A few years ago I lived in Hollywood for about a month. I flew in from Italy, looking for something totally different than I had been used to, and well, I have to say, moving to Hollywood proper direct from the Umbrian hill town of Perugia is about as big of a change as you can make. And while I enjoyed my time in Hollywood, the city wasn’t for me, so I ended up moving back to the East Coast.
Nowadays, when I do get back to the City of Angeles, I like to call the Chamberlain Hotel home. Nestled in a quieter part of West Hollywood, this is everything I think of when I think LA.
When you enter into the lobby you’re immediately struck by the variety of textures and materials. Marble floors welcome you, and lush lighting reflects off of the mirrored walls. This is Hollywood Regency meets the 80’s meets today. It’s very lush and stylized, but it’s immediately welcoming and calming. The lighting is dim in just the right way, and the velvet couches and chairs in the lobby are a nice place to sit and relax while you’re waiting to check-in.
The few times I’ve stayed here I’ve been in the Executive King Suite. How fancy! The room is absolutely huge, especially coming from New York. You have a sunken living room with huge flat screen tv, a balcony slash mini terrace, and a huge seating area, with couch and two chairs. When I was here for work this was the perfect place to unwind and sort of relax. This is what gives the Chamberlain that homey atmosphere and feel, but it still remains chic.
The bedroom is set up and is decked with an incredibly comfortable bed and another huge flatscreen tv, just in case you didn’t want to watch the one in the living room. The bathroom continues the trend of marble, and is impeccably done up in a glamorous style. The lighting is perfect, soft yet clear, which is always nice. So many times the lighting is hotels is so, well, horrendous, and you wake up, wander into the bathroom, and let out either a disgruntled sigh or a shriek, depending on how rough your previous night was. But I digress, as there’s none of that at the Chamberlain.
The food at the restaurant is quite delicious, and I was quite happy with the selection and prices. I ordered a grilled chicken burger at 9am on my last day here because I was still jet lagged, and it arrived perfectly done and beautifully presented. There’s an in room delivery charge that I think is a bit excessive, but I guess it goes with the territory. Gratuity is also included, which I don’t mind, and actually makes things easier.
The cherry on top, literally, is the rooftop pool. I spent two afternoons here soaking up the LA sun, and the pool is small, but kind of perfectly sized. There were a few people swimming when I was here, though the set up is more geared towards loungers. There’s a rooftop bar up here, and I thought the music was great. Set a bit of atmosphere, and I was able to finally set down my iPhone without need for headphones or anything.