Hollywood Pensione

We had an amazing time here. Erika and Dougland, the owners, go out of their way to ensure you have a great stay, and they've thought up just about everything they could do to make this place feel like your home away from home. They are accessible without being intrusive, and they have clearly put a lot of love and style into this place. We didn't want to leave! A highlight is Dougland's fresh "pastry of the day" - every morning there's a home-baked goodie waiting for guests in the kitchen, as well as a well-stocked set of breakfast amenities - free coffee and tea, filtered water, fresh-squeezed orange juice you make yourself. This is more like an upscale fancy hostel than a hotel or B&B, in all of the good ways and none of the bad. If you are noise sensitive, this neighborhood could be a challenge for you, but the hosts have gone out of their way to address this issue: There are earplugs in your nightstand (didn't need them), white noise machine with great sound options, and an air purifier that adds its own white noise. Just remember you're in a big city, despite the outside looking quaint and cottage-like. There will be sirens, noisy neighbors, trash trucks, and traffic, but overall, this was a minimal intrusion compared to how peaceful and Zen'd out we felt during our three days here. Don't miss a hike through Griffith Park, just walking distance from the pensione. We can't wait to go back - this is a great find in a great part of L.A./Hollywood.

My husband and I stayed at Hollywood Pensione for 3 nights, at the end of a 3-week trip in Western America. What a lovely place to end holidays: peaceful house, very cosy room, organic bath produces… Erika & Douglas were very friendly, helpful and attentive towards their guests: their home-made cakes for breakfast were so good! The guests' kitchen and the balcony are shared and we had pleasant chats with a really nice person from Chicago while tasting a fine bottle offered by Erika & Douglas... We totally recommend this place!

My partner and I stayed at the Hollywood Penisone for a quick weekend get-a-way. We travel to LA often to visit family and friends and will make this our home away from home. Erika and Dougland, the hosts, we're extremely friendly. Love the extra touches, such as a personal refrigerator, bottle of preseco, and chocolates. The location is fantastic and off-street parking is a plus. The rooms were clean and had everything we needed.

Pleasant accommodations, friendly proprietors. If I have occasion to visit L.A. in the future, I will certainly check whether a room is available at the Hollywood Pensione.

This was my second stay at Hollywood Pensione, which I believe speaks for itself. The personal touch is what has made the trips for me. The hosts are always friendly and helpful, without hanging around too much. As a female travelling solo I was looking for both a location that was safe and convenient. During the day I was able to take a comfortable walk to the train, an even closer walk to a Grocery store and local village. On arriving home I could enjoy my own meal in the shared kitchen and then move to my own room for a luxurious bath, quick watch of TV, chat with my husband via skype and then restful sleep. The towels, amenities, mood all helped to make me feel at home. Erika and Dougald were able to answer all my questions, giving me confidence to negotiate my surroundings and as a generous touch even took me to the airport on my way home. Erika and Dougald are very conscious of wanting to make the experience for their guests a pleasant one. It’s an easy choise. This is not a hotel, but a much more personal experience.

A wonderfull stay at Hollywood Pensione. Rooms were spacious, close to Echo Park and Silverlake, with delicous home baked treats for breakfast!

Thank you so much Erika & Dougald for their hospitality to two very tired Aussies as they arrived sleep-deprived into LA. Although we arrived early, Dougald supplied a beer on the balcony while our room was made ready so that we could get in earlier and rest up. Dougald & Erika went out of their way to make our stay as comfortable as possible, even down to baking daily for breakfast. Thanks again for a great stay.

We had an excellent experience staying at the Hollywood Pensione and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Los Angeles. We were in town for 5 nights from Chicago. We had originally only planned to stay at the Hollywood Pensione for part of the trip, but once we saw it, we decided to stay there the whole time. The house is beautiful, the rooms are spotless and tastefully decorated, the hosts are kind and helpful, and the location is perfect.

I must say, this is my gettaway to GET away from it all.... Erika and Doug make you feel at home and at ease... They run a HANDS off approach meaning, if you NEED them they are around, however ONLY if you need them... They don't micro manage the facility.... I feel like I'm staying at my friends house.... The bathroom is in the room, EVEN better! Full kitchen, awesome.... They is a patio, as I'm a smoker and a couple of blocks up the street from market and dinning... If you are travelling or just want a gettaway, I highly recommend... Oh... The Bliss spa is not far away, I had the best stay... And, hope to be back REAL soon...... Thanks Erika and Doug.......

