Petit Ermitage, West Hollywood

THIS PLACE IS NICE AND CONVIENET -- HOWEVER IF YOU HAVE A CELL PHONE, LIKE THE REST OF THE WORLD, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE IT HERE. YOU WILL BE FORCED TO GO OUTSIDE TO MAKE A PHONE CALL SINCE THIS HOTEL IS POCKETED IN A LOCATION WHERE SIGNALS FROM CELL PHONE TOWERS LIKE; AT&T IS NOT REACHABLE.

I stayed at this place when it was the Valadon, and I was disgusted with it overall. The front desk clerk was NOT friendly, the lobby was funky and the room felt moldy to me. NOW, IT'S MADE A COMPLETE TURNAROUND! The lobby is cute, lobby is cute, and the rooms are nice. They have fully stocked mini bars, flat-screen TVs, the bathrooms are nice and clean, and I wasn't waiting all friggin night for room service! STAY HERE! It's just minutes from Melrose Shopping, The Beverly Center, Mann Chinese Theater, The Grove, I mean, this is a great value. Awesome alternative to the (ALLEGEDLY) bedbug-infested Le Montrose. Happy Travels! :-)

The website makes it look a lot nicer than it really is. In fact, I would venture to say that the website content could be described as false advertising. The room consisted of a single full bed, but the reservation was for 3. We asked the front desk for a rollaway bed and were told that they didn't have any and were fully booked for the night, so we couldn't be transferred to a room with a sofa bed. Luckily, they were able to produce a broken cot. They are doing some construction, which might explain why our room was extremely outdated while the pictures of the rooms on the website are beautiful. We figured out they were doing construction on the room above ours at 9am on Saturday morning when chips of paint were literally falling from the ceiling due to lots of drilling and hammering. There was no coffee maker, hair dryer or iron in the room, though the website says these are included. We ordered a pot of coffee by room service for $15, tipped the waiter $5, and asked him to bring us another mug because he'd only brought 2. He said sure, then left, and never came back. Location was good, but I feel I would've been a lot better off at a Motel 6, and for a lot less money. Definitely will not go back to the Valadon.

While making the tour to visit potential universities my teenager and I happened to stay at this hidden gem. At first we were underwhelmed as the place is under constuction and in a " between" state and they first placed us in a "smoking " room. When we proclaimed our displeasure, we were immediately shown another room, one that was totally acceptible, spacious and with a gas fireplace. The hotel is close to UCLA, Beverley Hills, Rodeo Drive,Sunset Blvd, just to name a few places. My teenager loved the shopping and the people watching. The pluses are many. There is wall to wall art on every foor and sculpure, too. It is like going to a gallery. There is even original art in the underground garage! And, when you need a break from a teenager, there is the fourth floor roof top garden complete with a killer view of downtown LA and the Pacific Design Center. It is the perfect respite for a weary traveller and a great place to sip a glass of wine.. Did I mention that up on the roof is a bekconing open air lounge with comfortable futons, a large and beautiful Persian rug and, again, the gas fireplace? It is very campy, yet sophisticated. The place is under constuction,so all is not perfect. However,in an instant, LaVerne, the hilarious and extremely helpful front desk person,will show you the plans for how the Valadon will look upon completion. This place will morph into a jewel. Last, but not least, is Bree, the new manager, who is infusing the Valadon with warmth and hospitality. I felt truly welcomed. So, that is my Valadon experience. I agree with LaVerne. I will let my child go to school in Los Angeles as long as I can stay at the Valadon. It really is a gem!