Looking for reasonable digs in LA? Try The Crescent. It’s Beverly Hills, minus the luxurious excess, at bargain prices. Built in the early days of Hollywood as a dormitory for silent film actors, today it’s something of a social hub for the entertainment industry, and an affordable yet reasonably chic boutique hotel just steps from Rodeo Drive.
Forget about chandeliers and grand pianos. The Crescent’s aesthetic is a minimalist one, with guest rooms in black and white with grey concrete bathrooms and sleek Nordic fixtures. Technological indulgences include iPods under glass, wireless internet access and flat-screen televisions with DVD players. And there’s no shortage of creature comforts: low-slung platform beds come with down comforters and fine Italian linens, and those bathrooms, however spartan, are softened by plush robes and top-shelf bath products.
The bustling scene here, populated more by behind-the-scenes Hollywood players than by big-name stars, is key to the Crescent’s appeal, but has its drawbacks as well — light sleepers or early-to-bed types may wish to ask for rooms toward the back of the hotel, as the lounge and patio stay busy into the night.