Hollywood Pensione is much less than I expected. Perhaps years ago things were in better shape, however the peeling paint, the staircase that hasn't seen a vacuum in awhile, the windows propped open by a block of wood, the shower that doesn't work, the super dim lighting (conveniently described as "green"), and the decrepit, dicey, and noisy neighborhood made this such a bad experience our three-night, 4-day stay turned into a one-night stay. The good things were the towels felt luxurious and the bed was very comfortable, but the telltale brown stains left by others spit and head sweat on the pillows negated any good. This felt like a part-time business for a stay-at-home mom who was too busy to tend to her customers. If I were right out of school, this might be an adventuresome place except for the $165 a night price. Don't believe all that you read on their web site. Spa-like amenities include some strategically placed candles, some chocolates, and a bottle of wine. We hope the McQueens will do the right thing and return our money; time will tell.

[Resource Id: innkeeperresponse, Set: reviews]
This review saddens me, and it's hard not to take it personally as this is my home and full-time business. Our one employee, Michelle, a meticulous woman who makes her own non-toxic, organic cleaning products was still cleaning when these guests arrived 2 1/2 hours early. We don't show our Pensione in this condition, but the guests asked to use the (just cleaned) bathroom. When they entered beds were stripped, blinds pulled up and windows opened to air the room (including one that requires a small block of wood). Our showers absolutely work - they have a water-saving device that allows you to shut them off while you soap up. Our rooms are very clean: our beds, linens, towels, and bath robes are of the highest quality. My husband maintains the exterior of our 1915 Craftman's home and yard with great pride. Our neighborhood is safe. My neighbors are young artists, old Armenian families, and other young families like ourselves. I do understand that Hollywood is not everyone's cup of tea, and like many cities there are parts of Hollywood not recommended for walking alone at night. Dougald and I make ourselves very available should a guest need our help, but otherwise respect their privacy. We are also very open to constructive criticism: comment cards are available in our guest book. Instead, these guests have gone on more than one website with reviews that are increasingly exaggerated - now calling their stay a "nightmare." We are guilty of having to do some paint touch ups in the door jams (non-toxic paint requires more maintenance) and if you arrive hours before check-in, you may see a full garbage can and a stairway that hasn't been vacuumed yet. If this constitutes a nightmare, I think your life is blessed. We are grateful for the many wonderful guests (from every corner of the world) who have come to share the light and love within our home, and we look forward that continuing in the future.

- Erika Ackerman McQueen (innkeeper)

We couldn't have been more pleased with our accommodations at the Hollywood Pensione. Everything we needed was ready and waiting - lovely room, fabulously comfortable beds, well stocked kitchen and pleasant outdoor porch - ideal for a cup of coffee in the morning or a glass of wine in the evening. It was very conveniently located for our needs and I would highly recommend it.

Excellent, very peaceful, bed very comfortable, good feng shui, central LA location, will stay again

without getting too verbose, we absolutely adored everything about the gift of this abode...from the sweetness of the proprietors, Erika and Dougald, to all of the finishing touches and heart-felt details....I will always recommend this sanctuary to anyone needing a spot in the heart of Hollywood.. looking forward to our future visits!

Everything is lovely about the Hollywood Pensione. The bedroom and bathroom are so modern and green but incredibly comfortable too; everything is so soft. The common rooms are well designed and pleasant as well. The location is great for what we wanted being walking distance to several restaurants and my friend Kelly's house (which is, I'm sure a big draw for most folks, being close to my friend Kelly.). Erika & Douglad, the owners are the sweetest people too. I hope it's not completely booked the next time we travel to LA.

Really enjoyed our stay! Feels like a home away from home - and it's so close to walk to great restaurants and supermarket. But the advantage of having free car parking was awesome - you definately need a car in LA - (we got over our fear of driving on the other side of the road and really got to enjoy LA,Venice beach and Malibu) staying at the pensione was a great comfort at the end of each day and breakfasts treats were always yum!

It was our first visit to L.A. so expectations were high and we were very excited about what we came for. We were greeted by Dougald who very kindly assigned us our room. In the room was lit candles along with the muffled music made us feel like home. We stayed there for 2 days but wished we could be at least a week. The neighborhood seemed safe and there were fine organic shopping, just 300 meters away. We had a nice chat with both Dougald, Erika and their sweet daughter. They had many good destinations we just had to experience ..

Wonderful alternative to large and expensive hotel. Great location. Great hosts. Entire home is very clean and comfortable. Love the bed! Much like home! Love the green aspects.

A great place to stay, near Hollywood and The Hollywood Bowl. Lovely hosts with great local knowledge

We stayed 2 nichts in August and was perfect. The rooms are very beautiful and confortable. Erika and Dougald were very kind in every moment. The zone is quiet, though it's a little noisy in the morning. If we are going to Los Angeles again, we will stay in Hollywood Pensione!

