Hooray for (tommie) Hollywood? [A review of Hyatt’s new tommie Hotel in Los Angeles]

Hyatt just opened a new property in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles: tommie Hollywood, a boutique hotel from its JdV brand.

Coincidentally, my World of Hyatt Credit Card‘s 2021 free night certificate was about to expire. The tommie is a World of Hyatt Category 4 hotel — and eligible for the free night! So my wife and I took a staycation this past weekend and spent the night at tommie.

Where is tommie Hollywood?

You’ll find tommie at 6516 Selma Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028. (Hollywood isn’t an official, independent township or city. It’s a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles.)

In terms of major streets, it’s between Hollywood Blvd. to the north and Sunset Blvd. to the south. Cahuenga Blvd. is a couple of blocks east. Highland Ave. is several blocks west.

It’s also on the same block as Hyatt’s Thompson Hotel. tommie is like the little brother. Get it? Thompson? tommie?

tommie’s about a mile away from the major Hollywood tourist attractions like the Hollywood & Highland complex, Grauman’s or TCL Chinese Theatre (whatever it’s called this week), El Capitan Theatre, Jimmy Kimmel Live, etc. It’s a half-ish mile from the Pantages Theatre, Hollywood Walk of Fame, and a Red Line subway stop.

Some people might not be comfortable with tommie’s location. Why? There’s a stretch of folks appearing to be homeless and their tents lining Selma Avenue just to the west of tommie.

We didn’t hear or see any problems during our brief stay at tommie. There seemed to be a decent police presence in the area. But the encampments run for a couple of blocks.

But if you want to visit the touristy attractions to the northwest, take a rideshare service (like Uber or Lyft). Or if you’re going by foot, I’d first walk east (or right, if you’re exiting the tommie lobby) to Cahuenga and then up (left/north) to Hollywood Blvd. (Many parts of Hollywood aren’t as glamorous as you may think.)

Or if you have a car, just drive.

Speaking of which:

Parking at tommie Hollywood

Parking (valet) costs $45 a night. (We didn’t see any other overnight options that were lower-priced, convenient, or safer.)

Checking in at tommie Hollywood

Techno-y, house music thundered from speakers inside the lobby. Overall, the tommie Hollywood is sort of a blend of an Ace Hotel meets W, with maybe a dash of Hotel Indigo. Hipsters seemed to love the place. But I can’t see my 70-ish-year-old parents being thrilled.

A lovely young woman named Sophie greeted us. She stood just inside the front doors and welcomed us to tommie. She escorted us to the front desk, which is off to the right and behind some plants.

Sophie gave us our room assignment and a couple of keys. She also explained that we could send a text message to guest services if we needed anything. (The phone number was provided in the key packet.)

I cannot stress this enough: every staff member we encountered during our brief stay was fantastic. They all were excited, energetic, helpful, and friendly. (In all likelihood, at least some are probably actors working this as a side gig between jobs and auditions — so they’re naturally outgoing.) Mrs. Carley and I got the impression they genuinely want the hotel to succeed.

Here are some more pictures of the tommie Hollywood lobby.

Complimentary coffee is served each morning in the lobby’s cafe — where you can also order various food items throughout the day.

We shared the breakfast burrito, which was pretty good.

There’s also this little convenience area with snacks and assorted beverages. You can pay for items at the cafe or front desk.

Let’s head upstairs and check out our room!

tommie Hollywood Room

We liked how the room numbers were displayed.

We knew ahead of time that the rooms weren’t big.

And they sure aren’t. Like 195 square feet.

In fact, there aren’t even any closets or racks to hang clothes. Just a few hooks and a couple of hangers. Keep that in mind if you travel with clothes that require hanging. I honestly don’t know if I could stay here for a business trip lasting more than three or so days.

The bed’s reasonably comfortable. The pillows were a little too soft for my liking. But my wife absolutely loved them.

Both sides of the bed feature outlets with a pair of AC power plugs and standard USB ports.

The TV is a nice size —

— but we couldn’t access any of its HDMI ports. (We’ve been married for 11 years. What did we want to do during a night alone without our daughter? Plug in our Roku streaming stick and get caught up on our favorite shows, of course! 🙂 )

The desk area didn’t impress me much. The space was fine and there was a combination USB and power outlet plate, just like the ones near the bed. But there’s no way I could sit on that chair for extended periods. I’d find somewhere else to work. I need something more comfortable.

