Hotel Ca Andaz West Hollywood: Fill & Download for Free

Hello!I did! I grew up in West Hollywood, CA, and during my single days I frequented several bars and fun clubs during the, for me, fabulous nineties. In 1994 I had the hots for a waitress who worked in the Thunder Roadhouse, a restaurant on the Sunset Strip. The restaurant still exists, but later reopened as the Saddle Ranch Chop House after suffering hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage from a major fire.Anyway, during one of my regular visits with the sole intention of baffling the waitress with my bullshit, I noticed Lou Diamond Phillips was there with a friend.You may know him from movies like La Bamba and Young Guns I and II. So I casually took a seat next to him at the bar and acted like I didn’t recognize him. I ordered a draft beer and told the barkeep, Dean, “ give these two gentlemen a drink also.” So they said cheers and I introduced myself as Roland and he said, “I’m Lou” and his friend’s name I can’t remember. So we started a friendly conversation and after about 10 minutes or so his friend said, he doesn’t recognize you.So I chimed in and uttered incredulously, “should I?” He looked at me and smiled and then I said, “oh of course! I’m so sorry, you’re the Young Guns guy! Please accept my apologies and great movie by the way!So we continued to chat some more and I proposed to him to shoot some pool next door in the sports bar at the Hyatt hotel, the current Andaz on Sunset, and Lou and his friend said, “sure, cool!” So they tagged along with me to have some more beers and play some pool, at least like 5 games.So to make a long story short. Lou Diamond Phillips, and his pal, spent an entire afternoon with me hanging out in a bar. He was just a regular guy who didn’t feel nor act like he was better than me or anyone else for that matter.It was an honor meeting him and I’m blessed and immensily grateful to have had this opportunity.Oh, and the waitress I had the hots for? I married her a year later, she gave me 4 children and last August we celebrated our 25th anniversary!

Los Angeles is chock full of fascinating places to visit off the beaten track! The UCLA campus alone is full of nooks and crannies. I highly recommend the on-campus planetarium with free Wednesday night shows given by current astronomy students on their cutting-edge research and the UCLA sculpture garden. Nearby in Bel-Air you can got to the Hotel Bel-Air and get a reasonably-priced Wolfgang Puck high tea as you overlook Swan Lake.Oddly enough, some of the best restaurant bargains in LA are to be found in. . .Beverly Hills! Oliver Café, the Neiman Marcus cafeteria, and the chic little eatery on top of Barney's are all quite good and have nice views of the area. The walk down Rodeo Drive is a one of a kind experience and the fabled Beverly Wilshire across the street must be seen to be believed.I live in West Hollywood and one of my favorite drives in LA is the roller coaster ride along the Sunset Strip from WeHo to the coast. Whee!!! It is great fun to check out all the billboards and breathe the oxygen being exuded from the beautiful big trees. Rent a convertible if you can.West Hollywood boasts many boutique hotels with spectacular city views. The Andaz Hotel on Sunset will let you park, grab some free snacks in the lobby, and take an elevator to its 12-floor rooftop area with bar service, a pool, and quite a bit of comfortable seating. Andaz also has a nice art gallery on the first and second floors and a neat farm to table restaurant called Riot House. Duke's Coffee Shop and the Sunset Marquis are dedicated to the music industry and offer souvenir photos for sale. The ambience at the fabled Chateau Marmont is surprisingly homey, almost like a private recreation room. If I had to choose a favorite West Hollywood hotel it would probably be The London with bulldog mascots named Winston and Churchill who love to be petted. The London's gift shop is surprisingly affordable and the food served by goofy gay waiters is above average for a hotel.Also on Sunset Boulevard are Book Soup (owned by Vroman's in Pasadena that should also be checked out), Tower Records, and many nice budget restaurants like El Compadre (Mexican) and Hoy's Wok (Asian) that are as good if not better than most such places in the area. Hamburger Hamlet on Sunset named after the Shakespearean character was once part of a legendary celebrity chain now closed except for one slightly shabby holdout in Sherman Oaks that might be worth the trip (if so, try the lobster bisque)! Tiago's is a hilarious coffee stop between West Hollywood and Hollywood. Get ready to be wowed by a bunch of gay muscle boys coming in after their hours-long gym workouts and Runyon Canyon hikes! Raffallo's Pizza and Miceli's (Italian) in Hollywood are dependably good. Sometimes you can get half-priced Hollywood star tours that begin and end at these places that give fantastic views of the Valley and celebrity mansions.West Hollywood hosts many LGBT events like the Pride Parade in June and the Halloween Carnaval in October, so many of the residents rent out private rooms and guest houses for rock bottom rates. Restaurants of note include Café La Boheme, PUMP and SUR run by Real Housewife Lisa Vanderpump, and Joey's Organic Café across the street from the WH City Hall (seriously--everyone LOVES it and there is free parking out in back). You can also get food at Gelson's, Pavilions, Ralph's, and other high-end grocery stores. La Cienega and Robertson Boulevards are full of high-end galleries and shops.The AMC complex at Crescent Heights and Sunset has become a favored destination thanks to the convenient parking and nice selection of eateries such as the Malibu Fish Grill and Wokcano with both indoor and outdoor seating. The AMC Dine-In Theater is one of the few real 21+ establishments in the state and shows the best first-run films, including foreign films, during awards season in January and February that culminates with the Oscars. You can get much cheaper and healthier concessions at Starbuck's and Trader Joe's in the same complex.There are little independent theaters and private screening rooms all over the city if you have inside connections to the industry. It is possible to see celebrities and public figures every day of the week in the Beverly Hills/West Hollywood/Hollywood area if you know where they will be.Unusual attractions further east are the California Science Center in Exposition Park that is fun for all ages and the lovely little Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena. The coastal regions of Marina del Rey and Playa del Rey are fun to explore on foot and you can watch planes taking off and landing at LAX all day long if you want to kick back and meditate.Malibu is another cool place to poke around with cute beachfront boutiques and a farmer's market. You can park at the Will Rogers State Beach for free and step right onto the sand! The Getty Villa is GLORIOUS with good food. Taverna Tony and the Marmalade Café are other great places to eat. The 90-minute Malibu Wine Safari where Hollywood animals live out their golden years has been rated one of LA's favorite attractions.In Downtown LA there is a large Fashion District and a truly amazing public library with docent tours. The city center is MUCH better kept than most in other parts of the country, although I wouldn't walk around it as a tourist at night. Rooftop dining at fancier places like Perch is de rigeur. The metro stops feature public art with loads of character and charm if you want to risk the ride. I would avoid Uber and private car services like the plague and only take taxis from reputable companies like UIT and the Beverly Hills Cab Co.Ethnic enclaves abound all over LA. The Japanese Sawtelle District in West LA is one of the safer ones to explore on foot. Many UCLA students live there, so you can find youth-oriented businesses here as well as in Westwood.So I have come full circle with UCLA and told you about many of my favorite lesser-known places. I would be glad to take questions about others at any time!