WOW! Amazingly, we found the Holiday Inn Express Hollywood which was a half-mile north of the Highland and Hollywood Avenue entertainment and retail complex as well as the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It turned out to be the second shortest commute of our trip.
Before I get into that, I should note that before checking into the hotel, we met up with a local cousin for lunch at Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles nearby in Hollywood. Not unlike my pilgrimage to VIP Records in Long Beach (see my previous entry), this was another destination that I had been looking forward to crossing off my cultural bucket list. Not surprisingly, I ordered a "traditional" chicken and waffles platter - the "Scoe's #1", I believe - while Cathy ordered a house combo, forsaking the waffles in favor of some Southern-flavored sides.
Getting back to the hotel...most Holiday Inn related properties I have ever experienced have a uniformly standard appearance. However, we discovered during our cross-country trip that in some cases, there is some allowance for local expression, such as our stay at the Crowne Plaza in Lafayette, LA. (See earlier review.) However, if a Holiday Inn Express hotel could ever be described as “hip”, then their Hollywood property would be it.
The lobby, while small, was warmly accommodating with a space carved out for sofa and large flat-screen TV. The contemporary soundtrack in the background was carried up into the hallways which, along with the modern carpet made for an unexpectedly trendy vibe.
The room itself was very comfortable and modern. We appreciated the cozy bed, the selection on the flat screen TV and excellent shower. And of course, Hollywood Boulevard was just a short walk away. It was an unusually surreal experience for us to be there as we arrived the day before Michael Jackson’s funeral.
Another surreal moment happened not long after our arrival. As we were flipping channels, we happened to land on Kathy Griffin's "D-List" show on Bravo. Not only did she name-check the hotel that we were staying in, we saw her walk through the exact same garage entrance we had come through. Talk about "art" imitating life!
The complimentary breakfast area, located on an upper floor instead of the tiny lobby, was almost as big as a cafeteria… and just as crowded. Arriving towards the end of mealtime, we considered ourselves lucked out to find a seat.
Overall, that was is a great property for those looking for a little glitz and a lot of consistency in the heart of Hollywood without breaking the bank.
I did a lot of exploring on Hollywood Boulevard as well as nearby Sunset Boulevard. Of course, it was interesting to see all of the commemorative stars along the sidewalk. There was a lot of activity the Grauman Chinese Theatre. Besides various costumed characters posing for pictures with (for a generous tip), there was also a shrine of candles, drawings and fan photos built around Michael Jackson's star, with a huge crowd to match.
A bit off the tourist beat on Sunset Boulevard, the place I most enjoyed visiting was Amoeba Music, a incredible store with huge selection of pre-owned CDs and vinyl recordings. I ended up giving myself a workout with the haul that I brought back to the hotel.
Between the afternoon and the following early morning, I took so many pictures of the area that, just like the Los Angeles bus tour photos, they warrant their own blog entry.
States visited: still 11 but that is about to change.
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