The location is spot on & very convenient, the rooms are super clean & have a very homely feel. For a B&B the bedrooms are perfectly spaced so that you don't feel like your on top of each other. Actually we didn't even see or hear the other guests. Highly reccommended.

The Hollywood Pensione is a fantastic little discovery in a good location in Hollywood. Good parking, fantastic hosts, great kitchen with all you need all topped off with lovely peaceful rooms! Well worth a stay!!

Erika and Dougald knows how to "set the scene" for real relaxation. They thought of everything. The room's name was Peace...and it was. Our own frig and usage of a full kitchen made me feel at home. All of the extra touches...organic sheets, pillow cases, soaps, air purifier. Everything was clean and comfy. The Best Nights Sleep. Stay here when you come to LA.

My stay here was absolutely perfect. I was traveling alone for a friend's celebration in Los Angeles, and wanted a welcoming, clean (really clean), friendly, safe, pampering treat that also felt homey. I travel a ton for work and am so over hotels. This was just perfect. The owners are classy, thoughtful, and really interesting. There are little details like new earplugs in the drawer, lavender shampoo etc, a beautiful candle, complimentary wine & chocolate, coffee, an adoooorable back terrace. Even if you live in town and want a getaway - write your novel, memorize your lines, hang out with a friend... I look forward to staying again!!

did not rate dining as it's N/A. quiet, clean, organic, cozy, friendly, easy. Highly recommend! Sarah

We loved the friendliness of Erika and Doug the owners. They helped us feel very comfortable at the Pensione. We liked having our own refrigerator along with the fully equipped kitchen to cook meals for ourselves. It was a relaxing stay and would definitely stay at the Pensione again. Very quiet, and relaxing.

Stayed for 3 nights, and really enjoyed it. The owners are lovely people and very accommodating. The bed is wonderfully, amazingly comfortable, and you get a bottle of wine and chocolates at check-in. Having the kitchen available is a nice convenience. Note that it's not an actual B&B, but several varieties of tea and coffee are available, plus each room gets its own mini-fridge in the communal kitchen, which has a microwave, stove, and oven, with free washer and dryer. The Hollywood & Western metro station is a 10-12 minute walk away, and there are restaurants and grocery stores within a 5-10 minute walk. I've already recommend it to coworkers and friends, and I'd stay again.

Very nice people! They are so helpful! We felt like staying with friends. The room was beautiful. European style combined with Japanese flair. Important amenity for European citizens: Landline calls to Europe are free!

The pensione is very comfortable and Erica and Dougald are incredibly accomodating. They installed a bar in the shower for my mother! Having a kitchen available was one of the best perks. The place is very inviting and cozy.

What a discovery! This place was referred from a friend and they have been more than accommodating. I travel to LA weekly for business and stay as often as possible. I like the private entry and secure parking which is important in Hollywood. Complimentary wine and chocolate are the icing on the cake! Can't wait to stay again next week!

Without this grounding, clean, safe and stylish accommodation my LA experience would not have been the same. Hollywood Pensione is one of the best places I have stayed in the US and def the best in LA. I was there for six weeks and my experience could not have been a better one. Erika and Dougald are the perfect hosts and very passionate about their Hollywood Pensione - it is reflected right down to the last detail. Lilly Dawson

Conveniently located in Hollywood, with private parking, separate entrance, and full of whole grain goodness at every turn, from the organic bedding to the hardwood floors to the zen alarm clock that wakes you up with a chime. In fact, it's the closest thing to a zen temple you'll find in LA, except maybe for an actual zen temple."

My stay at the Hollywood Pensione ( for six weeks ) seemed like coming home. But to a really nice home. With maid service. The Zen serenity of the decor, the comfort of the rooms, and our little sundeck for an evening cocktail all conspired to make the time fly by during my L.A. stay. It was lovely to be able to take the subway to downtown, and there are a variety of shops, nice restaurants, and cool bars within walking distance. Erika and Doog are fabulous hosts, knowing just when to be social and when to ensure privacy. Stay here, stay here, stay here, I honestly believe you'll love it.

I was so pleased to stay at this very beautiful & peaceful Pensione . It is a true Pensione, which is Not a Bed and Breakfast. The main difference is it's much more private ! Feels more like a small Hotel. The owners have made created a very peaceful envirement and felt so at home. I really didn't want to leave !

Stay for 3 nights. It was great! very quiet and charming place. Only comment: No breakfast was included.

