What it’s like to stay at Dream Hollywood by Hyatt

Los Angeles has a dizzying array of accommodation options, from budget motels to ultraluxury hotels. The sprawling metropolis of more than 500 square miles can be overwhelming for a first-time visitor like myself to select the perfect location, noting the beachfront neighborhoods can easily be an hour's drive from downtown, thanks to LA's notoriously bad traffic.

As a World of Hyatt loyalist, keen to earn another Brand Explorer Award, I narrowed my search to lesser-known Hyatt properties close to the city's top tourist attractions and settled on the Dream brand, smack bang in the middle of Hollywood.

Despite colleagues living in the city expressing concerns that, while central, the property wasn't in the most desirable location due to safety concerns at night, I wanted to see if a Hyatt group property could deliver a solid guest experience in the city's heart.

Here's what it's like staying at Dream Hollywood, a World of Hyatt property.

Related: The 27 best hotels in Los Angeles for your next visit

What is Dream Hollywood?

Opened in 2017, Dream Hollywood offers 178 guest rooms and suites at the corner of Selma Avenue and N. Cahuenga Boulevard in the Hollywood Hills. The brand is known for its upscale amenities and a focus on nightlife with in-house cocktail bars and rooftop lounges.

The Los Angeles location is one of just six Dream properties worldwide, with two in New York and one each in Nashville, Miami Beach and Doha. Future locations are planned in Atlanta, Dallas, Las Vegas and more.

Related: What it's like staying at Dream Nashville, Music City's downtown lifestyle hotel

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Part of World of Hyatt's "Boundless Collection," the Dream brand is not to be confused with the Dreams brand, an all-inclusive World of Hyatt brand with numerous properties across Mexico, the Caribbean and southern Europe.

How much Dream Hollywood hotel costs and how to book it

Dream Hollywood offers King Bed Bronze base rooms starting from $248 per night on the cheapest dates and up to $516 per night on the most in-demand dates, though most dates across the year have rates less than $400 per night.

I booked a King Bed with Balcony Bronze for $274 per night for a midweek October stay.

Suites start at $516 per night for a 430-square-foot King Suite Platinum, a relatively good value for a pricey city like Los Angeles. Note these rates include a pesky $42 per night mandatory "destination fee," which includes minimal benefits like two bottled waters, Champagne on check-in, electric charging stations, premium Wi-Fi and fitness and pool deck access.

As a Category 6 property, you can book this hotel from 21,000 World of Hyatt points per night on an off-peak date up to 29,000 points per night on a peak date. Remember that World of Hyatt redemptions are not charged a destination fee.

When booking Dream Hollywood, you'll want to use one of the credit cards that earn the most points for Hyatt stays and one that possibly offers automatic World of Hyatt elite status for value-added benefits. These include:

• World of Hyatt Credit Card: Earn 4 points per dollar spent at Hyatt hotels and resorts; automatic Discoverist status; and 5 elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.
• World of Hyatt Business Credit Card: Earn 4 points per dollar spent at Hyatt hotels and resorts; automatic Discoverist status; and 5 elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.

Guest of Honor benefits

A TPG colleague with top-tier Globalist status kindly gifted me a Guest of Honor award, which allowed me to apply Globalist benefits to one upcoming Hyatt stay. Using this at a premium property for a longer stay is advantageous to maximize the benefits.

While receiving the award was simple (I needed to provide my colleague with my World of Hyatt number, and I soon received an email stating the award was in my account ready to use), applying it to an existing booking wasn't. I had to call Hyatt to have them manually add the Guest of Honor award to the booking, which was time-consuming, though I understand if you are making a new booking and have this award in your account, you can choose to add it online during the booking process.

Fortunately, the process was smoother at the property, and the benefits were tangible. The friendly check-in agent advised me he could see the Guest of Honor award on my booking and would waive the destination fee, a Globalist benefit on cash stays. He also advised me breakfast would be complimentary on the rooftop and to mention to the restaurant staff that I had a Globalist benefit to use. He also proactively offered me a 2 p.m. checkout on my final day, which was valuable before an evening flight home.

I didn't automatically receive a room upgrade at check-in. When I asked if there were better rooms still for sale that night, I was told there was only one single room available at this nearly 200-room hotel, so I didn't push my luck, given that there may have been legitimate Globalist members arriving to upgrade instead.

In hindsight, I should have saved the Guest of Honor award for a stay where plenty of superior rooms and suites were available to upgrade to. However, the free breakfast and waived destination fee saved me $100 per night and made me "Dream" about my path to earning Globalist status.

Rooms at Dream Hollywood

I received the same King Bronze Balcony room I had booked, a compact but well-appointed and light-filled 300-square-foot space on the third floor.

Having recently toured the spectacular new Park Hyatt London and being surprised to see hardwood floors in the bedrooms at such a premium property, I much preferred the soft carpet underneath the queen-size bed at Dream Hollywood.

A proper desk and leather-padded chair provided a useful, comfortable space to work underneath the huge flat-screen television.

