Mama Shelter Los Angeles

Mama Shelter Los Angeles is a trendy party hotel that attracts couples in town for wild nights. Decor is eclectic and ready for Instagram, with lots of wood all around and ceilings decorated to look like chalkboards. However, the star common area is Mama Shelter's rooftop patio, which features colorful bed-style lounge seating, with strings of lights for evening time and even heat lamps for use in cooler weather. It's college-reminiscent, but given an upscale and on-trend twist -- which is precisely what Mama Shelter guests seem to crave. Overall, it's a great place for those who want to stay up late drinking, but the hotel and its surroundings are rowdy. Travelers with kids, light sleepers, or business travelers needing a good night's sleep should look elsewhere.

Mama Shelter Los Angeles is located in the heart of Hollywood, just a block north of Sunset Boulevard and a four-minute walk to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The location is great for travelers who want to party, but the area can be noisy day and night; this is not the place to be if you are looking for quiet. Still, it's a good base for exploring LA. The Griffith Observatory and Hollywood Sign each take about 15 minutes to reach by car, while downtown Los Angeles can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour to reach, depending on traffic. Farther afield, it's about an hour to Santa Monica and Venice Beach in moderate traffic, and LAX airport can take at least as long to reach from Mama Shelter Los Angeles, though this again will depend on traffic.

Mama Shelter offers three room types: ranging from compact Medium Mama Rooms to XXL Mama Rooms, which clock in at around 441 square feet (41 square meters). Size and views are the big differentiating factors from room to room. Some rooms look out on the city or a back alley, though all of the XXL Mama rooms (and some of the Mama Medium units) have views of the Hollywood Sign. If you're visiting Mama Shelter and want to tick off that bucket-list item, you'd do well to opt for an upgrade. 

Decor is similar across all categories, with black-and-white geometric prints on the floors, light-wood headboard with wall sconce light fixtures featuring futuristic masks, a mix of white and wooden furniture, including long desks. Like decor, amenities are more or less the same, and all rooms come with king beds dressed with cotton satin sheets, 27-inch iMacs set up for TV and free internet use, movie channels with free porno flicks on demand, mini-fridges, desks, and safes. Large Mama City Views and XXL units add platform lounge beds and can sleep up to four people. Cribs can be arranged on request, but extra beds cannot. 

Bathrooms feature white tiling paired with white-and-gray marble floors and come with walk-in showers and vessel sinks. Hairdryers and basic toiletries are provided, though two-in-one shampoo/conditioners are an annoyance to some guests. Bathrooms in XXL units add second sinks and deep soaking tubs, but they open up to the rooms leaving guests without privacy to bathe (however, toilets are separate). Overall, rooms are comfortable, but past guests have complained of noise from nearby construction sites, other rooms, and the hotel's bar; earplugs are provided, but they may not be enough to block out the noise at Mama Shelter.

This property doesn't offer many features, with no meeting rooms, fitness center, or pool. However, the big draw here is the hotel's social scene, which hinges largely on Mama Shelter's happy hour and rooftop bar. Dining and drinking options are on point, with a bar in the lobby featuring regular DJ nights along with the Mama Shelter Rooftop patio, offering lounge-style seating and city views. Drinks and food are available in both locations, with a menu of sandwiches, plates for sharing, rice, pasta, and meat dishes, plus a handful of vegan and gluten-free options, but room service is not available. The restaurant is open daily for breakfast and dinner, with brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Mama Shelter's happy hour and lunch service is only available on weekday evenings. There's also a vending machine in the lobby (plus candy machines in the bar). Valet and self parking is available around the clock, though both options are expensive.