Whenever we head to LA to visit my in-laws we stay at a B&B that is within walking distance of…read moretheir home. On this visit however, they were booked for 2 of 3 nights we would be there. I secured the one night with them, but still needed a place for the other two nights. I did some research and after a cost comparison of the hotels in Century City, we decided that The Garden Cottage Bed and Breakfast was the best property for value and our needs. It's about a ten minute drive to the folks, but it's located in a lovely neighborhood. It is within walking distance to the Farmers Market at 3rd and Fairfax, and there are some wonderful restaurants nearby on W 3rd.
The property is a duplex built in the 1930s. The B&B is the upper apartment and the garden cottage in the back. The proprietors, Ahuva and Bob, live in the lower unit. The grounds and exterior of the house are well maintained (in keeping with the neighborhood!). The apartment itself is lovely - beautifully furnished with high ceilings, hardwood floors, wool rugs, tile floor bathroom.
Since we were the only guests the first night, we had the place to ourselves. We stayed in the Terrace Room. The four poster king sized bed, made up with top quality bedding and a down comforter, was very inviting and comfortable. French doors opened out to a covered terrace that overlooked the garden below and the city skyline. The sound of the fountain was soothing. In the room on a side table was a vase of beautiful flowers, a bowl of fruit, some candy, water carafe and glasses. Our room included a private bath with separate shower and tub. There was a nice selection of natural and organic body soaps and lotions, shampoos and conditioners, as well as other essentials.
The living room, dining room and kitchen are the common areas of the apartment. It was easy to curl up in the over-sized couch and peruse one of the books or magazines in the living room. In the kitchen we found supplies to make a cup of tea or coffee. There is also a refrigerator if you want to chill a bottle of wine or two, or stash away some treats.
We slept like a log. The following morning, our hosts laid out a beautiful breakfast for us. Coffee, juice, salami, assorted slices of cheese, croissants, bread, butter, jam, and a granola-fruit-yoghurt parfait. Not enough? Have your eggs any way you like - omelet, scrambled, poached - served with a salsa on the side. Everything was freshly made or baked locally, and organic products/ingredients where possible. It was a great jump-start to our day. We got back late that night. As we tiptoed to our room we could hear muffled, friendly chatter but it quickly faded as we drifted off to another great night's sleep.
We met the new guests in the morning and had a nice conversation over another stellar breakfast. After they left, we also got ready to check out. Before leaving, we had the opportunity to chat extensively with Ahuva and Bob and learn a little bit about their home and family. Ahuva and I chatted about cooking, something we both have in common. She and I could have talked all day if we both didn't already have other commitments. We felt so welcome by their hospitality that we didn't want to leave.
Street parking is easy. Bob gives you a guest residential parking permit to hang in your car during your stay, but mind the signs so you don't park on the wrong side during street sweeping days. The neighborhood is quiet and we felt safe walking around at night.
Wifi is available. The connection seemed to be best in the living room, less so in our room.
For us, the price of our room for two nights was a better value than staying at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. Our hosts were warm and friendly and couldn't do enough to make sure we were comfortable. They are on the top of the list of B&Bs to stay in LA.