Knowing I had to fly back to my home in dreary, gray London immediately after this stay, I appreciated how much natural light this room was bathed in.

Whether guests were looking to get into the spirit before hitting the town or continuing the festivities after nearby venues closed, the in-room minibar reflected the property's party vibe. Half-size bottles of Patron tequila, Hennessy cognac and Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne were all available for an extra charge. However, the basic amenity of a coffee machine was nowhere to be seen.

The balcony, with its cafe-style wooden table and chairs, was a great place to soak up the SoCal sunshine; however, the lower-floor level I was on didn't provide much of a view beyond neighboring rooftops.

The bathroom also enjoyed plenty of natural light thanks to the full-length window on one shower wall. However, with the curtain on the outside, two guests sharing a room may not be comfortable with how easily someone could peek into the bathroom from the bedroom.

The spacious walk-in shower featured sparkly silver tiles for a touch of Hollywood glamor and the Karl Lagerfeld toiletries also added some luxury.

What I ate at Dream Hollywood

I was surprised that a property of this size offered only two dining venues. One of them was the upmarket TAO Asian Bistro next door, whose menu was beyond my budget.

That left the rooftop Highlight Room Grill, a small but pleasant outdoor space with views of the Hollywood sign on a clear day.

Breakfast is served daily in this space, and the omelet with your choice of three fillings ($24) paired with a well-crafted espresso-style coffee ($5) proved a healthy way to start the day.

My second breakfast of a ham, cheese and egg muffin with breakfast potatoes ($18) didn't scream premium, being more fancy McDonald's than Michelin-starred.

I also tried out the room service menu, which could be easily ordered by phone in the room. My order was delivered in a paper bag with a receipt stapled to it, which felt a little low-rent and made me wonder why I didn't just order through an external food delivery service with a much wider range of cuisines instead.

The taste of my crispy chicken sandwich ($28) was there, and the food had been very recently cooked before being whizzed down to my room, but the shiny plastic cutlery and sauces in tubs made it one of the more underwhelming room service meals I've had.

Dinner at Highlight Grill back on the rooftop was a more sophisticated affair. It started with tuna poke wonton tacos with spicy mayo ($19) and a Peaches and Spice cocktail ($23), a punchy mix of Avion Silver tequila, mezcal, Cointreau, peach, club soda and habanero.

My entree of grilled branzino with panzanella salad and tomato vinaigrette ($34) was one of the best fish dishes I've eaten recently. It was perfectly grilled while being moist, fresh and flavorful, and I would return to Highlight Grill for this dish alone.

Amenities and things to do

• The rooftop pool is a casual, relaxed and social space to work on your tan; though on weekends, you'll need to be up early to secure a sun bed.
• Open 24/7, the hotel's gym is well-equipped to stay in shape during your stay.
• The rooftop also has a cocktail club named The Lounge at Highlight Room that is only open Friday and Saturday nights for a few hours at a time, with table bookings required.
• Hollywood's famous Walk of Fame is an easy five-minute walk from the hotel. However, the stars stretch for 15 blocks, so finding your favorite celeb might take some time.
• Valet parking is available directly in front of the hotel for $60 per night.

Insider tips for staying at Dream Hollywood hotel

• The property seems popular with party-ready weekenders, so expect chaos and noise if checking in on a Thursday or Friday afternoon, with guests balancing cases of booze on their luggage.
• Request a high floor (five or above) if you're hoping to enjoy a view from your room, and remember some rooms face the famous Hollywood sign.
• A terrific, quiet and peaceful coworking space is available near the fitness center, which is ideal if you want a break from working in your room.
• The area surrounding the hotel felt safe and quiet in the evenings, with plenty of security and valet parking staff outside the hotel.

Accessibility

Dream Hollywood has wide, flat paths from the entry through reception to the elevators. Guest floor hallways are similarly accessible.

Though the rooftop pool has steps down to the Highlight Grill restaurant, a thoughtful ramp assists guests with mobility issues.

The hotel also offers several tiers of mobility-accessible guest rooms and suites with roll-in showers.

Bottom line

Dream Hollywood is a smart choice for a first-time visitor to Los Angeles ready to let their hair down. While the Dream brand is a little forgettable and lacks identity within a global hotel group, it gets most of the basics right.

The rooms are comfortable, well-equipped and reasonably affordable in a pricey city like Los Angeles. The lack of dining options is slightly puzzling, with a wide divide between the fine-dining TAO restaurant and the Highlight Grill rooftop, which offers basic fare for breakfast and room service while becoming more elevated for the evening meal service.

Families and solo business travelers are unlikely to appreciate weekend guests downing welcome drinks at the front desk while carting in as much alcohol as they can carry, though if that's your vibe, this is a decent accommodation option in Hollywood.

Related reading:

• Everything you need to know about World of Hyatt
• The best credit cards to reach elite status
• What is World of Hyatt elite status worth?
• Which credit cards offer the most lucrative rewards for hotel stays?
• The best hotel rewards programs in the world
• Best hotel credit cards