Palihouse West Hollywood

West Hollywood, Los Angeles, United States
Book from GBP Book from £258 per night

Palihouse West Hollywood

West Hollywood, Los Angeles, United States

Paris loft meets Hollywood haute: 36 boho-chic suites and residences with courtyard brasserie, espresso bar tabac, montage lounge and funky roof

Paris loft meets Hollywood haute: 36 boho-chic suites and residences with courtyard brasserie, espresso bar tabac, montage lounge and funky roof

Tucked discreetly off Sunset Boulevard with the hills at its back, Palihouse is a few clicks off the radar and 180º from the stereotypical Hollywood scene. No front desk, no lurking paparazzi, few pretensions - just 36 super-sharp and spacious suites and residences with all the comforts of home and all the perks of a luxury hotel, fully equipped for stays of a few days to several months.

The brainchild of real estate and hospitality tastemaker Avi Brosh, the Palihouse brand creates an urban pied-a-terre for cosmopolitan creatives. Living rooms are a sharp blend of contemporary, vintage and Bloomsbury boho. It’s a neighbourhood gathering place where you don’t have to be 'on the list' to get in. Showbiz moguls take up residence for months; A-list actors drop in for meetings next to writers nursing the signature Writer’s Block cocktail as they click away on their laptops. There are picnic tables on the roof and bikes to borrow. And the courtyard brasserie is one of the few places in LA you can enjoy steak frites under the stars.

Highs

  • A fresh take on Hollywood - swapping ego for cultural cool; a short strut from trendy Melrose shops and Sunset Strip clubs and in easy reach of Beverly Hills’ iconic Rodeo Drive
  • Off-beat and urbane: a fascinating mélange of repurposed antiques, classic furnishings, elegant period pieces and found items
  • Extended stays are encouraged - perks pile up: personal shopper and stylist, discounts and champagne at select shops and salons
  • Egalitarian-neighbourhood vibe; celebs, sans the posturing
  • The authentic brasserie courtyard, Raw Bar, espresso bar and tabac are destinations in themselves

Lows

  • Breakfast not included and no room service until 10 am; brew coffee in your Italian percolator or order your eggs alfresco in the courtyard
  • The eccentric décor is not for everyone; some guests simply don’t get it
  • No pool or spa; the roof sundeck is carpeted in Astroturf with strange, lumpy mounds (it’s much prettier after dark, strung with white bulbs and surrounded by the city glitter)
  • The hotel often hosts private events which can go on into the early hours and can be quite loud; earplugs are provided in each room, though
  • No service after 11pm, and no daily house keeping unless it's requested

Best time to go

Dry and mild, with about 300 days of sunshine a year and average temperatures ranging from the mid-60s to mid-70s (Fahrenheit), Los Angeles is at its best from early autumn to late spring. Winter rains are most likely from February to April. In the late spring to early summer, coastal fog - often called “May Gray” and "June Gloom" - can block the sun until early afternoon. Summers are sunny, but temperatures can cook inland, making the smoggy air unbearable. (A great time to head to the beach, where the typically chilly Pacific is warmest - 65 to 70ºF (18°-21°C). Hot, desert-driven winds called "the Santa Anas" sweep in during October and November, notching up the danger of brush fires.

Our top tips

Catch a cab (or chauffeured sedan) to neighbouring Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive where window-shopping is fun (and easier on the pocket!)

Great for...

City Style
Family
Foodie
Spa
  • Boutique Hotel
  • 36 rooms
  • Restaurant and bar (open daily)
  • All ages welcome
  • Open all year
  • Pool
  • Spa Treatments
  • Beach Nearby
  • Pet Friendly
  • Disabled Access
  • Car recommended
  • Parking
  • Restaurants Nearby
  • WiFi
  • Air Conditioning
  • Guest Lounge
  • Terrace
  • Garden
  • Gym
  • Concierge Service
  • Bicycles Available
Room:

Rooms

Palihouse is black tie and boho. Matte black walls with black varnish accents and crisp white crown moulding are as sharp as a tuxedo. Framed graphics - including a giant mosaic-portfolio of over 350 tinted Polaroid prints - slouch, slightly off-centre, against walls and on counters and headboards. Think brick walls and Carrera-marble counters, bare bulbs, polished chrome and cowhide cushions.

Built from the ground up, suites and residences have the authentic feel of an industrial loft. All the comforts of home with style to spare. Hang the silk tassel on your door for privacy and sprawl across the classic Chesterfield sofa, or make a king- (or queen-) sized nest of the European down pillows and Fili d’Oro Egyptian cotton bed linens.

My Classic Guest Suite had a kitchenette and small bedroom alcove with a kingsized bed and peek-through to the living area - plenty of room for a short stay (though a Corner Suite would have treated me to a better view).

