If you read no further than this one sentence, do not even hesitate and just book the Amarano already! Hands down, this beautiful 4 star boutique hotel is, by far, the best hotel in the Valley and the surrounding LA area. Whether you stay for 1 night or 48 nights like I did (due to repairs to my house), this is the ONLY hotel to consider – so classy and elegant and surprisingly affordable when compared to hotels like the Residence Inn. This hotel checks all the boxes - wonderful staff, lovely amenities, cool bar (and restaurant, though I didn’t try it), nice safe area, great location right off the freeway, walkable to Toluca Lake, grocery store/restaurants right across the street (Ma’s Italian – yum!), and just so hip and cool, yet not even a little bit snobby. When you drive up to the place, are greeted by one of the great valet guys, walk into the lobby, and see the beautiful restaurant/bar to your left and friendly, smiling staff to your right, you know you are in for something special. First off – I must thank all of the wonderful employees who made my time there so sublime, truly like a home away from home: Zach in valet was a stand-out – so cheery and warm – great way to start my morning and end my evening seeing Zach and knowing he’d take good care of my car; Rex and Will in valet were wonderful, too. Next, Ali, Hernan, Sergio, and Scott were all so great at the front desk, along with Blake at the breakfast bar. It was always such a pleasure seeing any one of them – so happy, helpful, and kind; they always made me feel so at home. Finally, Laurie Dew in Sales was awesome to work with; I only wish I had connected with her at the start (take notes, people, if you come here for a long-term stay). Once I was connected to her (thanks to Ali), she helped to make sure I could stay for more consecutive nights at the rates needed for my homeowners’ insurance to cover (early on, I would stay for so many days, then check out when they were sold out or priced too high for my budget on peak days). All in all, the people really make this place!! Love, love, love how at home they made me feel (other than one grumpy guy in valet). Now, getting to the hotel itself and the rooms. Elegant and swanky cool rooms; clean, full power AC, roomy, and stylish. I was upgraded on day 1 to Room 465, which has a luxurious spa tub and walk in shower, a balcony looking down at the pool, fridge, coffee bar, and microwave oven. I stayed in 3 different rooms over the course of 2+ months but ultimately room 404 was the one that best suited my needs for long term stays – nice deep drawers in the bathroom to hold all my stuff, accessible safe (not up high in the closet), great view of the sunset from the Juliet balcony above the front of the hotel, magnifying mirror, the perfect walk in shower with high quality shampoo, soaps, and lotions, stylish and comfy king bed, large TV, and oh the Lavazza espresso machine! Best in-room coffee ever! Next, the hotel amenities – it’s quite surprising that a free continental breakfast bar is included – can you get that at the Sheraton Universal nearby? I highly doubt it. It’s bagels, muffins, yogurt, apples, granola bars, etc., but I think you can order hot food from the restaurant if you so desire. You can eat outside in the serene patio area or in the dining area facing the front desk - all very classy, though I often took mine to go; you might even spot a celebrity or two (my lips are sealed, but Will & Grace is a clue). The beautiful pool and jacuzzi area was usually empty, so hanging out there was like having your own private oasis. The gym is somewhat limited but had a lot of high quality equipment, along with a TV and complimentary bottles of water and apples (and, actually, you can ask for bottled water at the front desk at any time, or they oftentimes will offer them up to you, even as you are checking out). Throughout my ordeal of living outside my home for over 2 months, I mostly stayed at the Hotel Amarano, but also at a few Westins, an Aloft, a Hilton, and Le Meridien, but as a total package – the warmth of the staff, the elegance of the entire hotel, the awesome clean and stylish rooms, the amenities, and the safe and accessible location – no place compared to the Hotel Amarano. The following are some helpful notes to be sure your stay is as wonderful as mine: there is no clock, pen/paper, shower cap, robe, or slippers in the room, so just be prepared to bring any of that with you if it’s important. Also, there is a $40 daily amenity fee but that’s par for the course, people; it’s pretty rare to find a hotel without an amenity fee these days. There is no self-parking but, other than tipping the guys, valet parking is covered in the amenity fee (otherwise, my occasional visiting friend would park in the surrounding neighborhood, which felt very safe). I’m saying all of this not as a criticism of the hotel but as a heads up to you potential guests – none of this is a reason not to book the Amarano, nor is it worth griping about later or posting some undeserved nasty review. If you are an out-of-towner visiting this area, here on business at the nearby studios, looking for a relaxing staycation, or needing a long-term stay like me, this is absolutely the place to stay, no question. Thank you Hotel Amarano! I hope to be back someday!…
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.