Kimpton Hotel Palomar Los Angeles Beverly Hills

I booked a one-night stay here recently specifically because it's within walking distance to the Hammer Museum and its LULU Restaurant conceived by renowned chef Alice Waters. The Palomar is a few blocks east of the Hammer and Westwood Village right on Wilshire Blvd nestled amongst the blvd's many chichi high-rise condominium complexes. I believe the hotel was originally a Doubletree and was redone in 2017 as the Kimpton Palomar. There are 3 other Kimpton Palomar's nationwide. The hotel is a simple rectangular structure with rooms facing north or south. There are a few levels of parking (valet and self) between the ground floor lobby and the guestrooms. The lobby has a hip vibe with its large contemporary "living room". There is an all-day restaurant, Double Take, which has an adjacent Game Room with retro games like a pool table, darts, shuffleboard, etc. There's also a "bodega" next to the front desk that offers snacks and drinks, including alcoholic. Ice water is always available, and there is sometimes a Welcome Spritz (spirit-free) by the front desk. Plus there are bikes available. The petite pool and sun deck are behind the hotel. Note your room rate includes an Amenity Fee, which includes a $15 to use at Double Take or the Bodega. Most everything at the Bodega is $5 and up. I also noticed in the morning, Double Take is a fast casual concept where you order, are given a number, seat yourself and the food is brought to you. There was quite a line in the morning, since there really is nowhere else super-close to eat without walking about 10 minutes. The Amenity Fee also includes rideshare drop off within 2 miles, arranged by the front desk, once per day. There's an afternoon Wine Hour and coffee/tea in the morning. I was able to check in early (thank you Stuart) and got a higher floor room facing north (Wilshire Blvd and the mountains beyond) at the end of the hall--a quieter area but I think these rooms are also smaller. The room had an expectedly contemporary vibe but showed some wear and tear. I did not really care that the desk was a high-top with a bar stool-height chair. Also no outlets or USB ports by the desk. I did like the fridge, and the bathroom was pleasant. Overall a pleasant short stay. And LULU at the Hammer was excellent.

Renoldo and Felicia were amazing and very accommodating, can’t wait to come back and have another amazing hospitality experience :)

While the staff were fantastic (4/5), the rest of the experience fell short of Kimpton standards: Room Quality (2/5): The room showed serious wear, with chipped tables, rusted mirrors, and stained sofas. First-night cleanliness was poor. There was dust on the furniture, dirty sinks, and hair on the chairs. Property Fees (3/5): Charging $10 for bottled water (even for Elite members) with refillable water stations only on two floors feels unnecessary. Additionally, asking $45 to bring a microwave up to reheat last night’s in-room dining, which already included a 20% service fee and $6 delivery charge, is far above standard 4-star Beverly Hills guest service practices. I usually prefer Kimpton’s modern vibe over InterContinentals, but this was unfortunately my worst stay with the Kimpton brand.

Westwood Palomar. They say they have assigned floors for pets… It’s a lie. By 1 AM I was wheezing, eyes red and itchy… throat starting to close. I called the desk. Useless. Bad attitude by both the night manager and the night desk staff. I am SEVERELY allergic to animals. I had stayed at Kimpton many times with wonderful experiences. Even this one. With a daughter at UCLA who was rowing crew… I was constantly visiting for races. Every experience was lovely. Now… it is 15 years later. I had not thought about the pet policy as I had made the res at the last minute when I was too tired from driving down at 5:30 am in storms and traffic. A 5 1/2 drive turned into 8. I bought pjs at target and went to the hotel. The site said self park was 20. It was 50. Ok. But seriously? I had a bite to eat at the bar and at 9 pm retired to my room. Not a designated pet floor. Within several hours I started to panic. They offered to move me at 1 am. Can you guarantee a pet free room? NO. We have designated floors but if a guest decides they want a higher floor we let them take their pets. How is that safe for people with severe allergies. As in ambulance trips to the ER and shots of adrenaline? They offered to give me back 80. That’s it. No apologies. I explained that they had put me in serious danger. The response was “ I can’t do anything about it. It’s corporate. Really? The almighty buck. And if I need an ambulance? Will you even assist? I had to dress and drive all night with zero sleep. They finally agreed to refund everything but 50. Parking. How about a big ass apology and a strict enforcement of designated floors for the safety of human beings? I like pets too. But they can kill me. The Kimpton used to be a wonderful hotel chain. It has disintegrated into a big corporate, greedy, rude and seriously immoral business. The BBB gives it an F rating. Don’t waste a second considering it. Go to a Motel 6. You will be better off. I am sad to see a company that was built on beautiful design and detail to customer care toss its reputation into the trash. Shame on you. I will be contacting the headquarters for a FULL refund after a discussion with my attorney. Shape up and get your humanity back. One positive note… Emily, Matthew.. you were wonderful. I wish you had been on night shift. Fire everyone else.

Renaldo at the front desk was very friendly and helpful! He gave us an upgrade and made sure that we had a great stay at the hotel. We really appreciate it!