Hotel Review: The Whisky Hotel Brings a More Intimate Side of Hollywood (with Photos!)
Just steps from Hollywood Boulevard, the Whisky Hotel offers spacious rooms, curious interiors, and a spectacular rooftop overlooking the Hollywood Sign. Can a hotel built around whisky and the personal collection of an Argentine hotelier bring something new to Hollywood's hospitality scene?
View from Whisky Hotel rooftop. Image: Dan Latif.
High: Spacious and comfortable rooms, a peaceful and intimate atmosphere, décor unlike anything else in Hollywood, and above all one of the most interesting views over both old and new Hollywood.
Low: Parking is not included in the room rate. No pool or spa.
Verdict: A hotel with a genuine personality that avoids the overly standardized codes at this price. Guests come here to sleep, of course, but also for the objects, the music, the whisky, and above all, the rooftop, from which almost a century of Los Angeles history can be seen in a single panorama.
The Room to Get: Superior Hollywood Hill View.
Must Do: Have breakfast on the rooftop and take in the full panorama, then return before sunset for a Whisky Sour with a view of the Hollywood Sign.
Editor’s Note
This article was originally written in French. The English translation is provided for convenience and is edited for clarity.
Whisky Hotel Hollywood Location and Architecture
Whisky Hotel Hollywood exterior. Image: Arturo & Lauren via CK Architecture.
The Whisky Hotel is a 132-room, adults-only boutique property in the heart of Hollywood. It represents Argentinian-born Adolfo Suaya's first venture into the American hotel market, following Casa Suaya in Uruguay and Hotel Clásico in Argentina. Whisky Hotel Hollywood is just a few steps from historic Hollywood Boulevard and many of Los Angeles’ most essential attractions, yet feels like a world away.
A keen traveler and collector, Suaya has brought back paintings, furniture and unusual objects from his trips through Europe, all of which now shape the hotel’s highly personal décor.
The approximately 60,000-square-foot property was designed in partnership with CK Architecture, which provided architectural and interior design services for the $45 million project. Early design and architecture was supported by Roschen Van Cleve Architects. Construction began in February 2020, with the building topping out by January 2022 before eventually welcoming its first guests in March 2025.
Whisky Hotel rooftop. Image: Dan Latif.
While the exterior is fairly pared back (a suitably contemporary facade with a few setbacks and alternative rows windows with contrasting lintels), landscaped terraces at the corners of the upper floors soften the building's mass, with mature trees and greenery creating a stepped silhouette reminiscent of surrounding structures from Hollywood's earlier architectural history.
View from Whisky Hotel rooftop. Image: Dan Latif.
The Whisky Hotel has an exceptional location, particularly well positioned for exploring Hollywood on foot. Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame are approximately two minutes away, while the landmark Capitol Records Building and Hollywood Pantages Theatre are both within a seven-minute walk. Heading west along Hollywood Boulevard, guests can reach the TCL Chinese Theatre and Dolby Theatre in approximately 12–15 minutes.
The Hollywood Bowl (and, apparently, Miley Cyrus’s house) is roughly five to ten minutes away by car, while Universal Studios Hollywood and Griffith Observatory can generally be reached in approximately 15–25 minutes, depending on traffic. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is approximately 16 miles away by road, with the journey typically taking 35–75 minutes (!!) depending on traffic and the time of day. Hollywood/Vine Metro station is also within a seven-minute walk, providing an alternative to driving around Los Angeles.
Whisky Hotel Hollywood Arrival and Check-in
The arrival experience is already unusual. Whether coming by car or on foot, guests enter through the parking area, a nod to the history of the site on which the hotel was built. A valet welcomes guests before they step into a softly lit lobby furnished with large sofas, artworks and objects that look as though they have been collected over many years.
Lobby at the Whisky Hotel Hollywood. Image: Dan Latif.
The designers conceived the lobby as a multifunctional living room rather than a conventional reception area. Solid hardwood floors, wood-paneled walls, oversized mirrors, bespoke furnishings and a coffered ceiling establish a residential character, while original artwork from Suaya's private collection gives the space much of its personality.
Lobby at the Whisky Hotel Hollywood. Image: Dan Latif.
A crocodile sits beside one sofa, a leopard watches over another corner, while an old carousel horse stands near several guitars that guests are free to pick up and play. The mix could easily have felt excessive, yet it remains surprisingly coherent and full of character.
Whisky, naturally, provides the common thread. A passionate whisky lover, Adolfo Suaya has made it part of the hotel’s welcome ritual, with a tasting of the whisky of the moment offered upon arrival.
Front desk at the Whisky Hotel Hollywood. Image: Dan Latif.
Black Velvet Canadian Whisky has, for example, been among the bottles served. The lobby also houses the hotel's collection of rare and vintage whiskies, extending the theme beyond the welcome drink.
Infused waters at the Whisky Hotel Hollywood. Image: Dan Latif.
Even the water stations avoid the ordinary, with complimentary filtered and flavoured water refills featuring combinations such as blackberry and lime, grapefruit, lime and mint, or strawberry and lemongrass.
Hallway at the Whisky Hotel Hollywood. Image: Dan Latif.
