Palihotel Hollywood

There’s no mistaking the Palihotels aesthetic, marked as it is by a distinctive palette of soft colors and an eclectic design sense that’s equally reminiscent of modern boutique hotels and classic European inns. This is true even when the hotel in question is a renovation of a 1958 motel, which is what the Palihotel Hollywood is — now a 76-room boutique hotel right on Sunset Boulevard, complete with a spa, a courtyard swimming pool, and a poolside restaurant and bar.

Rooms vary widely, and go well beyond their motel origins — spacious doubles, queens, kings, and suites, and even a few with balconies. The so-called Night Owl rooms are extra-cozy, with windows that face a corridor rather than outside; even these are equipped with luxe and thoughtful touches like SMEG mini-fridges, Nespresso machines, and Diptyque bath products.

The eye-catching checkerboard pool deck is the daytime social heart of the hotel, as guests recline on poolside loungers and sip margaritas in the shade. The restaurant, Benny’s on the Blvd., serves breakfast and Texas taqueria-inspired fare into the afternoon. And at night Benny’s transitions to cocktail-bar mode; for dinner, guests are turned loose on Hollywood’s star-studded restaurant scene.