Studio residences have full kitchens and private balconies; some connect. One-bedroom residences have multiple living rooms, private terrace and an extra half-bathroom. One- and two-bedroom loft residences have a wraparound terrace and second-storey loft opening to a private roof deck. Some units have Burma walnut hardwood floors.

All suites and residences are well equipped with every little luxury: flat screen LCD TV with satellite (mine swivelled, so I could surf more than 150 channels from the living room or bed); DVD player; Bose stereo with CD player, AM/FM radio and iPod USB port; individual climate-control; cordless two-line speaker phone with personal voicemail (and free local calls) and high-speed internet (wired and wireless). Low-tech niceties you rarely find in a hotel include windows that open, ceiling fans and screened veranda-style balconies (in residences).

Sleek chrome kitchens are equipped with a microwave oven, fridge, toaster, kettle, stove, cooking and serving utensils (dishes, glassware, flatware, cooking tools and cutlery), plus an Italian coffee percolator. The Italian-made washing machine does double duty as a condensing dryer, you also get an iron and ironing board. One- and two-bedroom residences have ovens with 4 burner-stoves and dishwashers.

Bathrooms are Jazz Age-elegant - embossed wallpaper and carved walnut framed mirrors resting on Carerra marble counters; roomy charcoal-tiled showers. Expect a rain showerhead, bathrobes, hairdryer and C.O. Bigelow bath products.

Features include:

  • Fan
  • Hairdryer
  • Iron
  • Minibar
  • Washing machine
  • WiFi

Eating

If you’re not in the mood to cook breakfast, grab the newspaper (delivered to your door each morning) and head for The Hall Courtyard Brasserie for petit dejeuner. Breakfast is served from 7-11am every day (except Monday, when the restaurant is closed all day) on marble top tables in the draped restaurant, lobby espresso bar or Parisian bistro-style courtyard.

Go light, with a granola parfait made with seasonal fruit and yogurt. Or dive into a hearty Brasserie Breakfast: two eggs, home fries, grilled tomato, toast, and coffee, tea or juice.

The Hall serves 3 meals a day, plus weekend brunch. Menus, charmingly typewritten on blue-lined notepaper paper, feature French Provencal-California fusion: steak frites (served all day) through to gooseberry crème brulee with honeycomb.

For lunch (11 am-3 pm), try the lamb burger with spicy aioli rosemary fries or classic Nicoise salad. Guests gather for in-season oysters, shrimp and crab, paired with caviar and champagne or wine, at the Raw Bar before dinner (served from 6-11pm, midnight on weekends). The dinner menu includes appetisers, salads and entrees ranging from pasta to filet mignon. Two items can be shared by two people, including the Roast Lamb Rack.

The Hall’s wine list includes rosés and champagne and sparkling wines, domestic and imported red, white and dessert wines and a short list of large format and reserve wines.

Tableside service is available throughout the day in the lobby espresso bar and living room lounge. Grab a quick espresso or nurse a cocktail on either side of a fireplace filled with candles. Choose beer or ale, wine or champagne by the glass or made-to-order cocktails. In addition to The Writer’s Block - a muse-stirring blend of vodka, fresh lime juice, apple, cucumber and Muscat sparkling wine - signature cocktails include a grilled grapefruit margarita. On weekends, a DJ spins an eclectic mix of mellow lounge music.

A la carte brunch, served Saturday and Sunday from 11am-4pm, includes a handful of Benedicts, classic fromage et charcuterie, and desserts. On Sunday evenings during the summer, resident families are invited to a BBQ picnic on the roof.

The room service Delivery Menu (available Tuesday through Sunday) includes a short list of favourites, ranging from Palihouse paté to fish and chips with English peas and B.C.’s tartar sauce. After hours, the concierge will help you order take-out from metro restaurants. Or sample one of literally hundreds of eateries in LA such as STK, Cecconi’s, Barney's Beanery next door, and Nobu.

If you’re arriving late, you’ll find a little something in the fridge to tide you over until morning. If you choose to pre-order groceries using an online form, your refrigerator in your well-equipped kitchen will be stocked when you arrive. Kitchens also have a microwave oven, toaster, kettle, stove, cooking and serving utensils and Italian coffee percolator. Residences have dishwashers as well. You can also arrange catered meals in your suite or residence during your stay.

