LA Stopovers at Palisociety’s “Houses and Hotels”

To begin with, I really like the Palisociety hotel brand. Their website – “World Famous Palisociety – Hotels by Avi Brosh” – is easy to navigate, and the staff, from the front desk to the bartenders, are consistently warm, friendly, and stylishly unpretentious. The interior design is fun and hip without trying too hard.

I recently checked out two of their Los Angeles properties. In the “California tourism” realm, L.A. ranks just behind San Francisco and just ahead of San Diego. Sometimes we Santa Barbarians like (or need) to venture into the City of Angels.

My room at Palihouse West Hollywood – not to be confused with Palihotel Hollywood – featured calming white walls, pale blue ceilings, vintage-style lighting, and unobtrusive but well-coordinated artwork above the bed. Bedside and floor lamps operated the old-fashioned way: by turning a knob. A vintage push-button phone for calling the front desk added a whimsical touch.

The room also included a minibar with microwave, coffee maker, and a retro 1950s-style Smeg refrigerator – the Italian brand name is short for Smalterie Metallurgiche Emiliane Guastalla (“Emilian Metallurgical Enamel Works of Guastalla”). A thoughtfully designed seating area with couch, chair, ottoman, and large round table made the room especially comfortable for relaxing or entertaining a guest.

A Palihouse or A Pali-Hotel?

If you get confused by the names and locations, you are not alone.

One evening I went downstairs to meet a friend at the cozy, lively bar at Palihouse West Hollywood, only to discover he was waiting for me at the wrong property: the Palihotel on Sunset Boulevard. One quick phone call solved the problem. He’d mentioned he was “tickled it was next to an In-N-Out Burger,” which had only deepened my confusion.

Personally, I might have named this property “Palihouse Beverly Center” – or, for nostalgia’s sake, “Palihouse Kiddyland.” (Bonus points if you remember the old children’s amusement park and pony rides once located on nearby La Cienega Boulevard, where the Beverly Center now stands.) When I think of West Hollywood, I tend to think more of the Santa Monica Boulevard scene.

Eventually my friend arrived at the correct hotel, and we settled into happy hour with cocktails and a shared focaccia-style Sicilian pizza while catching up.

Curious about the broader brand, I decided to try another property and checked into Palihotel Westwood Village. Located on a quiet one-way residential street near UCLA, the hotel is within walking distance of the Geffen Playhouse, numerous ethnic restaurants, and even a nearby Trader Joe’s, where I picked up snacks. UCLA’s botanical garden also provides a lovely nature break from the Wilshire and 405 corridor.

Before a theater performance, I stopped for a glass of white wine at Wolfsglen. Delicious? Yes. But at nearly $30 after tax and tip, it cost as much as a good bottle of Sancerre. Westwood, clearly, is not a bargain neighborhood, and Palihotel Westwood Village reflects that reality in its rates.

I stayed there in March while visiting UCLA for an eye doctor appointment. The property has definite pros and cons.

On the plus side: excellent location for UCLA medical visits or a play at the Geffen, friendly staff (special shout-out to Dave at the front desk), attractive décor, and relative affordability by Westside standards.

The downsides: no elevator, and at least in my case, the room, bathroom, and closet were quite compact. The walls were also thin enough to hear neighboring showers and footsteps overhead. The overhead rain shower works wonderfully if you plan to wash your hair – less wonderfully if you don’t.

Still, the essentials are all there: room safe, mini fridge, snacks, and thoughtful design touches. From my second-floor room, I could see a college student working on her laptop across the way, which made me think of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. There’s also a charming tucked-away garden area beside the hotel.

Overall, the property is compact, friendly, and extremely well located, despite a few manageable flaws. During my mid-March stay, rates hovered around $550 per night, which felt a bit steep to me.

In general, Palisociety room rates seem to range from roughly $200 to $500 depending on season and availability – which, in today’s hospitality market, can almost qualify as reasonable. I nearly booked their San Francisco property because the rate was surprisingly affordable at around $200. Of course, like many hotels these days, they make up some of the difference through parking fees ($40–$50), resort fees (which I still dislike), and city taxes. C’est la vie.

Rates are about 10% lower if you join “The Society,” their free online membership program. And if you’re traveling for medical appointments at Cedars-Sinai, UCLA, or even Saint John’s Health Center, it’s worth asking whether any special rates are available.

Last but not least, Palihouse Santa Barbara once operated on Garden Street in downtown Santa Barbara, though the property has recently changed hands. Breakfast there is still something of a local secret – a tip my friend Lisa Blades shared with me years ago. It is a wonderful alternative for anyone hoping to avoid the weekend post–Farmers Market crowds at popular spots like Alessia Patisserie & Café.

Hotels by Avi Brosh include Arrive Hotels, Palihouse, and Palihotel properties stretching from California to Florida. I hope to explore more of what the savvy Avi Brosh is creating. The upcoming Palm Springs property sounds especially appealing, and staff members enthusiastically recommended Le Petit Pali Laguna Beach, which has now been added to my future “check-in” list.

To join Palisociety or for more information, go to www.palisociety.com