The Garland Hotel in Hollywood has a unique retro, vintage ’70s aesthetic that makes for an interesting stay. The staff were consistently kind and provided good service throughout the visit.
Dining at the hotel—breakfast, lunch, and dinner on separate days—was a bit pricey, with meals for two costing around $70-80, which didn’t quite match the amount or quality of the food (ex: two bkfst sndwch & coffee). Valet parking is $42 per day, and there’s a $200 deposit.
Check-in was smooth, but it lacked key information about the hotel’s amenities. As first-time guests, we weren’t informed about features like the poolside movies or the water station on the first floor—we only found out through other guests.
The biggest issue was the elevator. On our last day, it seemed to be malfunctioning, often very slow coming to the upper floors or doors not opening once arriving to our floor, which forced us to take the stairs. Returning from a theater show at 11:15 PM, on 2/15 we found the elevators were turned off entirely.
Overall, while the experience had its downsides, I might stay again for the convenience of the free trolley service to Universal Studios, other kind guests, and service.