Best Western Hollywood Hills
6141 Franklin Ave., Hollywood
Los Angeles
Hollywood
Hotel Area
Description & Accessibility
The hotel itself (Best Western Hollywood Hills 6141 Franklin Ave.) was under some renovations on the outside at the time, and no clear sign on the outside could be seen. The lighting in the immediate area of the hotel could have been better. The lobby was quite small in comparison to all the other hotels I have been in. The rooms where fine, wireless internet was free and you could connect from our room but the person at the desk had to provide you with a code to log on, the staff at the front desk was helpful if you asked anything. It mentioned in the hotel write-ups on the internet that it was only 1 block to the Hollywood walk of fame, it was a long block, several standard city blocks but nevertheless it was within walking distance. It also mentioned that the Kodak theater was 5 blocks, again as someone mentioned these are Hollywood blocks so you may find it a bit further than you think but still quite doable for walking. No bell service and no ATM at this hotel.
Hollywood blvd. is a long street but as long as you have the time you can walk the length of it, there are what seemed like thousands of stars in the sidewalk of famous celebrities, lots of shops to buy souvenirs on the street. Even in Hollywood you can still come across some homeless people on Hollywood Blvd.
If you happen to be there when there is some kind of celebrity event and they have a section of the street closed off with displays, take it from me the best place to get pictures of the event is on the other side of the street, because if you pick out a place as we did beside the event on the same side the street, security will force everyone away from it before any celebrities arrive so far that you will see nothing. If you wait until security starts forcing people away on the same side of the street it will be far too late to even get to the other side of the street as the brighter people has already filled the other side of the street and you will never get there at that point in time. You also have to find the perfect spot on the other side of the street an hour or more before the scheduled start of the event and stay there. You have to be against the front of the fence as close to the road as possible on the other side of the street, when the celebrities arrive some will wave at the people on the other side of the street before crossing to the actual event side.
Accessibility:
Technically the hotel was accessible BUT it had only one elevator from the lobby and that elevator was about half the size of a normal elevator. The normal route to Hollywood Blvd would be too steep for a wheelchair or scooter, so you had to take an alternative route which got you there but a bit further, sidewalk ramps on that route – some where ruff but doable, some where not at the corner but part way up the street.
The laneway up to the lobby had the hotel on either side, the side the lobby was on had automatic level entry doors, the other side of the laneway had steps going in, not sure if there was any elevators on the other side, but for a person in a wheelchair or scooter would have to enter via the lobby with its half size single elevator. You had to go into the elevator and turn to the side to fit, some larger scooters may not have fit at all.
There was a level entry shower with a grab bar, no grab bars at the toilet location (it was designated as an accessible room), no flip down seat in the shower area but there was a foldable item in the closet I used to sit on in the shower but I am not sure it was meant for that purpose, likely meant to put clothes on.
No bell service, so most had to carry their own baggage but in my case someone did help. The people at the lobby where courteous and helpful. The elevator was too small, the area immediately around the hotel could have been better, access ramps from the sidewalk could have been better, not enough street lighting particularly the route that a wheelchair or scooter would have to take to Hollywood Blvd. Because of this I would consider other hotel possibilities particularly if disabled.
By: Donald Kerr