During our recent trip to LA we stayed in 3 hotels, each one in a different part of the city. Now that Simon and I are going to be focusing on Travel content a lot more, we thought that some hotel reviews would be a good place to start as quite a few of you that followed along on Insta stories were asking about where we were staying.
So first up is the Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills. This wasn't the first hotel we stayed at, it was the second, and I have to admit that despite all 3 hotels being very different, the Avalon was my favourite. Located in the prestigious district of Beverly Hills the Avalon was the perfect safe haven from the city bustle. This area of LA is pretty laid back, because just like in the movies, this is where the rich and famous live. Driving along the streets we slowed right down to admire the jaw dropping properties that line them, and along the streets mums jogging with strollers (yes, they really do that) a vast array of dog walkers with every breed under the sun and plenty of play trees. Places of interest within Beverly Hills include the Sprinkles cupcakes ATM, the Beverly Wilshire hotel where Pretty Woman was filmed, luxury shopping on Rodeo Drive, the Beverly Hills sign and the famous Beverly Hills hotel where Simon and I had lunch on our trip last year in June. I hope your Instagram is ready for all this 😉
The Room
We checked in to the Avalon a few hours ahead of the usual check-in time but this wasn't a problem at all. Obviously this won't always be the case, in peak season I'm sure they'll be fully booked but on this occasion we were able to access our room within 10 minutes of walking in.
Our room was spacious and most importantly very clean. We had a huge bed with soft sheets and feather pillows, exactly what you'd expect from a 4 star hotel. The marble bathroom immediately caught my eye and was fully stocked with plenty of towels, 2 robes and some toiletries should you need them. The room was open plan as you can see here in the images and here in my LA vlog, with a decent sized wardrobe, ironing facilities, mini bar, desk area and a balcony which overlooked the pool and quirky layout of the hotel. Whilst we're on the topic of the layout, the Avalon is not dissimilar to a motel, albeit a very very nice one. Access to the rooms are outside, which actually I liked, but we did notice that when heading out for the day, at the bottom of the staircase (we were on the 1st floor) there was a open space where anyone could just wander in. I felt completely safe but I just wanted to mention this fact for anyone that does prefer to be in a more secure environment. Despite the 'open' design we didn't suffer with any noise at night and we had a very comfortable few nights here. Although we did have a connecting room and we could hear quite a hit of noise from our neighbours, luckily this was only in the morning once we were up and getting ready. The wifi was free which in my opinion it should be at any hotel you stay in and we had a tablet in the room which we could use for checking the weather and ordering room service among other things.
All in all the room was incredible value in comparison to other hotels in the area.
Amenities
On site the Avalon has a beautiful restaurant, Viviane, and although we didn't eat there due to our schedule it was always busy so the food must be good. You can check out the menus here. You could add a breakfast option on to the room for $22 per person, per day but in my opinion that is far too much for breakfast...welcome to LA folks. Seating for the restaurant is available both inside and outside around the pool area. But this is where I'm going to have a little moan guys because there's not a great deal of privacy if you're a guest and wish to use the pool. When the restaurant is open there are people sat outside at the tables, most of which we noticed having business meetings...and staring at us in the pool. The same would apply if you chose to set yourself up on one of the loungers for a day of catching rays, there will be a constant stream of people coming and going who are not guests of the hotel. Maybe I'm just being fussy but If I'm sat around the pool I'd much rather be surrounded by other guests in swimwear rather than men in suits. I didn't particularly get a family friendly vibe from this place, which actually is what I look for because I don't have kids, but if you do, I don't think this is place for frolicking in and out of the pool. Moan over, the pool is heated so it's lovely and warm and I had a very nice morning swim to set me up for the day. If swimming isn't your thing when it comes to fitness then there is a rather modest fitness centre equip for a workout. You can also use the swanky tablet in your room to order in-room spa treatments which is never something I do when on holiday but the option is there.
As with most hotels in LA there is of course valet parking which is your only parking option other than finding yourself street parking, but I wouldn't recommend this, even in Beverly Hills. So just remember to budget for Valet which costs $38 per day (yeh I know!).
Outfit Details
Stripe Bandeau Dress - Reformation
String Bag - Bought at a farmers market (But similar here)
Stripe Swimsuit - French Connection
Bird Print Dress (worn as cover-up) - DVF
Yellow Satin Sandals - Zara (Sold out but very similar here)
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