The Garland

Rooms and decor

Picture a hotel where you turn off the road and feel like you have stepped out of the chaos of Los Angeles right away — low-rise buildings scattered among mature trees and green lawns across nearly 3 acres in the middle of North Hollywood. That is the charm of The Garland. Its roots go back to the 1970s, and a big 2015 renovation took that vintage California feel and made it bright and contemporary, with warm tones, playful patterns and clever photo corners tucked all over. The 257 rooms are done in an easy modern-vintage style — warm tones, cute details, soft beds and a well-laid-out space. The piece families love most is the family rooms, some of which have a separate bunk-bed nook so the kids get their own little world; climbing up to the top bunk feels like an adventure, while parents get a big bed and nobody has to squeeze.

Food and amenities

The standout everyone mentions is outside the room. The heated outdoor pool has a great setting, ringed by sun loungers and a pool bar, and on Friday and Saturday nights it runs dive-in movies you can watch floating in the water or sitting poolside — the kind of thing kids and adults both remember and you rarely find at an ordinary hotel. For food there is The Cantina, serving relaxed Mexican-American plates, plus the poolside bar, and the fitness room is open 24 hours. The heart of the property is The Front Lawn, a wide stretch of grass that turns into the family gathering spot — kids run around, adults sip a drink, and some evenings bring live music, lawn games or a food truck. It is the kind of all-rounder that lets a family settle in without feeling overdone, and plenty of reviews say the same thing: once you arrive, you do not want to leave.

Location and getting there

The location is the trump card that pushes the score to a high 9.3. The hotel sits in North Hollywood next to Universal City, close to Universal Studios Hollywood and CityWalk, the big dining-and-entertainment hub. What makes it all easy is the hotel's own free trolley, which runs to Universal Studios, CityWalk and the Metro station (the B/Red Line), so taking the family to the park means no headache over driving or finding parking that is both pricey and fills up fast. With the Metro close by, you can also ride into Hollywood or downtown LA. Around the hotel, the NoHo neighborhood has theaters, restaurants and cute cafes to wander. Put simply: if the main goal of the trip is taking the kids to Universal Studios and you want a base with a nice feel and easy free transport, this spot fits.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. First is the location — great for Universal, but North Hollywood is not central to LA's other sights like Hollywood Boulevard, Santa Monica or Beverly Hills. Getting there means driving or taking the Metro, and LA traffic is famous, so leave plenty of extra time, especially at rush hour. Second, a frequent review gripe: hidden costs. There is a daily resort fee and parking charges, valet especially, billed separately from the room rate, so the total at checkout can run higher than you calculated — check the full figure when you book (the upside is the resort fee often covers the free trolley and Wi-Fi). Last, because this is a low-rise hotel spread across a wide site, some rooms near the pool or event lawn can pick up noise on event nights, and the walk from parking or lobby to your room can be longer than at a single-tower hotel. If you have mobility needs or small kids, ask for a room near the lobby up front.

Our take

After reading through plenty of real guest reviews, The Garland sells one thing with real charm: a warm resort feel in the middle of the city that gets you to Universal easily — charming enough to earn a high 9.3. If your trip in your head is taking the kids to Universal Studios on the free trolley, coming back so they can run on the lawn and catch a dive-in movie on Friday night, then sleeping well in a room with their own bunk beds, this is about as well-suited a base as you will find — easygoing atmosphere, room to breathe, and staff so warm the reviews will not stop praising them. But if you are mainly here for other parts of LA rather than Universal, or you want a luxury hotel right downtown within walking distance of everything, this North Hollywood location may cost you a fair bit of travel time, and do not forget to add the resort fee and parking into your budget. Overall we give it 9.0/10 — best for families visiting Universal Studios who want a nice base with easy free transport at a reachable price.