In the quiet suburban area of the UCLA lies a true treasure of the LA hotels. Although not a pretty sight from the outside – unless you are lounging by the pool area – the W Westwood has and always will be my favorite hideaway hotel in Los Angeles.

But far from hidden are the many treasures once you enter the hotel. The hotel really feels like a resort in a big city by the time the parking valet greets you and escorts you to the niche wherever whenever ambassadors of the W hotel.

The check in is usually swift and I always really like the coming home feel this hotel has.

Please make sure to ask for a poolside view room when you check in – or you might end up just above the hustling and busting nightclub come Friday and Saturday night.

That to me is about the only drawback that I have encountered during my many trips to this hotel.

The hundreds of patrons pull up on Hilgard Avenue to valet park and then to enjoy the hip scene at the restaurant turned nightclub.

But other than that, the tranquil pool and lounge area make up for the occasional noise during the early and not so early evening hours.

In addition to my wonderful suite I regularly enjoy to get a sweat at the SWEAT health club. For patrons with the necessary cash the visit to the bliss Spa is highly recommended. Personally I love to swim a few laps in the beautifully stylized and well-designed pool.

The cabanas invite for a relaxing rest afterwards and usually I cannot wait to get my chicken salad with home made fries.

All in all the W Westwood is definitely worth the money for any visit short or long in my opinion

W Los Angeles was once the quaint Westwood Marquee that my family would stay in every time they went to LA. This hotel is in a fabulous location, a block from UCLA and only a short walk to downtown Westwood, which is college central with tons of restaurants and shopping. Overnight it was bought by Starwood Hotels and turned into the very happening hotspot W.

The hotel was decked out in icy purples, greys, and warmer greens and candles, with loud techno and house music pumping in the lobby. The quaint bar area was turned into one of LA's hottest spots to catch a cocktail with white-leather banquets, green wheatgrass-style potted plants, and the same icy purples, greys, and mixed neutrals. The pool area, while small, was transformed into an oasis with the plush couches to lie on, tents to stay out of the sun in, and fabulous outdoor service and food. The rooms had complete overhauls, with state-of-the-art flat-screen TV's and stereo systems; chic, clean furniture; and big comfy beds. There are Aveda products stocking the bathrooms and everything you could need in the minibar, including four types of vodka. There is always a bowl full of apples or oranges in the lobby to snack on, and the staff is courteous, attentive, and friendly.

W is a favorite place of celebrities and can often be seen in movies and TV shows. Most recently it had cameos in Win a Date With Tad Hamilton and Curb Your Enthusiasm. It is not uncommon to see someone famous there. I have seen Don King, David Schwimmer, and Lara Flynn Boyle.

Rooms start at about $200 and go up from there. All the rooms are suite-esque, but they do cater to celebrities and have many suites ranging in comfort and price.

“Cool” is what comes to mind when you mention the W Hotel. The hotel is somewhat Eastern European looking, it is an ugly cement building on the outside. It's on a tree-lined street just a few blocks from Westwood Village and UCLA.

When you drive up you are greeted by the hip movie-star wannabes dressed in black who park your car. You enter the hotel up a staircase that is also a fountain.

The lobby is dark wood and modern. Small tables with glass chess sets ontop and cool people sipping mojitos fill the lobby. The front desk staff is hip, friendly and efficient. Even though the staff looks like something out of a fashion mag, they are friendly and have no attitude. We found the waitstaff, bell staff, front desk and valets to be friendly and professional in every way. They also could not have been nicer to the kids.

We had a great room on an upper floor. The rooms are huge. We had two large rooms (the rooms are all suites). One room with a desk, sofa and table. The bedroom had two large comfy beds with down comforters. (The kids love a TV in each room) The bathroom was bright and well stocked with great shampoos and creams. The closet had two fluffy large robes. The room was so comfortable I could have curled up with a good book or movie and spent the next two days getting lost in the room.

The hotel has a large wonderful fitness room that is well used. The pool is to the side of the hotel in a garden with colorful cabanas. A cool bar called MOJITO surrounds the pool. The pool and bar are full of young hard bodies! The one surprise is the pool is NOT heated and was FREEZING COLD!

The hotel is cool. In the evening the lobby turns into a bar called WHISKEY BLUE and the crowd is young and way too cool. I am sure it's the trendy pick-up spot for the area.

We were disappointed with the surrounding area. Westwood is in decline. They had a ton of closed shops and finding a place to grab a bite was a hunt. Traffic is still a nightmare and getting around was a royal pain. Everything seemed a long ways away from the hotel. Unless you have business in Westwood or are doing something at UCLA I would not suggest this area for your Hollywood or LA stay. One night we all were beat and decided on staying in and ordering room service, the basic hamburgers (nothing major), the bill was $135.00! Everything was outstanding and it came on time. However, the big price did pinch a bit!

However, this is a great hotel in every sense - it has class, style and top-notch service. If I come back to the UCLA area, it would be my number one choice!

Lately, the chain of W Hotels as the hip new Westin offspring has created a buzz in a few major cities like New York, Seattle, Atlanta, and San Francisco. This is not your mom''s Westin hotel. But certainly, it''s tame enough that your mom would want to stay here and feel comfortable.

I have to say, this was one of the nicest hotels I''ve ever stayed at. It was unique and elegant, yet very accommodating and comfortable. Down comforters, down featherbed, nice bath ammenities, and bath robes!

The most striking thing about the W in L.A. is that you feel like you''re in L.A. when you make your way into this hotel. The building is fairly unassuming (ivy covering a 70''s-ish style structure), yet the men in black t-shirts and headsets ready to valet your car will be a sign that this place will have the trendy factor. I''m not really into this scene, but I noticed that you don''t have to succumb to it if you don''t want to (I noticed a number of families in the lobby).

As you head up the stairs to the entrance, there is water running down the stairs resembling a waterfall. Very nice. The lobby is amazing. Maybe it was the time of day, but the afternoon sun streamed through onto the art deco furnishings and made the place so pretty, like something out of an old movie. At night the lobby and bar area turns into a club. But we retreated to our room at night with a few friends in tow and took advantage of our spacious sitting area to spend quality time with old friends. Much better than what the pounding noise had to offer. But I must admit that I was curious enough to want to see what was going on. Maybe next time...

And of course, there is a nice pool with a dining area that is supposed to be good. Next time as well. In the middle of the pool and visible from the rooms is the word WET written on the bottom it. Funny. I like a place that doesn''t take itself too seriously.

Check AAA for discounts on this hotel like we did.