Features include:

  • Bar
  • Kids' meals
  • Kitchenette
  • Restaurant
  • Restaurants nearby
  • Room service
  • Vegetarian options
Eating:
Activity:

Activities

  • At the hotel: Sunbathe on your private terrace or on the hotel roof; linger over a café au lait or a glass of rosé; catch up on email or tweak your screenplay in the living room lounge; indulge in a massage or facial in your suite; test a new recipe in your kitchen; plan a catered party in your residence

  • Exercise: Borrow one of the hotel’s vintage touring bikes and ride to the Farmer’s Market; call in a personal trainer or use your discounted day pass at the nearby Equinox fitness club; walk to shopping and clubs; play tennis on one of the public courses surrounding; play golf in Beverly Hills; swim, surf and windsurf at the Pacific Beaches; practice yoga on the rooftop

  • Shop: A five-night stay gets you a personal shopper and stylist, discounts and champagne on shopping trips to select Melrose District shops and salons. Palihouse is steps from posh Melrose Heights (between La Cienega Blvd. and Fairfax Ave.), home to the boutiques of designers such as Diane Von Furstenberg, Paul Smith and Marc Jacobs; browse art and interior design galleries on Robertson Blvd

  • Hang out at the beach: Head for Santa Monica, where 3.5 miles (5.6km) of freshly groomed sand await, as well as a historic pier with carnival rides and games. Cruise the South Bay Bicycle Trail - stretching 22 miles (35km) from Torrance to Malibu - by bike, motorbike or self-powered Segway

  • Do the tourist thing. A trip to Hollywood isn’t complete until you’ve seen some stars. Tour the Paramount Studios back-lot and it’s almost a sure thing; book a tour of the stars’ homes; step into the footprints of Groucho Marx, Humphrey Bogart and Sean Connery outside Grauman’s Chinese Theatre; follow the Hollywood Walk of Fame, studded with more 2,000 bronze and marble stars honouring celebrities real and cartoon characters like Bugs Bunny and The Simpsons

  • Score a ticket to the Blues or the Bowl. The legendary House of Blues on the Sunset Strip serves up addictive ribs and performances by the likes of Billy Ray Cyrus, Robin Trower and Morrissey; or pack a gourmet picnic for an evening under the stars with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the elegant Greek-style Hollywood Bowl

Activities on site or nearby include:

  • Cycling
  • Golf
  • Hiking
  • Nightlife
  • Shopping / markets
  • Surfing
  • Swimming
  • Tennis
  • Windsurfing
  • Yoga

Kids

Palihouse hosts lots of families, especially during the summer, and the hotel is close to activities kids love, from Santa Monica Pier to Disneyland.

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

One- and two-bedroom residences are ideal for small families. Please note that children aged 2-12 must be accompanied by at least 1 adult in the room.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available, Family Rooms

Babysitting:

Babysitting and nanny services can be arranged.

Baby equipment:

  • Cots
  • High chairs (in restaurant)

Remember  baby and child equipment may be limited or need pre-booking

Children's meals:

The residence kitchens make eating in convenient: you can pre-order groceries, and you'll have a kitchenette with washing machine and microwave. Some also have dishwashers. Children are welcome in The Hall (high chairs are available) and you can get food all day plus room service. There are child-friendly eateries nearby.

Kids Activities on site:

  • Borrow the hotel's bikes and go on a tour of the neighbourhood, or follow the South Bay bike trail
  • The hotel's TV has multiple channels and parental controls

Kids Activities nearby:

  • Tennis courts
  • Pacific beaches, including Santa Monica and its pier
  • Hollywood: think Paramount Studio tours and star-spotting (literally) outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre

Families Should Know:

Small children should be supervised on the roof deck.

Distances:

  • Airport: 40 minutes
  • Hospital: 15 minutes
Kid Friendly:

Location

Palihouse West Hollywood, or Palihouse Holloway as it's also known, sits on the northwest corner of Holloway Drive and Hacienda Place between Santa Monica Boulevard and the world-famous Sunset Strip in LA, Southern California.

By Air:
Direct flights to Los Angeles International Airport aka LAX (27km) are available from almost anywhere in the world. Click on the links below for more information.

From the Airport
The hotel can pre arrange a town car or shuttle service - see Rates. Transportation via taxi takes about 30-40 minutes. Allow extra time during peak periods 7-10am and 3-7pm.

By Car:
If you want to hire a car see our car rental recommendations. Traffic is either travelling at the speed of light or at a complete standstill. The best access to Palihouse Holloway is via the 101 or 10 freeways. It has secure covered parking in an assigned space (though this is for quite a large extra cost); valet service is also available.

By Train
Amtrak operates trains along the California coast, connecting San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and all points in between. Trains arrive at Union Station, north of downtown. Southern California Metrolink trains leave from the same station.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to California and getting around

Airports:

  • Los Angeles International 27.0 km LAX

Other:

  • Beach 8.0 km
  • Shops 0.3 km
  • Restaurant 0.2 km

Rates for Palihouse West Hollywood

Arriving on: