It was already after midnight when we let ourselves in through the front door and made our way across the living room, up the stairs and down the hall to our bedroom. The instructions were perfect and we were finally able to rest our heads after a 12 hour flight to Los Angeles. It wasn’t until the morning after that we were able to meet our hosts and take in everything that Hollywood B&B is.
Crisp Clean Linen Smell
Before arriving to the US, we got in touch with Nina and William, owners of Hollywood B&B. An eclectic bed and breakfast right on Hollywood Boulevard that just makes you feel at home. From the second you lay your eyes on the place, you can tell that the people who live here, love their home.
Prior to staying at his B&B, William had sent us, without a doubt, the clearest and simplest instructions on how to get from the front door, through the heavily decorated lounge room, up the stairs and direct to our Comet room. Everything he had said, was exactly where it should be, and not a moment after arriving quite late, we were tucked into our very comfortable bed with that crisp clean linen smell for the night. The following morning was when we were able to properly experience the B&B.
A house full of artefacts
From outside the front of the property, every square inch of the facade has some sort of creative input that contributes to the overall aesthetic of the place. At first glance, you notice the enormous graffiti panel to the left and the individually painted exterior walls, then as you look closer, you notice the detailed glass tiling on the patio uprights and the little ornaments hiding in the garden looking back at you. All these things, and you haven’t even taken three steps into the property yet!
Inside, not a square inch has been left untouched. Glass bottles, lamps, pianos, puppets, mannequins, hats, models and just about anything you can imagine comes together to decorate the house in a very artistic way. You could easily spend an hour or so just wondering around the house looking at all the different knick knacks in each of the spaces downstairs.
Comet, Maverick, Biarritz...Where do the names come from?
With so much going on in the living spaces, the rooms available for rent are somewhat toned down to ensure that you have enough space to feel comfortable. Each of the rooms has it’s own private bathroom, TV, WiFi access and all the amenities you need. Let’s just say we had two very comfortable nights staying in the Comet room. Each of the rooms takes on an interesting name and you can find out how the rooms got their names in our short documentary about Hollywood B&B.
Our first morning at Hollywood B&B gave us a chance to meet our hosts. William was sitting in the little lounge area near the kitchen, whilst Nina was busy pottering around in the backyard attending to the numerous tasks that pop up when running a B&B.
In the middle of Hollywood
On offer for breakfast was a selection of cereals, bagels, spreads, breads, juices and tea & coffee that you helped yourself to. We grabbed a couple of bagels, a bowl of cereal and a juice each and sat with William for a bit. He began to share the story of how they came to be B&B owners right in the middle of Hollywood. Check out our film for the full story.
After our breakfast we entered the backyard, and had one of those ‘woah!’ moments. Not only is the backyard huge, but it also has a large swimming pool with an amazing deck built caringly through the established trees that overlook it. Behind the deck was another massive homage to Hollywood through a mural. Being a huge Star Wars fan, I was immediately drawn to Han Solo pointing his laser gun across the garden. There were three or four different places you could sit to relax and enjoy your breakfast - some in the open, and some tucked away for privacy. With large trees lining the property and also within the backyard, you can choose to be in the sun or shade. As you look over the backyard, you notice that the Hollywood hills are right there! You can see some mansions sprawling out over them and you get a real sense of where you are. You’re in Hollywood!
Hollywood First Timers
As first timers to Hollywood, we weren’t too sure on what to do. Luckily, William was able to give us detailed instructions on how to get to all the places we wanted to see. With the help of a huge map that adorns one of the walls near the kitchen (constructed by William) we were able to put together a bit of a plan for the day. Being right on Hollywood Boulevard meant we were able to walk up and see the famous Chinese Theatre and feel the atmosphere of the Walk of Fame.
We spent two nights at Hollywood B&B and had a very memorable and enjoyable time. William is a blast to have a chat with, whilst Nina is super busily working in the background to make sure your stay is as comfortable as it can possibly be. This is not a big chain of B&Bs and it’s not trying to be anything else but itself - and that’s why we loved it! It has a character, personality and most importantly we felt ever so comfortable whilst staying. Thanks to William and Nina for hosting us whilst we were in Hollywood!
Watch our short documentary with William telling us stories about Hollywood B&B.
We were guests of Hollywood B&B for two nights. As always, all opinions in this article are ours.
You can find Hollywood B&B on www.hollywoodbandb.com or Facebook .