If you are considering staying at the Hollywood Pensione and are reading this review to help you decide...we say get on the booking page and BOOK IT NOW!!! We loved it! The hosts Erika and Dougald are super friendly, informative and ready to assist. The room was so peaceful and comfortable that we couldn't wait to come home at the end of each day... we particularly loved the air purifier in the room and the comfortable beds and pillows. The washing machine, dryer and kitchen facilities make living away from home for an extended period so much easier than staying at a hotel and the Pensione is a 1 minute walk to the bus that takes you anywhere you want to get to in LA ( very handy). We are now back home in Australia and miss it already!

For an Aussie actor flying out to US for the first time and a long way from Sydney, I really felt like I was at a home away from home at the Hollywood Pensione thanks to Erika & Dougald. Thanks for the warm and friendly welcome to LA!

I stayed at the Hollywood Pensione as a single female traveller and cannot recommend this b and b enough. It was amazing!All the comforts of home and more.I didn't really want to return home after my stay here...the most comfortable bed and pillows,soft towels, a zen clock that wakes you up gradually from your sleep (the best sleep i've ever had whilst i was away),washing machine and dryer,fully equipped kitchen and an adorable balcony with an outlook of "those palm trees"....so la! erika and dougald were wonderful and made the experience even more enjoyable as they are helpful,kind and individually enchanting to get to know.The metro srtation is around the corner and makes hollywood,santa monica and surrounds very accessible. Make sure to check out the "Michelle suite"when you arrive and ask Dougald about his "famous-ness". do yourself a favour and look no further...this is the place to stay in la!

We booked the Hollywood Pensione for an entire month, and it was the best decision we made on our trip. The rooms are gorgeous and clean, spacious and inviting. The hosts are friendly, generous and always on hand to help. The street is safe and quiet, and we could walk to transportation easily and walk to local attractions. The shared kitchen is delightful, with great facilities to cook and a cute outdoor balcony to eat on. The Hollywood Pensione is a great stay and we will definitely be back soon. Thank you!

I traveled to Los Angeles for the first time in late April and found myself very lucky with my decision to stay at the Hollywood Pensione. The hosts are warm and welcoming. They have a perfect set-up for anyone who wants apartment convenience away from home. The kitchen and laundry facilities save a lot of time and money. The rooms are very comfortable. They also seem to attract very interesting and friendly people as guests. The location is ideal. The street is attractive and quiet and they are only a short distance from the subway and bus lines. During a stay of over two weeks, I got around L.A. easily and cheaply using the extensive public transportation system. I intend to stay at the Hollywood Pensione every time I go L.A. and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I planned a trip to LA from the East Coast for a vacation and was unsure where to stay for my trip. I found the Bed and Breakfast and it is truly a gift. I was able to relax, I felt welcomed, safe, comfortable and it provided a home away from home experience. The host are wonderful and really sweet. I really, really, really enjoyed the stay!!!! It is local to all activities. If you are in need of a great stay. Pick this B and B :)

The hosts are great people. The house and its furniture and garden with parking are beautiful. The kitchen has everything you need and more. I loved the location - very L.A.- very Hollywood. The other guests are industry people, mostly from New York and Europe and I really enjoyed meeting them. I appreciated everything about my stay there and really look forward to getting back there for longer than 8 days next time. I treasure the table that goes across the bed, all the bamboo and the dreamy plants and colors and blooms in the garden. Its a great party house if you go with lots of friends.

Great choice for travelers who can pass up the "luxury" hotel experience in LA but need a place to stay with a good location and convenient amenities. Location is very near the 101 which makes it convenient to downtown and the Burbank/Pasadena (including Universal Studios). House is on a quiet street just north of Hollywood Blvd (giving easy access to Hollywood as well). Separate locking entrance for guests, which leads to three guest rooms + kitchen + living room + small balcony. The guest rooms are very clean and nicely if simply decorated. Rooms have A/C, fan, air purifier (nice touch), private bath, and TV with cable (including HBO, Showtime, TMC). Wi-fi is accessible for free. Guests also have access to stocked kitchen (utensils, plates, simple cooking ingredients, etc) with a personal refrigerator as well for keeping one's own food stash. Very convenient and a real money saver. There is also a washer/dryer that is accessible to guests (they even give you detergent). Off-street parking for your car behind the house. Like I said, if you are looking for the full luxury experience, this probably isn't the right fit. But if you are going to be in LA for a while, the amenities (particularly the kitchen and W/D) are invaluable. Considering that at a hotel all these amenities would be extra (including parking), it's a great bargain overall. Very pleasant proprietors as well.

We felt so lucky to find this immensely comfortable, cool, affordable, quiet and perfectly located bed and breakfast in Hollywood. The fact that the owners were so sweet and accommodating was an unexpected delight. We hope to stay there any time we are in LA. It felt much more like an apartment for rent than a b&b...never any pressure. It's a dream spot to stay, and the eco-friendly, sleek modern design also makes it extra special.