A great way for Delta airlines customers holding their co-branded American Express card to access any Delta Sky Club is to buy a single visit pass for the reduced price of $25. The normal fee for one day access is $50 and gets you into any Delta club (not including partner lounges). Up to 2 guests are also allowed for an additional $25 each. This is excellent news to those of us who were disappointed with Delta’s withdrawl from the (still very useful) Priority Pass program.

modhop tip: When using clubs in any of Delta’s Hubs (particularly Atlanta), ask at the desk or look to see if the lounge you are trying to access is very crowded. In times of heavy traffic it might be a good idea to use a lounge a little farther from your gate if there are fewer travelers in another part of the airport. It’s possible to regret spending ANY amount of money on squeezing into an overcrowded lounge.

Airline: American Airlines
Aircraft:767-200 (Transcon)
Seat: 8H
Class: Business

The Seat:Compared with seats offered aboard legacy competitors like those in Delta’s new Business Elite and United’s P.S. business class products, American’s Flagship transcon in business class falls short by a few inches in regards to legroom and seat width, but unless you’re nearing 7 foot tall my guess is that you’ll hardly notice. Seat review websites like seatguru mention that this is one of very few rows in business that is correctly aligned with the window, so cloud-gazers will have to lean forward if seated in a different row. Seat controls are, shall we say: “old school”, using manual levers and lacking the multiple and sometimes confusing seat controls of more modern seats. Winged headrests make it easy to nap and recline is sufficient for short term snoozing. Duvets and full pillows are provided as well.

Service:Service from the flight attendants and gate agents was standard. Everyone was attentive and helpful but nothing extraordinary when considering this is business class.

Summary:While I would have preferred an updated seat with a few more recline and lumbar options, I was pleased overall. Decent food selection, inflight wi-fi and abundant entertainment options helped to make the flight very pleasant. With as little as I had to do to get the upgrade, I was impressed.

Rating:3.5 hops (of 5).

The Room: Very simple considering the hotel location and remarkably different from the vibe you get from walking through the lobby. With an all-orange bathroom and blue/white everywhere else, the decidedly retro color scheme gives rooms this room the only charm it needs to keep from being just “standard”. Rooms are clean enough, but with Hollywood being Hollywood You might be forced to wonder what happened in your room last night. In most rooms you’ll have either a patio or a small balcony, a nice way to enjoy the excitement by the pool (on the first floor) or a view of the neighborhood. (1st floor rooms with patios are subject to some noise, but seem to quiet down after 11pm).

Service: Front desk service has always been great. It may be that I’m staring at the human aquarium behind the front desk or distracted by the seemingly endless party by the pool, but I always seem to be greeted with a smile and friendly attitude.  Room service is slightly pricey but always quick and tasty. Over a few visits I’ve had  standard breakfast and coffee service, both were acceptable to good. The valet was particularly helpful and speedy…Good with directions and treated my rental Kia like it was something much nicer. [Read more →]