I had read most of the earlier reviews about Elaine's Bed and Breakfast before I booked, and was therefore very curious to actually see it and form my own opinion.
I went with my two boys, aged 8 and 12 to stay for 3 nights, and from the second of our arrival, we felt right at home! For my sons, it was like being at Grandpa's and Grandma's... Moreover, the great location in a lovely residential street close to restaurants, shops and the center of Hollywood (10 blocks away) is a huge plus, too.
Avik our host was so welcoming, fun and witty right from the start: the first thing he did was to pour two glasses of wine to toast my birthday - I didn't even remember telling them anything about it! How anybody could have written he could be "early stage dementia" is absolutely beyond me - he is one of the most witty people I've met, who speaks 8 languages fluently (I speak 6 - and we conversed in most of them - it was so much fun!). I could go on forever about how he went on making us feel at home - my kids wanted to tell him all the jokes they knew (a great compliment) and loved it when he showed them how to operate the bagle cutter :-)
The pink room was comfortable and cozy: very spacious, very clean, with flat screen TV and fridge, an en-suite generous-sized bath room with tub - and a HUGE terrace overlooking the beautiful garden! It must be lovely to sit there when the weather gets warmer. I popped out to buy hot dogs in the nearby store and could leave the kids there without having to worry at all.
The breakfasts were very copious, and Avik pulled out anything the boys wanted to eat or drink from the fridge that was not yet on the table. The best was though when he pulled out his photo albums of 60 years of work as a photographer in Hollywood at the Golden Globe Awards! We had such fun and interesting talks - thanks Avik!
The dogs were old and friendly, and of course a house with dogs has some hair lying around, but I cannot agree when people say it is dirty - and it certainly did not smell bad at all!
All in all, my boys and I love our memories of staying in this beautiful house with such interesting people. However, some people just feel more comfortable in uniform, anonymous, speckless, boring hotel rooms. If you go to a bed and breakfast, it is to experience the local flavour and socialise with yours hosts, at least that is my philosophy.
We would without a doubt return right here if we stayed in Hollywood again!
