LOS ANGELES | HOTEL REVIEW
L.A.'s Orlando emerges from former Beverly Plaza
Big rooms and great shopping, but why the claustrophobia-inducing gym?
The Orlando, the former Beverly Plaza, 8384 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles
Rates
Brochure rates begin at $319.
For an in-depth review of The Orlando hotel, click here.
What we liked
Inspired shopping: There's an eclectic array of fashion and home-décor boutiques as well as niche bookstores, including the Traveler's Bookcase and Cook's Library.
Great eats: There are loads of restaurants in the area. The hotel's very own La Terza is a top Italian restaurant with good prices and a better wine list.
Open spaces: The size of the room, about 400 square feet, was impressive, particularly for an urban hotel wedged onto a street corner.
What we endured
So very beige: The hotel room was big with lots of beige and brown, inexpensively furnished, modern, masculine. It's anchored by the duvet-covered, king-size platform bed, an almond-colored chenille sleeper couch, a glass-topped aluminum-frame desk, a pair of nightstands and matching cubes for coffee tables. The sleeping area is fresh, but the very beige, very plastic bathroom is dingy.
I can't breathe: The fitness center is a compact, airless room outfitted with new cardiovascular equipment. The spa is two closet-sized saunas and a massage room. You won't swim in the pool, but dunk: It's a 20-by-10-foot strip of saltwater with a view of power lines.
Overall impression
I felt I'd found one of those budget European hotels where the rooms aren't luxurious but all's forgiven once you tuck into a plate of pasta at the restaurant.
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