Sunset Marquis

So many celebrities traipse through the Sunset Marquis, the staff doesn't get starstruck anymore. (When Oyster first covered the property, Lars Ulrich of Metallica, Joss Stone, and Roger Daltrey of The Who were all spotted during our two-night stay.)

The Sunset Marquis cost $8 per night when it first opened in 1963 as a motel for musicians playing at the nearby House of Blues, Roxy, and Viper Room, all located within a few minutes' walk. It has since expanded to 152 rooms, 52 of which are villas, two pools, and a state-of-the-art recording studio designed by renowned acoustician George Augspurger and accessed via a hidden entrance in the underground garage (Lil Wayne and Green Day had both recorded there within a few days of Oyster's stay).

Despite its prominence as a hotel to A-list rock stars, it feels remarkably relaxed. The quiet feel may have something to do with the meandering stone and brick pathways, a koi pond under a footbridge, and hedges that protect the hotel and its guests from the riffraff of Sunset Boulevard half a block away. The hotel can get "raucous," according to a staff member, especially at night, but it doesn't seem to be a regular occurrence.

No matter what your last name, or how many stages you've played on or haven't, the service is great across the board. At 350 square feet, the Sunset's standard rooms aren't as spacious as the 750-square-foot ones at the London West Hollywood just down the road, but they underwent soft renovations at the beginning of 2010 that updated them with more modern furnishings and flat-screen TVs.

Yes, the newer London has better rooms, as well as a spectacular rooftop pool, a Gordon Ramsay restaurant, and its own share of celebrities -- but the rock-star, cool factor is higher at the Sunset.

Nightly turndowns come with chocolates; there's 24-hour room service, and the concierges are excellent. When asked about tracking down the Kogi Korean BBQ truck, a mobile food truck famous for its fusion of Mexican and Korean food, the concierge immediately searched for it on Twitter.

• Nice nightly turndown service with a dark piece of chocolate on the pillow, drawn curtains, and personal toiletries perfectly arranged
• Concierges who can do everything from secure sold-out concert tickets and difficult restaurant reservations to tracking down popular food trucks
• Doormen and bellmen
• Poolside food and drink service
• 24-hour room service

The Sunset Marquis is tucked away on a quiet side street in the heart of West Hollywood steps from Sunset Strip, the mile-and-a-half stretch of Sunset Boulevard known for its cutting-edge rock clubs and night spots and its collection of premier boutiques and restaurants.

• Steps from famed music clubs like Whiskey A Go-Go, the Roxy, and Viper Room
• Hollywood Walk of Fame, Grauman's Chinese Theatre and Hollywood Bowl are a 10-minute drive
• Universal Studios Hollywood, a movie-themed amusement park, is a 20-minute drive
• Sunset Plaza, a walkable half-mile stretch of upscale boutiques and restaurants, is a few minutes' walk
• Beverly Center, a huge retail mall, is a five-minute drive
• Rodeo Drive/Beverly Hills, an enclave of wealthy living and luxury shopping in the middle of L.A.'s west side, is a 10-minute drive (or three miles)
• At least a 30-minute drive to Santa Monica and L.A. beaches
• Valet parking charge (no self-parking)
• Bob Hope Airport in Burbank is about 14 miles away, which can translate to a 45-minute drive in traffic, but it's still a better option than Los Angeles International (LAX), which can take up to 1.5 hours
• Avoid a pricey cab from the airport by opting for a shuttle bus (such as SuperShuttle), which costs about one-third as much

Rooms (the hotel calls them Suites) are clean and well-sized, with flat-screens, iHome iPod docks, refinished balconies, and contemporary furnishings. Individual design elements -- like oversize headboards; rectangular glass-top tables; short, silver armchairs with textured lime-green stripes; green glass vessel sinks; brown-and-bronze-colored ottoman coffee tables -- are modern, but the overall effect is a somewhat bizarre, mismatched look that falls just short of sleek. You can also go the rock-star route and splurge on one of the villas, which are way bigger, posher, and pricier -- and come with 24-hour butler service. For even more spacious rooms (with significantly larger bathrooms), check out the London West Hollywood, just a few minutes down the road.

• One-bedroom suites are 575 square feet, and come with balconies (some face the wall of another building), wet bars, and an empty dorm-size fridge
• Beds are supremely comfortable, with pillow-top featherbeds, 400-thread-count linens, down pillows and duvets
• Small bathrooms with marble counters and Frette towels and bathrobe
• Tech amenities in most rooms include two large flat-screen TVs with about 40 cable channels, battery-operated scales, JVL Bluetooth speakers, and laptop-size safes
• Current magazines in every room
• Minibars (separate from the empty fridge) are stocked with standard items
• Fee for Wi-Fi
• 24-hour room service

The hotel has got it all -- including an 1,800-square-foot spa and a wonderful restaurant. But both of the pools are a little small and underwhelming. Do as celebrities do and hang out by the back villa pool if you want more of a scene. 

• Two small, but nice, pools, one located near the lobby and another, with more privacy, farther back near the restaurant; both offer food and drink service
• State-of-the-art recording studio designed by renowned acoustician George Auspurger and accessed via a hidden entrance in the underground parking garage; guests can book tours
• Nice Rosenthal house wine, since the hotel was founded by George I. Rosenthal, owner of the Rosenthal Estate Winery in Malibu
• 1,800-square-foot spa with products from Arcona, Guinot, La Natura, plus nail polishes from Chanel; makeup and blowouts available
• The on-site art gallery, Morrison Hotel Gallery, offers music photography
• Fee for Wi-Fi
• Guests get free passes to an Equinox gym

Locals and A-listers alike congregate at Bar 1200, where things don't really get going until 11 p.m. It's a cozy, dark, relaxed scene: Bartenders are unpretentious, the music's great, and the cocktails are, for lack of a better term, awesome.

A collection of photographs by legendary rock photographers Ross Halfin and Robert Knight of celebrity guests over the decades line the walls.

The Nightbird Sound Studios is the only facility of its caliber located within a hotel on the West Coast.

• Designed by George Auspurger of Hollywood Bowl fame
• Recorded basically every A-list musician on the planet, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Justin Timberlake, and on the day of our stay, Lil Wayne.
• Stevie Wonder has played on the studio's Yamaha Mark IV Disklavier piano (there are fewer than 10 in the country)
• High rollers can rent it out for personal use, including karaoke birthday parties (*swoon*)

Standard rooms are 575 square feet, incredibly spacious for families. But the hotel's relaxed, sometimes-rockish vibe (foul language among celebrity clientele) doesn't exactly scream "bring the kids."

• Huge rooms translate to plenty of room for kids and gear; a few rooms with two double beds are available
• Free cribs; rollaway beds cost per night
• Not much of a kid-friendly vibe
• No dedicated kids' menu, but the kitchen can make tot-friendly items like mac-and-cheese, chicken nuggets, and peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, all for cheap

Whether room service or a full dinner at Cavatina, the food -- an updated take on California cuisine -- is superb. 

• Excellent restaurant with great casual atmosphere; indoor and outdoor seating (on an elevated patio); open for breakfast, lunch and dinner
• No a la carte items offered for Sunday brunch
• 24-hour room service