Sleepover Élan Hotel [continued]
By Tralee Pearce

With prices starting at $165 (U.S.) a night, a bargain for L.A., the Élan is not only about what you get - attentive service for starters - but also what you don't get: a pool for one, and a lot of tempting, costly add-ons that can rocket your final bill by hundreds of dollars. All the better for saving money for that $200 pair of low-rise jeans from nearby Melrose Avenue.

Behind the hotel's Jetson's-like facade - all sharp-edged concrete and plate glass - lies a simple, peaceful lobby filled with mod furnishings in muted tones of blue, papaya and celery green. The colour palette is even softer inside the crisp, luxurious rooms. And since the Élan is located within blocks of major Hollywood sights and shopping, getting a good night's sleep is priority No. 1.

Clientele
Young professional movers and shakers more impressed with high-minded design and comfort than with the chance of sharing the elevator with a movie star.

Service
No frills doesn't mean no attention. The staff-to-visitor ratio is tilted in favour of the guests. Room service runs from 6 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. (to be exact). There's a fitness room, complimentary meeting room, non-exorbitant valet parking, high-speed Internet access (with staff on hand to explain how it works) and 24-hour concierge service. For an extra cost, in-room spa services, such as a massage or manicure, can also be arranged.

Room
Classy and neutral, with celadon green, beige and grey ruling the roost. With only 50 rooms to furnish, no scrimping has been done on fine materials: Egyptian cotton sheets, goose down comforters, Irish cotton bath sheets and sumptuous in-house bath products called Lather. The earthy tones and pale maple and cherrywood furniture replicate the comforts of home - if home is a designer-rendered oasis. There are 31 deluxe king rooms, eight standard, four double beds, two twins and four junior suites. Desperate coffee drinkers can cure the jitters with an in-room coffee maker stocked with uber-Angeleno designer coffee from Wolfgang Puck.

Food and drink
There is no hotel restaurant, but a continental breakfast, served at bistro-style tables in the main lobby from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m., is included. Nosh in front of the lobby's plate-glass windows, watching Los Angelenos head to work in their SUV's while you plot your day of leisure. The standard spread of bagels, coffee, yogurt and fresh fruit will appeal to budget-minded traveler's who would rather splurge on a fancy dinner at one of LA's Latest hot spots. And the cool little retro, boxed cereals they serve will make even the most serious adult feel like they're on holiday. Befitting the sixties' feel of the place, room service (think fried chicken and burgers) comes from the nearby 20-year-old Jan's Diner. Very kitsch. Although there's no bar, guests are invited to complimentary wine and cheese at a low-key "manager's wine reception" Monday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Ambiance
Mod-Zen. Fashion-shoot-ready, but not too-cool-for-school. You will not have to flash a room key to get past a bouncer on a Saturday night. A quaint notion of calmness reigns.

Design
From the well-chosen lobby chaises to the subtle textures of the bedroom textiles, it's evident that the hotel's interior designer, Canadian expat Melanie Rechnitz of MR Design, works almost exclusively in residential design. Her interiors incorporate subtle geometric designs in neutral beige's and taupe's, in decidedly noncommercial fabrics such as chenille, mohair and linen, for a sumptuous, non-mass-produced feel. If you can, ask for a room that faces the interior courtyard. Rechnitz has lined it with glistening tumbled glass.

What is there to do?
Nestled between gritty Hollywood, groovy Melrose and posh Rodeo Drive, the Élan sits on an axis of great sightseeing and even better shopping. Located a few steps from the Beverly Center, it's well situated for high-end mall prowling. Rodeo Drive and the even trendier North Robertson Drive lie just beyond, to the west. A little to the east is Melrose Avenue. Ask about two new malls that have opened: the Grove at Farmers Market and the Hollywood Highland, home of the Kodak Theater where the Oscars are being held tomorrow. A few blocks north is the Sunset Strip, where there are more than 100 restaurants within five minutes of the hotel. Hollywood is about five minutes away, where guests can see the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Mann's Chinese Theater and Ripley's Believe it or Not.

Santa Monica is about 14 kilometers away, the LAX airport 19 kms, and Universal Studios and Warner Brothers Studio about 16 kms. The concierge can arrange any of these trips, along with sightseeing tours.

Contact information
Élan Hotel: 8435 Beverly Blvd. Phone: (323) 658-6663; fax: (323) 658-6640; reservations: (888) 611-0398; e-mail: info@elanhotel.com; Web: www.elanhotel.com

Current rate from $165 (US) a night.

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