Holiday Inn Burbank at 150 E Angeleno is hurting the Holiday Inn brand. I don’t recommend this establishment but if you must use it I recommend the following questions when you book: Has my room been renovated recently? Is the pool working and would you swim in it if you were a guest? Are the elevators to my floor all in working order? Does my floor or room have a bad odor?

First, I’d like to say that the problems I observed are with the facility and the ownership, not the employees. I found the employees were (with the exception of front desk management) well trained in customer service and hospitality. Of particular note were Javier Sanchez and Heath Centazzo who had both been with the company 10+ years. Javier, Geddy Friedman, and Heath were committed to creating a wonderful experience for all customers. All employees (except the front desk management) were helpful and friendly. The management team wasn’t rude; they just weren’t empowered to do their jobs properly, in my opinion.

Location: Loved the walking proximity to a wide variety of restaurants and shopping.

Facility: There are two towers, a lobby, one pool, restaurants, bars and garden area. One tower is for suites and has supposedly been recently renovated. It still smells strangely in the hallways and the quality of the workmanship is low, evidenced by paint overspray in elevators and stairwells. The lobby was under renovation during our stay and was a bit of an inconvenience but understandably so. Furniture in the lobby was well past its presentable life as it had multiple chips in the veneer. Burnt out lights, carpet stains and cheesy displays (doll toys) in the main corridor display a total lack of attention to detail by management/ownership. The second tower has not been recently renovated and smells of mold and/or food. Repairs throughout the whole facility were noticeable because they were done so poorly. Elevators in our tower were often out of order. One was out of order during our whole stay. The fitness center in our tower had about 6 machines of which 3 were out of order. There was a second fitness center in the bottom floor of the parking garage, which was in excellent shape. The garden area would be a lovely wedding/reception venue.

My room (601) smelled musty. Wallpaper, carpets, bedding, furniture, fixtures, and tile were of good quality as throughout the entire facility – just not well maintained. Wallpaper in my room was coming off the wall around the window and revealed some black mildew/mold (moisture problem?). Caulking repairs throughout my bathroom were messy as if an amateur did them. Ceilings in our tower were dropped acoustic tile and “popcorn” type – dated and below the standard for a Holiday Inn. Carpets in the hallway and my room were stained. My room had some positive aspects: it was spacious, had a refrigerator, microwave, coffeemaker, and a comfortable bed.

The Pool: we were disappointed to see that it was dirty so we didn’t use it.

Restaurants: We used the one on the bottom floor for 3 breakfasts. It was good food for a decent price and the staff was excellent. There is another restaurant/bar in the suite tower on the 18th floor. We were the only patrons there on a Friday night. The view is amazing. This is a classic case of what is wrong with management/ownership at this hotel. The décor is spartan, the booze isn’t displayed as it should be (probably a loss prevention measure), and the place is void of paying customers when it should be the most happening place in a square mile. Get some décor/atmosphere, bands, and marketing going for this nightclub – it should be a goldmine!

Front desk management: My wife asked if she could be shown a suite in case she wanted to book one on her next trip. She was told that it was against their policy to show rooms. My wife was persistent but management was unwavering. She even told them about my concerns with our smelly room and broken elevator/gym equipment. They apologized and offered to possibly do something on our next visit. They made no attempt to comp us a night, upgrade our room, or anything to make up for our dissatisfaction. It seems to me that this management team does not feel committed to the success of this hotel. It is my opinion that they would be committed if the owner would empower them to properly address maintenance and customer concerns and give them some kind of profit-sharing incentive.

Bottom line: Holiday Inn needs to give this owner notice – “Shape this place up or remove our name”. Keep the employees – they act like they own the place (in a good way).

His hotel was very nice, clean, quiet and the room was quite large. We were nicely surprised to find a small refrigerator in the room which was a great addition. Easy access to the freeway and several activities to do and places to eat within walking distance. All the employees were very friendly and helpful. Also plenty of parking available.

Currently under renovation but will not inconvenience your stay. just improving on what is already very good. nice staff, helpful. quiet rooms, large and always clean. restaurants on oremises, across the street every direction and downtown shopping area with quaint feel and more food and shopping. great place to stroll or take a hike up a mountain for more robust exercise. Starbucks is close, which which has super sandwiches and Ross has unbeatable bargain shopping. Bring an extra bag, you will probably need it for all the goodies you will find on this trip!

I have been using this hotel over the years when in California for business. The rooms are all suites and quite large. Well equipped with kitchenette and sofa etc.

Plenty of parking available (2 levels) and 2 min walk from Burbank downtown restaurants etc. There is a decent sized pool in the middle of the property and they do have BBQ evenings occasionally.

The only negative thing is the breakfast. The hotel has no kitchen so don't expect much. Luckily there are other options in Burbank close by.

And avoid getting a room facing the interstate, ask for a room facing towards Burbank or the interior courtyard instead.