Colony Inn North Hollywood

This two-pearl motel-style property offers a value stay aimed at budget travelers. Exterior hallways wrap around the three-story building and face a courtyard parking lot, while a red roof and room doors add pep to the gray facade. Interiors are functional and fairly no-frills, but they're clean and pleasant enough. There's not much here in terms of common space beyond a breakfast room, but it's a homey and inviting space. Tourists on a budget seeking to explore Los Angeles should be satisfied with this as their base, plus the property caters to families with its larger Family Rooms (and Universal Studios is just a short drive away). The inn also accepts pets.

The hotel is located in the NoHo Arts District of North Hollywood. There are several dining options and bars within a five-minute walk of the property, but the immediate area is home to some vacant lots and construction, and has led some past guests to deem it a bit dodgy. The North Hollywood metro stop is around a 15-minute walk from the hotel, or an eight-minute bus ride. Most top attractions are more easily accessed by car, such as Universal Studios, which is just an eight-minute drive away, and Warner Bros. Studios, which can be reached in 10 minutes. Other top attractions, like the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Griffith Observatory, and the Getty Center, are between a 15- to 25-minute drive. The Santa Monica Pier is about a 40-minute drive, Venice is 45 minutes away, and Disneyland can be reached in about an hour. Los Angeles International Airport is about a 45-minute drive. Burbank's Bob Hope Airport is within a 15-minute drive. Note that all drive times can widely vary due to the area's notorious traffic. 

Rooms are fairly spacious, though decor is dated and not very attractive. Patterned carpeting covers the floors, walls are cream and pale peach-colored, and beds are topped with electric blue runners, bed skirts, and accent pillows. Lackluster paintings hang on the walls, while dark wood furniture includes headboards, nightstands, and desks. Standard amenities are: flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, air-conditioning, telephones, and free Wi-Fi, but rooms lack tea/coffee-making facilities. Some rooms have sofa beds and Family Rooms can sleep up to five people.Bathrooms vary; some are a bit gaudy, with faux marble pedestal sinks and tiled whirlpool tubs decorated with naked female sculptures -- though the whirlpool tub option is a nice touch, plus these bathrooms also include separate (tiny) showers or shower/tub combos. Other bathrooms have been more recently renovated and their contemporary style contrasts with the dated bedrooms. They're fairly large and equipped with either walk-in showers or shower/tub combos. Toiletries and hairdryers are provided.Rooms either overlook vacant lots or the parking lot. 

This modest budget property doesn't offer much in terms of features, but it does provide a free continental breakfast (with items like yogurt, coffee, bagels, and fruit) that's served daily in a homey dining space. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel. There's free on-site parking in the inn's lot, but it's a bit tight and can be a challenge for larger cars. This is a pet-friendly property.