With my AA First Class flight arriving at LAX around 10 pm, I decided to spend the night before heading home. I didn’t feel like heading into town that late, so I looked for a hotel near the airport. While searching Hilton’s booking engine, I noticed a new offering at LAX – the H Hotel Los Angeles. It’s a new Curio Collection property that opened recently, in October, 2017. I’m always up for trying something new, so I decided to give it a try. I paid $170 cash for a “deluxe king airport view” room.
H Hotel Los Angeles
- 6151 West Century Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA
- Website: https://www.hhotellosangeles.com/
- Features: business center, fitness center, on-site restaurant, airport shuttle, rooftop deck, heated pool, parking ($44/night)
Location
On Century Boulevard, just east of Sepulveda, and the entrance to the LAX departures loop road. The hotel does offer a 24-hour shuttle. Beware, though, that the fustercluck that is the LAX departures level means it’s often faster to walk. To reach the hotel on foot, just walk around the loop road to Terminal 1 (Southwest), where it turns into Century Boulevard. Cross Sepulveda and pass the Hyatt, and the H Hotel/Homewood Suites complex is on the left. From Terminal 4, the walk took maybe 15 minutes.
Check-In and Common Areas
With my late arrival, I used online check-in, and the digital key in the Hilton Honors app to save time. One thing to watch out for – the hotel shares a building with the Homewood Suites. So, if visiting the check-in desk, make sure to go to the right one. Anyway, the common use lobby is a bright, airy space during the day, with a very “modern California” look. I give them full credit for doing something other than copying your typical minimalist design. There is plenty of seating if you’d like to relax before heading out.
If you’re part of a larger group, or just have lots of luggage, check out this large circular couch.
There is a small bar at one end of the lobby. Out front were a few snacks that you can pay for at the front desk.
Meanwhile, head left before the bar for the business center. For a sizeable airport hotel, the business center seemed quite small. I saw only one desktop computer and a computer.
In front of the lobby, at street level, is the hotel’s heated outdoor pool. It’s a nice pool area, though I wonder about overcrowding since it’s shared between two hotels. The bigger thing, though, is I think the hotel missed an opportunity when it comes to location. You’ll see what I mean a little later.
The H Hotel Los Angeles does have one unique amenity, the “transfer lounge”. Located on the 11th floor, it’s designed as a space to relax for guests who arrive before check-in time, or need some extra time after checkout. Something like this does make some sense at an airport hotel; passenger arrival/departure times don’t always sync with hotel check-in/checkout times, after all. It’s definitely a quieter space than sitting in the lobby. There is also a restroom with shower (not pictured).
Also available at the transfer lounge are several secure luggage lockers.
For the best common area in the hotel, though, head up to the top floor. The roof deck with a view of LAX is AvGeek heaven!
Here you can see what I mean by the missed opportunity for the pool. Just imagine if the hotel put it up here. You’d have something competing with the TWA Hotel pool deck on the opposite coast.
H Hotel Los Angeles Guest Rooms
As mentioned, I booked an airport view room, and the hotel assigned me one on the 11th floor. The corridors continued the modern design seen in the lobby. The “digital key” in the app worked perfectly this time; I managed to access my room without even glancing at the check-in desk.
The room itself is average sized by LA standards, with one king bed.
Along the window are a somewhat oddly shaped sofa, and a chair with a disproportionately large back.
There is a desk in the corner, though I found the placement next to the TV a little awkward. As in, it’s a little too close to the TV. If your fellow guests want to watch, the noise can get distracting.
One issue I still occasionally come across in hotels is a lack of power outlets, or at least conveniently located ones. I’ve noticed significant improvement in this area, though some older hotels still fall short. The H Hotel, though? Let’s just say these rooms seem designed for big time technophiles. First, the desk contains two outlets and two USB ports.
Then, on the nightstand to the right of the bed, two more outlets and two more USB ports.
But wait, there’s more! On the nightstand to the left of the bed, two MORE outlets and USB ports. And two more of each built in to the clock!
So for those keeping score at home, four people sharing a room can bring two laptops and two phones/tablets EACH, and you’d still have enough plugs to go around. That’s some serious juice at your disposal…
Last but not least, to the right of the TV is a capsule coffee maker. I believe it’s an older Nespresso machine, which does make a decent coffee. I should also mention, the hotel provided two water bottles (pictured) as an Honors Silver amenity.
Moving on to the bathroom, I wouldn’t call it spacious, but it came through with the basics just fine. I believe all bathrooms at the hotel are shower only, which I personally don’t care for. If you’re traveling with small children, keep that in mind; you might want to look at the Homewood Suites half of the hotel instead. I appreciated the separate water closet, though.
I also liked the “Jack and Jill” sink setup.
The H Hotel offers bath amenities by British beauty products maker Temple Spa. These are the same products offered in Conrad hotels – surprisingly upscale for an airport hotel.
The selection even included a couple of “nonstandard” items, like a four pack of cotton balls.
Oh, yeah, about that “airport view”. The Hyatt Regency next door does block the view a little. But you still enjoy a pretty good view of Terminal 1, and the north taxiway/runway complex. You can enjoy some very nice planespotting, in other words.
You do enjoy a full, unobstructed view of the iconic “LAX” sign and Theme Building, though. How cool is that? (You also see why “fustercluck” describes the current LAX traffic situation perfectly. The access road suffers gridlock even at 9 am on a Sunday morning. I’m not kidding when I say it’s faster to walk.)
The hotel claims one other oddity or innovation, depending on how you look at it. Previous reviews mentioned Hannah, the hotel robot, which brings guests requests such as forgotten toiletries requested from the front desk. I don’t recall a mention of Hannah in the room’s guidebook, and the hotel’s website likewise doesn’t mention an in-house robot. If Hannah still exists, I count that as another cool hotel amenity.
H Hotel Los Angeles – Final Thoughts
I’d say the H Hotel Los Angeles is more than a very good airport hotel. The modern rooms, close proximity to the airport, and unique features like the transfer lounge and rooftop airport observation deck make it a very good hotel in general. It’s also one of the better AvGeek options out there. The H Hotel definitely warrants a look if you need a room near LAX – and not just from Hilton junkies looking for a stay credit.
