There's some new in the old Four Points at LAX

The Room(s): Both the rooms I experienced at Four Points Sheraton LAX were updated and comfortable. The Four Comfort bed in concert with the hotels location away from busier Century Blvd. provided a good nights sleep. The work area was perfect for a gadget hoarder like me with plenty of power outlets and complimentary wi-fi. The television is a good size… Big enough for bleary-eyed letlaggers to see (and eventuallly fall asleep to).  The lack of a dresser might be an annoyance to some but I actually like the extra space it creates.  Also the restrooms are smaller than I’d prefer and may not be great for couples, friends or families sharing a room. Otherwise, a perfectly comfortable room for a short stay.

Service: From the driver of the 24 hour shuttle to the front desk, service was above average. I didn’t expect a welcome drink and hot towel, but a smile and quick check-in was plenty. If I have a complaint it’s that room service took forever and brought me a cheeseburger in addition to the gin and tonic I ordered. They quickly apologized and removed any extra charges from my bill. The cheeseburger looked really good.

Perks: The wi-fi is free! Plus the bottled water in your room is complimentary. Perfect for the dehydrated workaholic.

Location: Being so close to LAX means you won’t have to go far after hopping off a late night flight…or a rediculously long trans-oceanic hop. Budget rent-a-car is also directly across the street. So you can shuttle to the hotel from LAX for free, grab your rental the next morning and save a few dollars.

Lobby: If you look hard enough (it’s not that hard) you can see that this isn’t a new hotel, but the recent remodel makes it look and feel much younger. The atrium area is bright, airy and comfortable. A great place so meet up with friends or colleagues.

Overall: A hotel with hundreds of reviews on sites like TripAdvisor (like this one) make it easier to see what I’m getting into. The Four Points by Sheraton at LAX gets tons of favorable marks and a few (relatively speaking) bad ones. What I gathered from reading both bad and good reviews is that the hotel has been in the process of remodeling and many of the newer reviews were positive. The less positive reviews were mainly focused on rooms that had not yet been remodeled or for more subjective reasons that are less likely to bother the rest of us. Four Points LAX is a perfectly good spot for a few nights or to get some rest during long layovers.

Rating: 3.5 Hops (out of 5)

The Deal-How I got it: I used spg.com to book with StarPoints (Starwood Preferred Guest Program). Good rates are usually available for this hotel whether using cash, points or (when available) both.

Airline/Club Name: Delta Sky Club
Location: LAX (Los Angeles, CA)
Terminal/Concourse: Terminal 5

Departures/Arrivals. Delta Sky Club at LAX.

Notes: This Delta Sky Club was remodeled in 2010 and is a remarkable improvement over it’s predecessor. The space is open, bright and provides a variety of seating options for any kind of group. There are quiet areas for those who need to get work done (or are just aren’t that social) and there’s the large main room that’s more active (and closer to the food). In regards to comfort, You’ll have a wide choice of seating from bar stools to large odd but cute cube chairs with high backs and sides (that seem more like artwork than furniture). Showers are available if you’d like to wash off the plane smell in between flights. You’ll also have a good view of the lounge from the check-in counter so you can see how crowded it is before bothering (this is particularly helpful if you pay per visit and don’t want to pay extra to be squished into a spot that’s more crowded than the terminal).

Wi-Fi: Yes/Free. Connect to T-Mobile HotSpot within the lounge and connect as member.

Service: The front desk was well staffed even this late at night to check people in (to the lounge) and help with reservations. No real smiles or warm welcome from the front desk, but I’m sure those were spent on the jillion passengers who stopped by at the beginning of their shift.. The crew stocking the snack/drink bar was fantastic. Nothing sat unattended to very long and cleanup was quick throughout.

Convenience to gate: Easy. The terminal is small and the lounge is airside (past security) so you don’t need to allow extra time in getting to your flight.

How I got in/Strategies: I paid $25  with my Delta branded American Express Card, giving me 1-time access (price is per-guest). If you don’t fly Delta more than once in  a calendar month, this is likely the way to go. If you’ll be flying Delta several times within a 30 day period, you have a $90 option that gives full member access to Sky Clubs and partner lounges. This option (as do all full memberships) also grants entry to your spouse or up to 2 guests over 21 years of age. Delta offers a range of options for yearly memberships, most notably the option to pay monthly (although slightly more expensive than paying for the entire year up front). Discounts are given to medallion (premium) frequent fliers.

Rating: 4 hops (of 5)

Hotel: The Standard, Hollywood
Location: West Hollywood, CA
Stars: 3

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.

Perks: No real extras unless you want to pay for the aromatherapy candle or mix CD you can buy from your rooms mini-bar/snack/goodies supply. Very simple setup.

Location: Above Average. The Standard is a reasonable distance from tourist attractions. You can get to them easily by car or taxi, but not a simple walk. Personally, I prefer having a car when in LA.

Lobby: The lobby is pure LA trendy. From the aforementioned human aquarium to the lively bar/pool area… you’re certainly not in Kansas anymore.

Parking:  Average. $29 a night for Valet. Expensive, but good service for the price in my experience.

Overall: Average. The Standard’s website claims that they are “anything but”, which I can agree with…except when it comes to the guest rooms. The lobby/bar/restaurant are fun and flashy, but the rooms are quite standard aside from the retro curtains, orange bathroom and ikea furniture. One extra note: I’ve recently read guest reviews that mention the “creepy” hallways. They ARE dark and a little drab…That said,  I rarely find myself spending much time in the hallways of hotels.

The Deal-How I got it: Booking with the hotel directly seems to get you an upper level room away from the noisy pool area. Booked once on Orbitz and got a first floor room with a patio separated from the pool area with a tall fence with a thick mesh fabric so outsiders can’t see in. Paid roughly $120 for the first level special on Orbitz and have paid up to $175 for higher level and sometimes slightly larger rooms.

Rating: 3.0 Hops (out of 5)