappointed with our stay. It just didn't deliver what we expected and because it was so expensive, we did expect a lot. The rooms were quite small and ours had no outlook, the staff were fine, but not particularly friendly or helpful and nothing seemed to be included in the crazily expensive room rate!
We were charged extra for breakfast, extra for the afternoon tea that is served in reception and looks as though it's complimentary (nothing compared to the amazing afternoon teas at Babington!) and extra to use one of the hotel's bikes to cycle along Santa Monica beach.
The other thing (which we can't blame the hotel for) is that the weather was awful; there was a thick fog that covered the hotel and beach, so we couldn't see the sea and it was cold. Goodbye to sipping rosé on the terrace by the sea and hello to open fires and hot chocolate!
The strangest part is that you would drive a block or two inland, the mist would lift and there was bright sunshine! Apparently, this is quite common in Santa Monica, particularly in the summer, but in my view, it's another reason to book something a little further inland rather than spend the extra to stay at Shutters.
Palihouse West Hollywood, Los Angeles
Anyway, this post is not about Shutters, it is about the gorgeous Palihouse Hotel in West Hollywood, where we stayed for our last night in LA. It was wonderful!
The interiors at the hotel are gorgeous - really inspiring and there is so much to look at. Gorgeous vintage pieces, lots of colour and texture, really unique and stylish. I particularly loved the feel of the restaurant, a little cool oasis away from the busy West Hollywood streets. Soft greens and comfy seating, combined with lots of plants and funky furnishings, it really is a stunning spot. The food was amazing too!
The hotel is in a converted apartment building and the design of the rooms really accentuates this. Ours was room 212 and it was huge! It was basically an apartment; a cool kitchen and living area that led into the bedroom and a huge master bathroom. The decor as in the rest of the hotel, was a mixture of lovely vintage finds that worked brilliantly together, with a slightly industrial slant.
After settling in and having lunch we decided to head out to explore Beverly Hills for the afternoon. Palm trees and blue skies - can you ever get enough of them?! We stopped on Rodeo Drive for a spot of window shopping/people watching too.
When back at the hotel we headed up to the roof terrace for a sundowner before heading to the airport- they have a huge roof bar area and again, it's beautifully decorated with amazing views of the Hollywood hills. This was the perfect place to end our whirlwind week in LA and I'll definitely be booking again when I'm next in La La Land!
