Vibe Hotel Hollywood - Los Angeles, California

Chris Rogers

Weird. This property goes to market under 2 names - Vibe Hotel and Banana Bungalow Hostel. Here is how it works: looks, feels, and operates like a hostel. If you book a room as a "hotel room" they dedicate one of the hostel rooms to you which means there are extra beds and locked doors in your room. Zero frills - huge garbage bins placed outside my front door for the duration of my 2 day stay gave it that grimy alley feel. Literally the hardest bed I have ever encountered in my life. Side sleeper kept waking up with a sore shoulder. But the worst part was the utter lack of professionalism of the management. I timed my arrival to give me an hour before a show I was in town for. When I arrived, I was locked out on the street which is..um..not the most pleasant block in town. Nobody responded to the buzzer or the phone. When I FINALLY got into the property, the front desk was empty with a hand written "be back in 10" post-it. 15 more minutes roll by, and now there are a number people backed up to check in. My hour-long window is now looking more like 30 minutes. The attendant strolls up at a snails pace like he just woke up and with zero empathy. I asked others if I could please check in first so I could change and get going (Not to mention go to the bathroom, eat something, you know) There were very nice and let me go first. So he assigns me a room and when I get there, it is already occupied as a hostel with several occupants. Now I am having to head back to the front-desk, shoehorn my way past the other waiting guests and ask for a room that is not already occupied. Even scarier, I had easy access to their room and valuables - what about mine? This is only exacerbated by the fact that there is NO DEADBOLT and closet safe didn't have any obvious instructions, and I had no time to try and figure it out. So I crossed my fingers, booked it to the theatre and hoped that my stuff would not be stolen. It was not. When I got back I ignored the pounding music going till midnight, put in my earbuds and crashed on the concrete bed.

TL;DR: This is a hostel. They will charge you hotel prices if you want your own room. Stay here only if you are not on a schedule, don't mind staying in hostel-basic accommodations, or staying amongst the garbage bins, don't care about security, and you bring earplugs if you're not planning to join a party on a Tuesday night.

Hayden Hamilton

I love this place. It's filled with crazy people- everyday is like a TV show... but it's Hollywood!!! What else could you ask for?! Meals and events nearly every night, which are great. THE STAFF!!! So amazing. Too many to name each but everyone works their butt off to make sure everyone has a lovely stay. They work to make sure everyone is as comfortable as possible. The front desk is always kind. Irena is ALWAYS on top of things. Kiki keeps the night time mellow and fun. Again, too many great staff to say every single person. But truly a remarkable stay. Would recommend to anyone that wants a fun hotel/hostel experience.

Arvind Gupta

“Reasonably comfortable stay in prime location ”
This hotel is located in the core area of Hollywood. Property is more like hostel type rather a regular hotel. Environment here is very friendly. Kiki the manager is very helpful and caring. We had a nice weekend party here with free drinks and BBQ. This property is good for friends and for persons who don't want to pay huge bills on stay while living in prime area of LA

andrea ridlon

I think I am a bit older than their intended demographic 😄 however this place is super cute. They have a very inviting common area that has social events and coffee/tea available 24/7, in addition to daily adventures around LA. There was someone at the front desk each time I needed something (extra blankets and a space heater) and the other guests were really nice. However this is basically a repainted older motel 6 and so the heat didn't work and since we were in the front of the building so we heard all of the traffic on Hollywood Blvd. If you can ask for a room in the back. Overall I did enjoy my stay and wish I had more time to chill there.

Martin Černač

One word…. INCREDIBLE. We reserved for 2 nights and the experience was just amazing. The minute we arrived they invited us for a barbecue and drinks the music is nice and there is a ping pong table and a pool table. There’s also a large TV in the yard and a bunch of sofas around so It’s a nice area to hang out and chill. I met a lot of people everyone was friendly and wanted to talk, the receptionist was very friendly and the rooms were really good. It really made my stay in LA better. Would 100% go again.

Misty Blue sky

Originally booked a dorm which was great, and on the last night upgraded to a private room. Property is clean and colorful. Lots of chill common areas. Cute and simple little breakfast in the mornings were great. Staff kind, fun and helpful! Overall, loved our stay here and will be back. It's a laid back, chill place, that has character. Can't beat the location either!

Lulaa Badd

I came in for work & just needed a hotel for the night . The hotel was cheap , requested a credit card for incidentals . The room was ok , they just give you a fitted sheet , bed sheet & a towel . The room was ok , wasn’t really cool because the AC was in the kitchen area . I SAW A ROACH WHEN I WENT TO USE THE BATHROOM AROUND 1 AM . The bathtub had hair in it & on the walls , doesn’t look like it had been cleaned really . Giving it 3 stars because the reception was nice & friendly . On Saturday they have free food and free bar from 8-11 . The ppl staying were nice & the host of the bbq was really nice and friendly .

Gina Speranza

Stayed here recently and overall it's an OK place to stay if you are looking for a cheap bed to sleep in for a night or two.

PROS: The staff were all fantastic and friendly. The community areas were great and had gatherings with free food and drinks on Thursday and Saturday evenings. The location is close to the bus and metro lines and within walking distance to the Hollywood & Vine area.

CONS: The rooms are really old, outdated and dingy. The carpets were covered in stains and the bathroom sink and shower had a 50/50 chance of having hot water. Additionally, our room was tucked in the corner between storage closets used by the maid service, so we were woken up at 8am every morning to them stocking their cleaning kart, which was not ideal.

Directly outside the hotel is a tent village of homeless folks. They never bothered us at all, but it was a bit of a shock and uncomfortable to see, as you have to go through their community to walk to the Hollywood & Vine area and metro station.