Although, the complimentary Evian was nice.

There are two drawers underneath the bed. One contains the in-room safe.

The other is for clothes (or whatever). And there was a picture hanging kit left over from construction.

The bathroom is fine. Nothing special.

Do note they use refillable toiletries. So bring your own.

There are several nightclubs and rooftop bars in the area (including one on top of tommie — we’ll talk about that in a minute). So it can be a little noisy late at night.

Also, sound travels pretty well through the walls. We heard our neighbors pulling the strings on their blackout curtains. And a nearby couple was, shall we say, getting rather amorous.

Oh, and here’s the view from our room. (That’s the famous Hollywood sign on the hill.)

tommie’s Rooftop Pool

There’s a rooftop pool at tommie. I bet this place will be popping come summer pool party season.

It boasts some nice views, too.

Food and Beverage at tommie Hollywood

By sheer coincidence, we stayed at tommie the first night both its restaurant and rooftop bar opened.

KA’TEEN Restaurant

We started our evening at KA’TEEN, the hotel’s restaurant.

At least for now, you have to exit the hotel to get there. Walk out the front door, take a right, walk past the valet stand, and hang another right into this tunnel.

They were booked solid that night and no walk-in seating was available. Luckily, there were seats and tables in the lounge section. Consider making a reservation if you want to eat at KA’TEEN.

The restaurant and bar are outside. We didn’t see any contingencies in place for rain (or searing sun). So I don’t know if those are planned, being built, or if KA’TEEN closes during inclement weather. It was about 50-ish degrees the night we ate at KA’TEEN. There were plenty of mobile heating lamps. But it was still a little chilly.

Its website says KA’TEEN is “a fresh take on the ancient cuisine of the Yucatan Peninsula, brought to you by Chef Wes Avila.”

If you’re a picky eater (like me) who doesn’t like exotic, spicy food, your options are fairly limited. Check out the menu.

I settled on the short rib tacos. Mrs. Carley opted for the scallop ceviche tostada.

We ordered a couple of beverages while we waited for our food. Here’s the cocktail and wine menu.

My wife ordered the passionfruit margarita.

I settled on the Jungle Cat.

This being the restaurant’s first night, there were some hiccups. Our drinks took a while to be made and delivered. My tacos ended up at someone’s table. Other people’s food was brought to our table.

But it really wasn’t a bother. Our waiter, Robert, was great and offered us a complimentary round of cocktails. (It would’ve been rude to say no. 🙂 ) So he whipped up a tasty mango margarita for Mrs. C and a delicious Old Fashioned for me. On top of that, the manager comped my short rib tacos.

My wife said the scallop ceviche was the absolute best ceviche she’s ever tasted.

My short rib tacos were excellent. They weren’t too spicy, actually.

A word of warning: go easy on the gravy that accompanies them. That is very spicy. Even my wife, who loves spicy food, blinked away some tears after trying it.

After dinner, we headed to the rooftop bar for a nightcap.

Desert 5 Spot Rooftop Bar at tommie Hollywood

Across the elevator lobby from the rooftop pool is Desert 5 Spot, tommie’s lounge.

The lounge offers outside, partially covered, and fully enclosed seating options. And, of course, there’s a strong desert theme throughout.

The views are pretty neat.

The signature drinks are named for famous country-western songs. You can see the drink menu here.

I tried The Devil Went Down to Georgia, which is made of Bulleit rye whiskey, apricot du Roussillon, Giffard Peche de Vigne, grapefruit, and Angostura bitters. My goodness. It’s so good.

Mrs. Carley went with Jolene. It’s a margarita containing el Tesoro tequila, watermelon, strawberry, agave, and lime. Days later, she’s still talking about how good that drink is.

Signature drinks at both KA’TEEN and Desert 5 Spot are $16 each. So they’re certainly not cheap. But they are delicious.

Final Approach

Hyatt opened another hotel in Los Angeles: tommie Hollywood. It’s a World of Hyatt Category 4 property, meaning World of Hyatt Credit Card members can redeem their anniversary night perk there.

The location isn’t fantastic and the rooms are small. Parking is expensive, which is a problem considering that Los Angeles is a vast metropolitan area and its public transportation system isn’t exactly great. (But that’s the problem with most LA hotels.) Food and beverage are a little spendy, too — but definitely tasty.

The staff is great and welcoming. I’d probably stay there again — but this probably wouldn’t be my first or second choice in the area.