Each floor has its own color identity. The sixth is dressed in brown tones, the fifth in blue, the fourth in deep hunter green, while the third is wrapped in a rich wine red, making it particularly popular as a backdrop for wedding photography. Paintings and decorative objects continue throughout the corridors, turning each floor into something resembling a private gallery.
Whisky Hotel Hollywood Rooms
Guest room at the Whisky Hotel Hollywood. Image: Dan Latif.
The rooms at Whisky Hotel are spacious, comfortable and surprisingly quiet considering the hotel’s location in the heart of Hollywood. Soft lighting, rich materials and carefully chosen colors extend the subdued atmosphere of the public spaces, creating a genuine cocoon only minutes from the bustle of Hollywood Boulevard.
Guest room at the Whisky Hotel Hollywood. Image: Dan Latif.
Across the hotel's 132 rooms, accommodation options include rooms with private terraces, city views, and views of the Hollywood Hills. There is a small selection of suites, including a singular 700-square-foot Whisky Suite which has a distinctly midcentury feel, featuring a sleek private bar, living room, and terrace.
The bar in the Whisky Suite at the Whisky Hotel Hollywood. Image: Dan Latif.
Suaya and team incorporated natural materials, indirect lighting, bespoke furnishings and European herringbone wood floors to the guest rooms. A built-in, mirror-lined whisky cabinet positioned between two floor-to-ceiling windows creates a focal point in most rooms, while an open closet in the entrance hallway and a mirrored coffee station integrate practical amenities into the room's design.
Custom European linens and bedding, down comforters, and down pillows complete the sleeping arrangements, with hypoallergenic alternatives available upon request. Much of the furniture is custom from Turkey.
Practical amenities include a large flat-screen LED HD television with streaming capabilities, a built-in luggage rack, and an in-room safe. USB and charging outlets are positioned at the nightstand wall, providing convenient access for charging devices overnight. Coffee by Nespresso and a stocked minibar complete the amenities.
Whisky Hotel Hollywood Bathroom
Whisky Hotel Hollywood Bathroom. Image: Dan Latif.
Whisky Hotel Hollywood Bathroom. Image: Dan Latif.
The bathrooms continue the property's material-rich approach, with European-style terrazzo floors, an oversized standing shower, marble benches and a sumptuous soaking tub. The room features amenities by LATHER. Bathrobes are available upon request.
Bathroom Amenities by LATHER. Image: Dan Latif.
Whisky Hotel Hollywood Service and Staff
The hotel provides nightly turndown service, complementing the welcome whisky tasting and complimentary filtered and flavored water stations available to guests.
Whisky Hotel Hollywood Rooftop and Amenities
The Whisky Hotel’s greatest asset, however, is found a few floors higher. A private red carpet leads to the rooftop, which is worth visiting first for breakfast and then again at cocktail hour.
Whisky Hotel Hollywood rooftop. Image: Arturo & Lauren via CK Architecture.
Designed as an elevated outdoor retreat, the rooftop combines dining and lounge areas with extensive landscaping. Five ancient olive trees frame the central seating area, which is sheltered beneath a vaulted canopy made from solar panels. Integrated landscape and canopy lighting transforms the atmosphere after sunset.
View from Whisky Hotel rooftop. Image: Dan Latif.
From the terrace, Hollywood unfolds like an open-air film set. In the foreground stand the old KFWB transmission towers, once associated with Warner Bros., rising above the former Warner Bros. Theatre. Farther away, the bell tower of the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, the unmistakable cylindrical silhouette of Capitol Records, rooftops, palm trees and wonderfully retro neon signs, including the Lido Apartments, complete the view. And above it all, the Hollywood Sign dominates the hills, an unmistakable reminder that this is the very heart of Los Angeles mythology.
View from Whisky Hotel rooftop. Image: Dan Latif.
The hotel also has a fitness room. There is no spa or pool. Parking is on the street (where available) or on-site valet. The cost for valet is $30 per day with unlimited in/out privileges.
Whisky Hotel Hollywood Food and Dining
Before turning his attention to hotels, Suaya established himself in the Southern California restaurant scene, creating Los Angeles' Gaucho Grill, an Argentine steakhouse, alongside dining concepts including Dolce, The Lodge Steakhouse, Surly Goat, The Phoenix and Geisha House. His background in restaurants gives the Whisky Hotel's food and beverage offering an interesting context, particularly its Argentine influences.
End the evening at Los Gauchos with an Argentine steak, served with chimichurri, accompanied by an exceptionally well-curated playlist selected by the hotel team.
Whisky Hotel Hollywood Conclusion
Clearly the product of a passionate and involved owner, The Whisky Hotel Hollywood hotel punches above its weight in terms of design and location, making it an exceptional value in this area.
Whisky Hotel Hollywood is located at 1717 Wilcox Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028. Information and reservations here.
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Just steps from Hollywood Boulevard, the Whisky Hotel offers spacious rooms, curious interiors, and a spectacular rooftop overlooking the Hollywood Sign. Can a hotel built around whisky and the personal collection of an Argentine hotelier bring something new to Hollywood's hospitality scene?